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Arsenal

sportsmole.co.uk, 14 March 2023, 07:55
Arsenal quartet Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka, Aaron Ramsdale and Mikel Arteta were among the major winners at the 2023 London Football Awards on Monday evening.

Having opened up a five-point lead over reigning champions Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, it was little surprise to see the Gunners dominate the award categories.

Arteta was honoured with the Manager of the Year prize after leading Arsenal to 66 points from their 27 games so far, beating Thomas Frank, Marco Silva, Emma Hayes and Richie Wellens to the award.

The 40-year-old's title contenders have 21 wins, three draws and three defeats to their name from 27 top-flight games this season and are also bidding to reach the Europa League quarter-finals when they host Sporting Lisbon in the second leg of their last-16 tie on Thursday evening.

Meanwhile, Arsenal captain Odegaard scooped the Player of the Year trophy, having produced 10 goals and seven assists in the current Premier League season while donning the armband.

The 24-year-old brought up double figures for the season in Sunday's 3-0 win over Fulham, finding the bottom corner from Leandro Trossard's third assist to round off the scoring on the day.

Odegaard beat Harry Kane, Ivan Toney, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Saka to the award, but there was recognition for the latter in the Young Player of the Year category.

Still going from strength to strength under Arteta, Saka won the Young Player of the Year trophy for the second time, having also been bestowed with the honour at the 2021 ceremony.

Developing into one of Europe's deadliest wingers, the 21-year-old has 10 goals and nine assists to show from 27 top-flight games this season as Arsenal fight tooth and nail to tie him down to a new contract.

Saka was one of three Arsenal youngsters up for the prize alongside Gabriel Martinelli and William Saliba, while Michael Olise and Billy Mitchell were also nominated for the honour.

Finally, Ramsdale rounded off the Gunners' awards on the evening by taking the Goalkeeper of the Year prize, having kept 12 clean sheets in Arsenal's 27 Premier League games throughout the season.

The England international sits level with Nick Pope at the top of the Premier League clean sheet charts with 12, and Sunday's shut-out at Fulham saw the Gunners become the first team in English Football League history to win five successive away London derbies with five clean sheets.

Elsewhere, the English Football League Player of the Year went to Leyton Orient's Paul Smyth, while Tottenham Hotspur's Son Heung-min scooped the Goal of the Year for his top-corner strike against Leicester City.

The women's categories were unsurprisingly dominated by Chelsea, as Samantha Kerr picked up the Women's Super League Player of the Year while teammate Lauren James was crowned the Women's Young Player of the Year.

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