Bruno Fernandes

The adulation offers a fine indication of how good the Manchester United captain has been this season. At the start, he was dragging Ruben Amorim’s interpretation of a team through matches and spent the past five months leading Michael Carrick’s unified side. Awards and records keep coming his way; winning the Football Writers’ Association player of the season award was swiftly followed by picking up a record Premier League assist tally of 21 at Brighton on the final day of the season. Considering United were very open to selling Fernandes less than a year ago, one wonders what would have happened at Old Trafford without him. “At one point I was going to leave – I won’t say where – but I would have won many trophies that season. I decided to stay not only for family reasons but because I genuinely like the club,” Fernandes told Canal 11. “But from the club’s side, I felt a bit of: ‘If you go, it’s not really that bad for us.’ That hurts me a little. More than hurting, it makes me sad, because I’m a player they have nothing to criticise me for. I’m always available for every match, I always play, whether well or badly. I give my maximum.” Fernandes brings incredible intelligence and work rate on the pitch, supported by stunning technique that has put him above his United teammates, who all feed off him. It is hard to argue that any other Premier League captain is more influential than Fernandes and United have reaped the awards.

David Raya

Often when a team win the title, all the focus is on the forwards who do the damage. It is hard to select one individual from a league-winning side but Raya deserves plenty of praise. Few were complaining about Aaron Ramsdale’s performances but the Spaniard has been a huge upgrade. He has had at least a share of the Golden Glove award for the most Premier League clean sheets in all three of his seasons at Arsenal. He started every game, apart from the final match of the season at Selhurst Park – a sign of how important he is to Mikel Arteta’s plans. The abilities of those in front of Raya mean he regularly has very quiet games but when he is called into action, he is always focused and prepared, making crucial saves at critical moments to ensure Arsenal edged out Manchester City.

Erling Haaland

The Norwegian still has his detractors who think he has something of an easy ride as the striker leading the Manchester City line. Some believe anyone would score the same amount if they had the creative riches he gets to enjoy. This season he has 27 goals, scoring one every 110 minutes. For context, the Premier League golden boot runner-up, Igor Thiago, needs an extra 39 minutes per goal. The usual complaints abound that he does not do enough in the game as a whole but this is obviously complete nonsense because anyone who has played at the top level will explain that scoring goals is the hardest part of being an elite footballer. Pep Guardiola seems to think Haaland is integral to success, and the Catalan knows a thing or two about the game. “Erling is the best striker in the world,” Guardiola said in February, and trying to argue with him seems a touch pointless.

Igor Thiago

After Brentford sold Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo, not to mention Thomas Frank leaving to take charge at Tottenham, many were tipping them for relegation. Keith Andrews and Thiago had other ideas, leading the west London side to ninth. There were understandable reasons for doubt: Thiago had two serious injuries in his first season in England, causing him to play only eight times in the league, scoring no goals. He spent the summer getting up to speed and making sure he was finally ready for the challenge of the Premier League, scoring 12 in his first 14 games of the season in all competitions. There has rarely been a lull in his potency, and no less a judge than Carlo Ancelotti was impressed enough to name him in Brazil’s World Cup squad. “He’s already shown he can be a top performer in the Premier League,” Andrews said. “He gives the opposition a headache, the way he plays the game. I’m not sure many players will relish playing against him.”

Morgan Gibbs-White

Thirteen games for club and country came and went without a goal. Not many could blame Gibbs-White, who was in the eye of the Forest storm with new managers coming and going as the tornadoes whirred. Sean Dyche’s arrival brought an upturn in form, four goals in six games, but Gibbs-White really came into his own under Vítor Pereira. Embracing the responsibility of the armband is part of Gibbs-White’s mantra and is a key factor in Forest maintaining their place in the Premier League and making it all the way to the Europa League semi-finals. His Premier League record is impressive, with 15 in 37 games, making him one of the most feared No 10s in the country. Forest did well to keep hold of him last summer but it feels as if plenty more clubs will come calling this time around and it may be difficult for Forest to match his ambitions. “When things are not happening in the way that you want, when the team is struggling in the game, a lot of players could prefer to hide themselves, they do not want the ball,” Pereira said. “But Morgan wants the ball, he wants the responsibility, he wants to score goals, he wants to assist.”

Every day, no matter what it brings with it, gives us at least three opportunities to clock out and have a moment of pure bliss. We’re talking about breakfast, lunch and dinner, of course, and we’re not factoring in snacks and tea time, either, because those are bonus opportunities. It doesn’t need to be complicated, it doesn’t need to be a big ceremony; in fact, most days, it’s the humble little treats, the simple, delicious things, that bring us the most happiness. Honey & Co. Daily is our cafe in Bloomsbury, central London, and now also the name of our latest cookbook, and we want both of them to be a haven, a place where you can go to get a simple, delicious moment.

Aubergines with green tahini crust and cracked wheat pilaf (pictured top)

Prep 10 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 6

For the aubergines
3 aubergines, halved lengthways
3 tbsp olive oil
Flaky sea salt and black pepper

For the tahini crust
50g mixed fresh herbs – basil, coriander or/and flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, peeled
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
A pinch of salt
80g tahini paste

For the cracked wheat pilaf
350g cracked wheat
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
60g toasted pumpkin seeds
80g pomegranate seeds
1 tsp pul biber, or aleppo chilli flakes
20g chives, finely chopped

Heat the oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Score the flesh of the halved aubergines in a crisscross pattern (don’t cut right through to the skin), then put on a lined baking sheet and brush generously with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, then roast for 35-40 minutes, until the flesh is soft and golden.

Put the herbs and garlic in a small food processor and blitz until they’re all chopped up. Add four tablespoons of cold water, the lemon zest and juice, and the salt, and blitz again to make a smooth liquid. Add the tahini and blitz one last time, until the mix has a smooth consistency.

Dollop a large spoonful of the tahini mix on the cut surface of each aubergine half, spread to cover, then return the aubergines to the hot oven for 10 minutes, to set the crust.

Meanwhile, bring 500ml water to a boil in a large saucepan, add the cracked wheat, oil and salt, bring back to a boil, then take off the heat. Cover the pan with clingfilm and leave to stand for 15 minutes while the wheat absorbs the water. Remove the clingfilm, add the pumpkin seeds, pomegranate seeds, chilli flakes and chives to the softened wheat, and stir well to combine.

Serve each crusted aubergine half on top of a mound of the warm cracked wheat pilaf.

Green fishballs in lemon and saffron sauce

Prep 15 min
Chill 20 min
Cook 55 min
Serves 4 (makes 12 balls)

For the fishballs
600g skinless white fish – hake, bream, bass and cod all work
10g fresh ginger, peeled
1 green chilli (about 10g), stalk, seeds and pith removed and discarded, flesh sliced
1 large garlic clove, peeled and sliced
30g chives, chopped
30g dill, chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
½ tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground coriander
½ tsp salt
Black pepper

For the sauce
2 tbsp olive oil
3–4 celery sticks (about 150g), washed and finely sliced
1 leek (about 150g), washed and finely sliced
1 fennel bulb (about 150g), halved and finely sliced
1 tsp salt
Juice of 1 lemon
1 green chilli (about 10g), finely sliced – remove the pith and seeds first, if you want it less spicy
1 large pinch saffron strands
3cm chunk fresh ginger, smashed with the flat of a knife
Rice or couscous, to serve

Chop half the fish into small dice and put in a large bowl. Cut the rest of the fish into large chunks.

Blitz the ginger, chilli and garlic in a food processor. Add the large fish chunks, herbs, lemon zest, spices, salt and pepper, and blitz again to make a thick paste. Tip the paste into the diced fish bowl and mix together well.

Form the fish mixture into 12 balls weighing about 50g each; oil your hands first, to make them easier to shape. Put the balls on a plate, cover and chill in the fridge for at least 20 minutes. You can prepare the fishballs up to this stage a day in advance.

Put the olive oil in a large saute pan on a medium-low heat, add the sliced celery, leek and fennel, stir in the salt and saute slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften and stick to the bottom of the pan.

Mix the lemon juice with the sliced chilli, saffron and ginger, tip into the vegetable pan, stir to coat and cook for two minutes. Pour in 400ml water, bring up to a boil, then turn down to a simmer and leave to cook for 10 minutes.

Pop the fishballs into the sauce, cover the pan and leave them to poach for six minutes. Carefully flip over the balls, cover again and cook for a final six minutes. Lift out and discard the ginger, and serve hot with steamed rice or couscous.

• These recipes are edited extracts from Honey & Co Daily, by Itamar Srulovich & Sarit Packer, published by Quadrille at £27. To order a copy for £24.30, visit guardianbookshop.com