Martin Zubimendi for Premier League Player of the Season? Arsenal Quiet Conductor Deserves the Spotlight

Premier League Player of the Season: Why Martin Zubimendi Has Powered Arsenal’s Title Push

Arsenal are edging closer to something they have chased for more than two decades. With roughly a third of the campaign left, Mikel Arteta’s side have built the kind of lead that champions tend not to surrender. The margins are still fine, of course — this is the Premier League — but there is a growing sense that this might finally be their year.

It has been a collective surge rather than a one-man crusade. Arsenal have not relied on a 30-goal striker or a winger producing weekly highlight reels. Instead, they have leaned on structure, balance and control. And at the heart of it all stands Martin Zubimendi — a player who arrived without fireworks but has quietly become indispensable.

If Player of the Season awards often follow the title, then perhaps the conversation needs reframing. Why shouldn’t Martin Zubimendi be front and centre?

From San Sebastián to the Summit: Martin Zubimendi’s Seamless Transition

When Arsenal paid £55.8 million to bring Zubimendi from Real Sociedad last summer, it was seen as a calculated move rather than a headline-grabber. He was admired in Spain, respected in Europe, but hardly a global superstar. That changed for many English supporters during Euro 2024.

Thrown into the spotlight in the final after Rodri’s injury, Zubimendi stepped into Spain’s midfield without hesitation. There was no drop in tempo, no visible nerves. Spain controlled the game, won the trophy, and the 25-year-old from San Sebastián emerged with his reputation significantly enhanced. Rodri would go on to collect the Ballon d’Or later that year, but it said plenty that Spain barely missed him in that decisive night.

Liverpool took notice. They pushed hard, believing Zubimendi could become the metronome of their next great midfield. For a while, it seemed plausible. But the move never materialised. Reports suggested Arteta’s long-term vision played a role, convincing the Spaniard that north London — not Merseyside — was where his future lay.

That decision now looks pivotal.

While Liverpool’s midfield has struggled for rhythm this season, Arsenal’s engine room feels balanced, measured and authoritative. Zubimendi has not merely adapted to the Premier League; he has looked born for it.

The Perfect Rice Partner in Arsenal’s Midfield

Declan Rice remains Arsenal’s marquee midfield name, the £105 million pillar around which much of Arteta’s project has been built. Yet what has elevated Rice’s influence this season is not isolation — it is partnership.

Zubimendi complements him in ways that feel almost old-fashioned in their simplicity. One goes, one holds. One carries, one calibrates. Rice brings thrust, recovery pace and physical dominance. Zubimendi supplies poise, angles and that subtle half-turn under pressure that transforms defensive phases into controlled build-up.

There is an elegance to his game that recalls the great Spanish No.6s. He receives on the half-turn, glides away from pressure and plays forward with minimal fuss. Teammates trust him instinctively. When pressed high, Arsenal look to him. When protecting a lead, they funnel possession through him. He dictates tempo without theatrical gestures.

Rice himself has admitted how natural the connection felt from pre-season onward. That chemistry is not accidental. Zubimendi understands spacing, distances and timing at a level that simplifies football for those around him.

In a league obsessed with pace and power, he has proven that intelligence still wins.

A Growing Goal Threat

What makes Zubimendi’s campaign even more compelling is the unexpected evolution in his attacking output. During seven seasons in La Liga, he was never a prolific scorer. Four goals was his career-best return in a single campaign with Real Sociedad.

He already has six in 34 appearances for Arsenal.

Some have come from sharp movement into the box, arriving late and untracked. Others have showcased a surprisingly assertive aerial presence. His most recent strike — a thunderous effort from range in a 3-0 win over Sunderland — carried a sense of inevitability once it left his boot. It broke tension in a match that was drifting toward frustration.

Arteta admitted those contributions were not entirely anticipated. But that is often how elite midfielders evolve. Rodri himself became a nine-goal league scorer in Manchester City’s treble charge. Rice transformed from a purely defensive presence at West Ham into a box-to-box force capable of decisive moments.

Zubimendi’s growth follows that same arc. He is not abandoning his core identity; he is adding layers.

Arsenal’s Final Piece Wasn’t a Striker

Last summer, the narrative around Arsenal centred on their need for a clinical No.9. Viktor Gyokeres arrived with expectation and a strong reputation, yet his adaptation has been uneven. Thirteen goals in 32 matches is respectable, but he has not single-handedly shifted Arsenal’s attacking ceiling.

Bukayo Saka has looked a fraction less explosive since his hamstring surgery. Gabriel Martinelli has contributed steadily without dominating. Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus have battled injuries and inconsistency.

Instead of one forward dragging Arsenal across the line, it has been shared responsibility. Midfielders stepping up. Defenders delivering at set-pieces. Collective resilience.

Zubimendi’s willingness to shoulder extra attacking burden speaks volumes. Many holding midfielders in their first Premier League season might focus solely on defensive solidity. He has embraced broader responsibility, sensing the team’s needs and responding accordingly.

That maturity feels decisive.

Arsenal’s Best Performer?

Player of the Season awards often gravitate toward numbers. The Golden Boot race. The assist charts. Viral moments. But Arsenal’s title push has been rooted in control rather than chaos.

Who, then, embodies that control more than Zubimendi?

Rice has been outstanding and will feature prominently in award discussions. Yet he has played only one more match than Zubimendi. Both are near ever-present. Both log heavy minutes every three days. The difference lies in perception. Rice’s dynamism catches the eye immediately. Zubimendi’s influence reveals itself gradually — in slowed tempos, in transitions smothered before danger materialises, in the quiet authority with which Arsenal dictate matches.

Set-piece menace Gabriel Magalhães threatened to claim early-season headlines before injury intervened. Elsewhere in the league, there has been no overwhelming individual campaign strong enough to eclipse Arsenal’s core.

Erling Haaland continues to score, but Manchester City have not matched their usual dominance. No single rival has produced the kind of season Mohamed Salah delivered in 2021-22 to override team achievement.

If Arsenal finish the job, the award conversation will inevitably return to north London. It may even narrow to a straight shootout between the midfield axis.

The Case for Martin Zubimendi in the Premier League Player of the Season Debate

Titles are often remembered through defining figures. Sometimes that figure is a prolific forward. Sometimes it is a charismatic captain. Occasionally, it is the quiet orchestrator who makes everything else function.

Martin Zubimendi belongs in that final category.

He has anchored Arsenal’s build-up, strengthened their defensive transitions, expanded his own attacking range and blended seamlessly into one of the most demanding tactical systems in Europe. There has been no adaptation period, no visible growing pains. Just consistency.

If Arsenal lift the trophy, historians may highlight the collective nature of their triumph. But those who watched closely will remember the calm Spaniard at the base of midfield — receiving, turning, guiding, deciding.

Premier League Player of the Season?

It is not a sentimental argument. It is a footballing one. And as Arsenal edge closer to ending their 22-year wait, Martin Zubimendi’s case grows stronger by the week.