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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
Sport
Elliott Jackson

Why Gary Neville snubbed Manchester United's Marcus Rashford for Arsenal star in Team of the Season

Gary Neville has explained why he chose Gabriel Martinelli ahead of Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford for his Premier League Team of the Season.

The Monday Night Football panel handed out their season awards and named their respective XIs, with no Manchester United player making Neville or Jamie Carragher's team. Neville named four Man City players and picked Arsenal wide men Bukayo Saka and Martinelli on the flanks.

Rashford has scored one extra goal than Martinelli this season but missed out on the team. Neville explained that the form of Saka and Martinelli as a pair in Arsenal's assault on the Premier League title was too impressive for either to miss out.

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"I think this season, Saka and Martinelli, up until the last few weeks, have lit up this league," Neville told Monday Night Football. "They have been spectacular, electric and some of the best play I have seen all season has been from those two with Jesus and Odegaard.

"I haven't liked what I have seen from Arsenal in the last four, five weeks. It has been really, really poor and those two players have suffered by not having the right experience around them.

"For 30 games, they were magical and a different level, I believe, to Rashford, Salah. I was looking at two wide players so forget Kane.

"I looked at Rashford and Salah, they have great numbers but I think those two (Saka, Martinello) have been spectacular and they have lit my season up.

"Rashford has one more goal than Martinelli, 16 to 15. I think the way Martinelli and Saka have dovetailed in that front three of Arsenal is something I will remember from this season as a real high point. I won't move away from that point."

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