The race between Liverpool and Man City at the top of the Premier League has the potential to be a classic one and the two teams could also be set for a battle when it comes to the individual awards.
A host of players have been talked about as likely winners of the PFA Player of the Year gong this season but recently it has been Virgil Van Dijk who has been the clear favourite with the bookmakers.
The big Dutch centre-back has been a monster for the Reds in their match towards the top of the table but with City hot on their tails, there is one unsung hero who has emerged as a genuine threat to VVD.
Fernandinho has always been important for Pep Guardiola but he took that to new levels on Thursday night as he played the instrumental role in the Citizens beating Liverpool 2-1 at the Etihad. That three points kept the defending champions in the title race and also saw the Brazilian rocket up the market for the player of the season trophy.
The former Shakhtar midfielder is now as short as 14/1 from 33/1 with one bookmaker to be voted as the best player of the season and that price could surely contract even further if the Manchester club do indeed get their noses in front and claim their second Premier League title on the bounce.
The 33-year-old is no spring chicken but he was everywhere against Liverpool breaking up play and it is no coincidence that the Man City squad suffered a major dip in form when he was out of the team with injury over the festive period.
Other City players like Kevin De Bruyne, Raheem Sterling and David Silva will get the majority of the headlines but few players are more important to their clubs than Fernandinho and with that in mind, he is a genuine contender to lift more than just the Premier League at the end of the season.
