The shortlist for the PFA Women’s Player of the Year has been announced and Arsenal have one player on the list.

The six nominees are:

Eniola Aluko

The Chelsea winger had a superb season for club and country and is a  favourite for the award.  She has been moved in recent years from a misfiring centre forward (her World Cup conversion rate is a shocking 0% over two competitions) to a brilliant winger creating opportunities for others and unsettling defences. She also scored the odd goal in the League and plenty with England in the qualifiers against small teams. In a very much attack-orientated Chelsea team she is one of their main weapons.

Lucy Bronze

Last years award-winner had another consistent season leading Liverpool to back-to-back titles. She was used as wing back, full back and center back for Liverpool and was a regular starter at center back for Mark Sampson’s England. She is the best defender in the country and was recently transferred to Manchester City for a fee rumoured to be between £15,000 and £20,000

Karen Carney

The Birmingham City Ladies playmaker/winger was influential in her side run to the Champions League semi-final and third place in the league. She can play on either wing or in the number 10 position with her great technical skills and ability to beat defenders in tight areas. Her recent three game ban that has just finished but that might count against her in the voting process.

Jessica Clarke

The Notts County player was the main threat for her club team as they struggled to score goals throughout the season. Originally not called up by Mark Sampson after being a Hope Powell favourite for years, she managed to get her England place back due to her hard work.

Kelly Smith

In her prime the Arsenal Ladies playmaker could do what Zidane, Pires and Henry could do together. She is the best English Women’s player of all time. Last season she had two exceptional games against Chelsea in the FA Women’s Cup and against Bristol in the League. She was unfortunately often injured and unable to help the team on the pitch but made a huge contribution off it coaching and managing the ship when Kerr left the team halfway through the season and before Pedro Losa was signed.

Ji So-Yun

The Korean playmaker is the typical number 10, a rare and dying breed especially in English football, that does not produce those kind of players as they are often labelled lazy (see Ozil for example). She was very influential in creating chances for her Chelsea teammates. She adapted very well to the FA WSL pace and intensity, except for the referees who seem to like penalise her for diving when she is being kicked. She was even sent off for two bookable offence as she was hacked and roughed up by defenders.

The two Chelsea players are the favourites in my opinion alongside Lucy Bronze.

It should be a tight vote, though, as most of those six players had a fine season.