Kevin De Bruyne could cement his place as an all-time Premier League great tonight, as he looks to surpass legends like Alan Shearer, Thierry Henry, and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Manchester City talisman De Bruyne will find out at 7pm on Thursday whether he has been awarded a third consecutive PFA Player of the Year award, which would represent a feat no other player has ever managed. Manchester United have had different players win the award in three or four consecutive seasons before, but no single player has ever won three PFA accolades in total, let along successive seasons.
That would see De Bruyne surpass the likes of Shearer, Henry, Ronaldo and Gareth Bale - the other players to win two awards in their careers - while his biggest competition is set to come from Liverpool forward Mo Salah, looking to join that list with his second Player of the Year title.
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De Bruyne's 2020 award, when he levelled Henry's record of 20 Premier League assists, was completely deserved, while his 2021 win was a little more fortunate as others arguably had better seasons. Still, there was a genuine argument that De Bruyne was the best player in the league, and that still stands ahead of the 2022 PFA awards ceremony.
When the season is reflected upon, De Bruyne will probably go down as the player of the year, a fact backed up with his Premier League Player of the Season. His assist for Ilkay Gundogan's title-clincher was brilliant, and his form in the run-in was untouchable.
However, the PFA award isn't voted on after the end of the season. Players pick their winners in the spring, so if a player is peaking in their form at the start of a calendar year they could be in better contention than someone who peaks at the end of the campaign.
De Bruyne was hardly playing badly, but compared to Salah, it's the Liverpool man who could have the edge to win the 2022 award. At the time of voting, Salah was in top form himself, and on course for leading Liverpool to an unprecedented quadruple. If Salah wins, it will be completely understandable, and deserved for his form at the time.
Yet with the benefit of hindsight, De Bruyne has arguably had a better impact on his team's season, leading City to the Premier League title and playing a key role in their run to the Champions League semi-finals. The debate will rage on over whether a league title is a better return than two domestic cups, and there will be plenty of incredulous fans on social media whoever wins the PFA award because that's how it is when it comes to this City vs Liverpool rivalry.
Logistically, it would be hard to vote on the award at the end of the season, and it's rare the Premier League's players pick someone undeserving. But the current voting system discounts those players who rise to the big occasions at the end of the season, that separates a truly great player from a brilliant one.
If De Bruyne misses out on a historic third award, it won't be because Salah or anyone else was better. It will be because their form peaked at a better time.
