Cesc Fabregas has been at the hub of Arsenal's quest for glory at home and abroad this season.
Professional Footballers' association announce nominees for Players' Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year
Cesc Fabregas has been at the hub of Arsenal's quest for glory at home and abroad this season with the Gunners refusing to be written out of the title equation.
The Spain international is the perfect leader for Arsene Wenger's version of the beautiful game in North London, delivering creativity, goals and drive to inspire those around him at Emirates Stadium.
Twice the Gunners have been written out of the Premier League reckoning by trigger happy pundits, and twice they have responded in style, with Fabregas the focal point to keep them in contention.
The 23-year-old saw his season brought to a premature conclusion during the thrilling UEFA Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of a peerless Barcelona side when he suffered a broken leg late on in the first leg after tangling with Carles Puyol.
Despite the injury, Fabregas picked himself off the turf to drive home the penalty before hobbling away in obvious pain and limping through the final moments with a scan confirming he would miss the remainder of the campaign, but should be fit for the World Cup.
His final act for the club was his 19th goal of another excellent season which has seen Barca - the club he left as a talented but raw teenager - regularly linked with a big-money bid to lure him back to Camp Nou.
Fabregas has always maintained his commitment to the Arsenal cause, and particularly to French tactician Wenger, although the Gunners' recent silverware shortage is known to rankle to a degree.
The gifted midfielder so often looks effortless when in possession and he boasts an unerring ability to pick out a team-mate with his precision short and long-range passing.
His season started in superb style with a brace in the 6-1 drubbing of Everton at Goodison Park and he has claimed further two-goal hauls against AZ Alkmaar and Aston Villa.
Fabregas' absence through injury could prove a decisive factor as Arsenal battle for the title, but the fact that they are even in contention at this late stage of the season owes much to their inspirational captain.
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