"The festive period brought joy and excitement to the Premier League, with several standout performances from players and managers alike. As the calendar flips to a new year, the Premier League has officially announced its nominees for the December 2024 Player and Manager of the Month awards.
Who will be crowned the top player and manager of the month? Will it be a familiar face or a surprise newcomer? Let's take a look at the contenders and see who's in the running for these prestigious honors."
In the last month of 2024, the Premier League saw the appointment of two new managers in addition to 63 games and 189 goals.
The managers of England's top division were able to select eight players for Player of the Month and four for the managerial title among the chaos of seasonal football. Arne Slot and Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, who received these honors in November, are once again in the running.
The remainder of the division, as well as another member of the Merseyside powerhouses, may, nevertheless, make a claim for the most recent individual honors match.
Premier League Player of the Month nominees - December 2024
• Cole Palmer [Chelsea]
• Mohamed Salah [Liverpool]
• Alexander Isak [Newcastle]
• Antonee Robinson [Fulham]
• Trent Alexander-Arnold [Liverpool]
• Dean Huijsen [Bournemouth]
• Jacob Murphy [Newcastle]
• Morgan Gibbs-White [Nottingham Forest]
Alexander Isak's impressive eight Premier League goals in December cannot be matched by any player. On the final weekend before Christmas, the stretchy Swede scored in all six of Newcastle United's games last month and recorded his first hat-trick in England against Ipswich Town. The Magpies' £150 million valuation is understandable.
Jacob Murphy has been Isak's quiet co-conspirator during this scoring run. During this run, the unheralded Norwich City youth graduate scored three goals himself and assisted Isak on three others. Mohamed Salah was the only player to record more assists than Murphy.
Cole Palmer won't be leaving Chelsea, thanks to their efforts. In the summer, the Blues signed their gifted playmaker to a new nine-year contract, and they have since seen him casually cruise through yet another stellar season. Palmer has been at his best despite the team's slump in performance, as Chelsea finished December with only one point from three games.
The relentless talisman for Liverpool complemented his impressive seven assists with an equal number of goals. Like Trent Alexander-Arnold, another contender, Salah's performance on the field has not been affected by his ambiguous contract status at Liverpool.
Arne Slot is a clear contender to keep his managing award as long as Liverpool maintains a solid six-point lead at the top of the Premier League. Nottingham Forest, under by Nuno Espirito Santo, finished first in the festive period table with 15 points from six games in December, outperforming the Reds.
Premier League Manager of the Month nominees - December 2024
• Arne Slot [Liverpool]
• Nuno Espirito Santo [Nottingham Forest]
• Andoni Iraola [Bournemouth]
• Eddie Howe [Newcastle]
Morgan Gibbs-White, the head coach of Nottingham Forest, has also been commended for his December efforts, but attack-minded players are not the only ones that deserve praise. Antonee Robinson, a flying full-back for Fulham, and Dean Huijsen, a center-back for Bournemouth, have also received nominations.
Forest reached their highest position this late in a top-flight season since 1994 as they won five straight games to end the year and climb to second place. Nuno, who has always been realistic, put an end to any early hopes of qualifying for the Champions League by stating: "It doesn't mean anything." We still haven't accomplished anything.
Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth was undefeated in December, in contrast to Forest, who suffered a rare defeat to Manchester City. Although the Cherries were held to three draws, the Spanish manager gained some attention for his full-throttle style of play and spectacular thumping of Manchester United.
This month, Eddie Howe completed the trio of Newcastle nominees. The Magpies manager led his team to four straight league victories without giving up a goal, including their third top-flight triumph at Old Trafford since 1950. They also qualified for the Carabao Cup semi-finals.