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Aaron Wan-Bissaka's breakout season at Crystal Palace has been a joy to behold but his outstanding form has not earned him a place on the PFA Young Player of the Year shortlist, much to the frustration of Guardian journalist Ben Fisher.

What's the word, then?

The emerging star affectionately nicknamed the spider has been a revelation for the Eagles this season, impressing with his ability to stretch out one of his eight legs to dispossess some of the Premier League's most dazzling wingers.

But he has been omitted from the six-man shortlist for the PFA award and his performance against the Gunners on Sunday added an extra weight of legitimacy to the claims of those who believe his exclusion is grossly unjust.

That sentiment is one which was echoed by Fisher in his post-match talking points, per Guardian.

'To be eligible for the award, players must be 23 or under at the beginning of the season, at which point Aaron Wan-Bissaka was 20.

'His name, however, is missing from the six-man shortlist. Assured, athletic and colossal in the challenge, the manner in which the Crystal Palace full-back tormented – and nullified – Sead Kolasinac during an impressive win at Arsenal has been a familiar sight in the Premier League.'

Fisher concluded by stating: 'Wan-Bissaka should at least be in the conversation.'

Fisher is absolutely spot on - he deserves his place on shortlist

That Raheem Sterling and Bernardo Silva have both manged to sneak onto the list by virtue of a dubious technicality has worked against Palace's full-back.

Both of Man City's phenomenally gifted players have been shortlisted for both the senior and young player awards and that brings two particularly contentious issue into light.

The first concerns whether a 23-year-old player - particularly the likes of Silva and Sterling who were already well established professionals with a multitude of rich experience at both club and international level when the season started - should be eligible for the award.

And there is also an argument to be made against players being shortlisted for both awards; if they are in the running for the Player of the Year award - the most coveted individual accolade - then surely they should be discounted from the Young Player of the Year award.

Justly or unjustly the rules have conspired against affording Wan-Bissaka a place on the shortlist and Fisher is absolutely right to suggest that he should be in with a shout.

Even discounting the controversy over Silva and Sterling's inclusion, it seems harsh that both David Brooks and Marcus Rashford beat him onto the list.

It's symptomatic of the essence of the game that attacking-minded players generally stand a greater chance of scooping an individual award, and the aforementioned pairing certainly deserve rich acclaim.

However, unlike Wan-Bissaka, this is not the first full season in senior football for either player and the manner in which the Palace man has rapidly made the transition into the starting XI is seldom seen at this level.

The shortlist will leave a bitter taste in the mouth for the growing Wan-Bissaka fan club and Fisher is absolutely right to allude to the injustice surrounding his omission.