Arsenal players dominate the nominees for this year’s London Football Awards, while Mikel Arteta tops the list of manager of the year.
Bukayo Saka has been nominated for both Player and Young Player of the Year for the 2022/23 season and Martin Odegaard joins him on the senior shortlist.
Tottenham’s Harry Kane, Brentford striker Ivan Toney and Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic form a shortlist of strikers.
Saka’s teammates William Saliba and Gabriel Martinelli join Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise and Millwall midfielder Billy Mitchell for the Young Player of the Year.
The Gunners are also among the nominees for Goalkeeper of the Year, with Aaron Ramsdale taking on Fulham’s Bernd Leno, Brentford’s David Raya, Chelsea manager Kepa Arrizabalaga and Lawrence Vigouroux impressing for the League Two leaders Leyton East.
Orient’s Richie Wellens will compete against Arteta for the Manager of the Year title, with Fulham’s Marco Silva and Brentford’s Thomas Frank also strong contenders. Emma Hayes, from Chelsea Women, completes the shortlist.
The nominees for the English Football League Players of the Year list are Eastern pair Omar Beckles and Paul Smyth, Millwall’s Zian Flemming, Watford’s Joao Pedro and Charlton’s Miles Leaburn.
Arsenal’s Beth Mead aims to follow up her Sports Personality of the Year award with another top gong, and she’s one of the nominees for Women’s Super League Player of the Year. She is joined on the shortlist by West Ham teammate Kim Little, Chelsea duo Sam Kerr and Millie Bright and Dagny Brynjarsdottir. There are three contenders for young female player of the year: Lauren James, from Chelsea, Asmita Ale from Tottenham and Izzy Atkinson, from West Ham. The shortlist for Community Project of the Year is thanks to bids from Fulham, Brentford and Palace.
The target for the season award is determined by public voting, with Smyth, Olise, Spurs’ Heung-min Son, Watford’s Ismaila Sarr and Arsenal Women’s Laura Wienroither in the running.
The winners will be voted on by a panel of judges from football’s governing body and the media, including the Evening Standard, and will be announced on 13 March at the Roundhouse in Camden. All proceeds from the evening will go to charity Willow, which helps organize special days for seriously ill adults aged 16 to 40.