AS the domestic season draws to a close, the end-of-season awards take centre stage, with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland likely to dominate this time around following his record-breaking debut campaign in the Premier League.

Having already eclipsed Mohamed Salah’s record of 32 goals for a 38-game Premier League season with his 33^rd of the season against Arsenal, the Norwegian has the 34-goal hauls of Andrew Cole in 1993-94 and Alan Shearer in 1994-95 in his sights, while he’s just one shy of registering 50 in all club competitions this season, having overtaken Mohamed Salah in 2017-18 and Ruud van Nistelrooy in 2002-03 for the most goals by a Premier League player in a single campaign, who each got 44.

Add to that other landmarks such as becoming just the third player to record 30+ goals in their debut season in the Premier League and four hat-tricks, behind only Alan Shearer in 1995-96 with five, it’s safe to assume he’s one of, if not the favourite for whatever category he qualifies for, including both PFA Player and Young Player of the season.

Already the betting favourite for both, it would be no surprise to see him go home with both as reward for a historic goalscoring season, with the striker potentially joining rarefied air should he achieve that feat. In the Premier League era, only two players have won both awards in a single season, as we take a look at both those previous examples, and challengers to Haaland’s potential double.

Cristiano Ronaldo – 2006-07

The 2006-07 season for Cristiano Ronaldo was a breakthrough season for the Portuguese international in a big way. Culminating in his first Premier League title, Ronaldo finished the season with 17 goals, just one fewer than in his first three seasons in the competition combined (18), while his eight assists is also his best for a Premier League campaign.

For that campaign, his 25 goal involvements overall was the joint-most alongside teammate Wayne Rooney, with eight of his goals for that season being the winner, more than any other player. In fact, in a season that saw him turn 22, only Robbie Fowler in 1994-95 has scored more match-winning goals in a Premier League campaign below that age (9 aged 19/20 that season).

Becoming much more of a prominent player for Manchester United at that time resulted in the winger moving to more central areas of the pitch, either by position or moving there with his dribbling and ball-carrying ability you’d expect from a winger.

As well as being the player to take the most shots (185) and shots on target (67), he was just one of three players to record at least 100 shots and 50 chances created (63) after Frank Lampard (137 and 101) and Wayne Rooney (132 and 68).

Both his dribbles attempted (190) and dribbles competed (85) were league highs that campaign, as was his fouls won in the final third (46), he was pivotal to the success of that Manchester United side that campaign. Not bad at all, and a great platform to go on and win the PFA Player of the Year award the following season, one of just three players to do so in successive seasons in the competition alongside Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne.

Gareth Bale – 2012-13

There’s a correlation between the only two previous examples of PFA Player and Young Player of the Year in the same Premier League season – both eventually ended up at Real Madrid before, one way or another, returning to the side they subsequently left.

A glimpse into the future for Haaland’s future transfers perhaps?

Initially joining Tottenham as a left-back in 2007-08, whose first Premier League win in the competition didn’t come until September 2009, on his 25^th appearance and in his third season, Gareth Bale left the competition off the back of a fabulous individual campaign.

Moved progressively higher up the pitch as seasons went by, the output immediately followed, with this campaign in particular seeing him finish with 21 goals and four assists, becoming the first Spurs player since Jürgen Klinsmann in 1994-95 to reach 20 goals in a single season of the competition. Overall, his goal involvement tally of 25 was bettered only by Robin van Persie (35 – 26 goals, 9 assists) and Luis Suárez (28 – 23 goals, 5 assists).

Like Ronaldo, Bale would increasingly find himself in more central areas of the pitch, greatly suiting the Welshman whose campaign became known for shifting the ball onto his left and finding the target from range.

In fact, the Welshman still holds the Premier League record for goals scored from outside the box in a single season with nine, while six of his nine winning goals in the league that season – the most in 2012-13 – came from outside the penalty area, with three coming in the 86^th minute or later.

At times it felt like Bale was ploughing a lone furrow that season, with Jermain Defoe (11) the only other Tottenham player to score 10 or more goals that season, 10 fewer than Bale’s 21.

Of those 21, 10 were goal-ending carries (moving with the ball for five metres or more), with no player recording more than five that season, while four of his goals that season were following a take-on, a joint-high that campaign.

Despite Spurs finishing that season in fifth, a point and place behind Arsenal, Bale did everything but provided the club with Champions League football before departing to Spain’s capital and helping them end their wait for La Décima in the aforementioned competition.

Competition for Haaland’s Potential Double?

With the destination of the Premier League title firmly in Manchester City’s hands, Haaland’s biggest competition is likely to stem from fellow teammate Kevin De Bruyne.

The man who has helped supplement Haaland’s goalscoring appetite this season, eight of his 16 assists in the Premier League this season have been for the former Borussia Dortmund man, while the pair have combined for 10 goals in 2022-23.

Interestingly though, before the Arsenal game, eight were De Bruyne assists for Haaland, with the striker returning the favour on Wednesday, setting up both of his efforts.

Only in 2019-20 (20) and 2016-17 (18) has De Bruyne registered more assists in a single campaign in the competition, while a further seven goals from midfield has helped strengthen City’s quest for a third successive league title under Pep Guardiola.

Indeed, leading the way in chances created at the time of writing (92), assists and expected assists (13.4), the Belgian is best placed at this stage of the season to challenge for an award he’s already claimed in 2019-20 and 2020-21.

As Arsenal’s title challenge has waned in recent weeks, so have the chances of a player for the north London side winning the award, with Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka the likely candidates.

Ødegaard has enjoyed a terrific personal season, with 12 goals and seven assists from the heart of Arsenal’s midfield, although what probably best highlight’s his role on the team is his ability to win the ball back in high areas of the pitch. He’s won possession 44 times in the final third this season, with no other player achieving more than 36 in 2022-23.

As for Saka, like Haaland, he’s one who could lay claim to both following an outstanding campaign on the right hand side. So far, he’s the only player in the Premier League to register both 10+ goals (13) and 10+ assists (11), with only De Bruyne (8) having more carries that have led to either a goal (3) or assist (4) than his seven, all at the age of 21.

As for PFA Young Player of the Year, Saka and fellow Arsenal teammate Gabriel Martinelli. He’s the club’s top scorer this season with 15 goals, along with five assists, and has been equally as problematic on the left for Mikel Arteta’s side.

Only Saka (133) has attempted more dribbles than the Brazilian this season, while only Eberechi Eze (66) and his aforementioned teammate (62) have completed more than him (62).

In truth though, as he has done for much of this season, it will be Haaland etching his name alongside more records, joining Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale as just the third player to win both in the Premier League era.

As first seasons go in the competition, that’s not too bad.