It will not be a cause of too much concern at Manchester City, as its players and fans and executives celebrate another Premier League title, another almost perfect season, another step on the road to its ambition of becoming the world s foremost club, but there is one curious exception to its dominance.
Manchester City s players, as a rule, tend not to win individual awards. Over the last two years — two years in which Pep Guardiola s team has won the Premier League, two years in which it has recorded the highest points totals in English soccer history, the latest secured with a 4-1 win at Brighton on Sunday — England s professionals have chosen a player who won nothing as the player of the year: Liverpool s Mohamed Salah last year, and his teammate Virgil van Dijk this season.
