Eden Hazard and Harry Kane appear set to contest the PFA Player of the Year award after the six-man shortlist was unveiled.Hazard is hot favourite thanks to his consistently brilliant form for Chelsea, runaway leaders at the top of the Barclays Premier League, but Kane is the homespun hero after a fabulous breakthrough season at Tottenham.
The 21-year-old Spurs striker has 29 goals in all competitions to date and forced his way into Roy Hodgson’s squad, scoring within 79 seconds of his England debut against Lithuania last month.
Arsene Wenger plumped for Hazard when asked to name his winner, without voting for anyone from his Arsenal squad.
Sanchez made an explosive start to the campaign but his form has faded during the spring, when the votes are cast.
The same could be said for Costa, who scored 13 of his 19 Chelsea goals before the turn of the year.
De Gea’s early-season form was strong, too, keeping Manchester United in contention for the top four as Louis van Gaal struggled to find the right formula.
Kane, the only English player up for the main award, has scored 19 in the Premier League, the same number as Diego Costa, who is also on the shortlist, along with Alexis Sanchez, Philippe Coutinho and David de Gea.
Manchester City’s miserable demise is perhaps summed up by the fact none of their players made the cut, including Sergio Aguero who also has 19 Premier League goals and is locked together with Kane and Costa in the race for the Golden Boot.
Hazard, 24, is heavily odds-on with the bookmakers after leading Chelsea’s charge for a first title in five years and 17 goals in all competitions.
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