Alessia Russo has been shortlisted for the 2026 PFA Players’ Player of the Year award.
The 2025/26 season was Alessia’s best ever in front of goal, scoring 24 goals in 40 matches in all competitions for us, which included an unforgettable hat-trick in March’s north London derby, which saw us beat Tottenham Hotspur 5-2 at Emirates Stadium.
At international level, Russo continues to be a regular for England, and recently scored in a 1-0 win over Iceland during FIFA Women’s World Cup qualifying.
That was the Lionesses’ 500th fixture in history, and the goal took Russo into the country’s top 10 all-time goal-scorers with 30 goals.
Russo’s efforts in Europe last time earned her a place in the Women’s Champions League Team of the Season, having scored nine goals in 12 matches as we reached the semi-finals.
In our final six away league games of the season, Russo became the first Arsenal player ever to score or assist in six consecutive away appearances in the WSL (5 goals, 4 assists).
She also enjoyed her best goalscoring season in the WSL with 13, bettering her 12 from both 2024/25 and 2023/24 – she scored the most away goals in the division (8) and recorded the second most away assists (5).
The other five players in the Top Six are Bunny Shaw (Manchester City), Jess Park (Manchester United), Kirsty Hanson (Aston Villa), Lauren James (Chelsea), and Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City).
Winners will be announced on August 25 during the ceremony.
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