As the Premier League title showdown between Arsenal and Manchester City approaches its final stretch, focus is not only on who will lift the trophy but also on which players may miss out on receiving a winners’ medal.
League guidelines state that a player must feature in at least five matches to be guaranteed a medal. Although clubs can request extra medals, the number approved is limited, meaning not every squad member will benefit.
Here’s a breakdown of players who are still short of that mark:
Arsenal
Several squad and academy players are yet to hit the required number of appearances. Kepa Arrizabalaga has not played any league game this season, so his chances depend entirely on whether the club includes him if they win the title.
Max Dowman has featured four times and needs just one more match to qualify automatically. Meanwhile, Marli Salmon and Tommy Setford have only appeared in domestic cup fixtures, leaving them outside the automatic qualification zone.
Manchester City
At Manchester City, a number of players are in a similar position. Mateo Kovačić has had his campaign affected by injuries and is yet to reach the five-game requirement.
Max Alleyne also remains below the cut-off after seeing limited action since returning from loan. Young prospects like Reigan Heskey, Charlie Gray, and Ryan McAidoo have mainly been used in cup matches and are still waiting to make enough league appearances to secure eligibility.
List of players below five league appearances:
• Kepa Arrizabalaga (Arsenal)
• Max Dowman (Arsenal)
• Marli Salmon (Arsenal)
• Tommy Setford (Arsenal)
• Mateo Kovačić (Manchester City)
• Max Alleyne (Manchester City)
• Reigan Heskey (Manchester City)
• Charlie Gray (Manchester City)
• Ryan McAidoo (Manchester City)
