It was nice seeing Aston Villa midfielder Morgan Rogers on the PFA Young Player of the Year final six list. His inclusion gives Villa fans the chance to celebrate something positive and worth appreciating during the ongoing summer transfer drama.
Naturally, a good feeling cannot be allowed for too long, as the finalists for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award were revealed on Friday. Somehow, beyond belief, Youri Tielemans has been excluded from even being considered in the top six.
Among the players who were included were Mo Salah, Cole Palmer, Bruno Fernandes, Alexander Isak, Declan Rice, and Alexis Mac Alister.
In theory, to be considered and be a part of the last part of the selection process, how the players in question did throughout the 2025-2026 campaign as a whole has to be the primary and really only consideration point.
For the final six of the Players’ Player of the Year to have such bias toward those from the 'big six' isn't truly incorporating the full scope of what this year has brought supporters for the past season's Premier League.
There will always be names that stick out by the nature of their being on a Liverpool or Chelsea side. During past campaigns, they may have had good outings. That doesn't mean that their play was better than that of Tielemans' this year.
Clear case ignored for Aston Villa midfielder
When looking at how Tielemans consistently performed for Villa and played in a way that allowed Unai Emery's side to have as much success as it had by nature of being the midfield engine, it is clear that his exclusion was the wrong decision.
While Villa fans can wait with bated breath to see if the PFA does the right thing and actually recognizes Rogers for his place as an emerging star in the EPL, they will have to sit with disappointment, knowing that the same deserved acknowledgement will fail to come for Tielemans.