The Premier League Player of the Season race is a pretty open and closed case this season.
Indeed, Mohamed Salah has been in Ballon d’Or winning form this term, and he’s a shoo-in to win the Player of the Year award.
However, despite Salah’s eventual Player of the Year win being a foregone conclusion, Jamie Carragher has been tasked with ranking and comparing some of the contenders for the award.
Speaking to Goal, Carragher was asked to pick between some of the best players in the Premier League this season, and he made quite an interesting claim about one Arsenal player and Cole Palmer.
Jamie Carragher picks Gabriel Magalhaes over Cole Palmer
When asked to compare this season’s Player of the Year contenders, Jamie Carragher actually picked Gabriel Magalhaes over Cole Palmer.
Gabriel has been fantastic for Arsenal this season, while Palmer has also been excellent for Chelsea.
Of course, comparing a centre-back with an attacking midfield player is like comparing apples and oranges, but, it’s easy to see where Carragher is coming from here.
Gabriel has been transformative at both ends of the pitch for Arsenal this season with his defensive prowess and his set-piece threat, and he deserves a lot of recognition for his fantastic performances.
Cole Palmer record vs Gabriel Magalhaes
Carragher picked Gabriel over Palmer here, but, when these two have faced off, Palmer has often had the better of the Brazilian.
Indeed, Palmer and Gabriel have faced off against one another three times, and, in those games, Palmer has managed to score three goals.
Interestingly, all three of these clashes have ended in draws with Arsenal winning one of those games on penalties in the 2023 Community Shield.
| Cole Palmer record vs Gabriel Magalhaes | |
| Games | 3 |
| Goals | 2 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Draws | 3 |
| Losses | 0 |
Gabriel is a fantastic defender, and Arsenal are a brilliant defensive side, but they seemingly don’t know how to deal with Palmer.
Of course, there’s no shame in struggling against a player like Palmer, he’s been one of the best in the world over the past 18 months or so.
Gabriel won’t be winning the Premier League Player of the Year award, but he’s certainly been one of the best players in English football this term.
