Jurgen Klopp and Trent Alexander-Arnold are among the nominees for the Premier League’s December awards after Liverpool ended 2023 top of the table.
Klopp is one of four nominees for the Manager of the Month award, which he has won on nine previous occasions, while Alexander-Arnold is among eight contenders to be named Player of the Month.
Klopp faces competition from Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola and West Ham’s David Moyes after leading Liverpool to a return of 14 points from six games in December.
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Liverpool began the month with wins over Fulham, Sheffield United and Crystal Palace before being held to back-to-back home draws by Manchester United and Arsenal. However, with their title rivals faltering over the festive period, Klopp’s Reds have taken advantage with wins over Burnley and Newcastle United to establish a three-point lead at the summit.
Should Klopp land the prize, he will draw level with fellow nominee Moyes on 10 wins. Only Alex Ferguson (27), Arsene Wenger (15) and Pep Guardiola (11) have more than the Hammers boss.
👔 Emery
👔 Iraola
👔 Klopp
👔 MoyesYour @BARCLAYSFOOTY Manager of the Month nominees for December 🤩 #PLAWARDS | 🗳️ Vote: HTTPS://T.CO/HZQPYSEWZ0 PIC.TWITTER.COM/LFGV6O0M9Q
— Premier League (@premierleague) JANUARY 4, 2024
Alexander-Arnold, meanwhile, is in the running for his third Player of the Month prize, having scored a stunning winner against Fulham at the start of the month before providing assists against Sheffield United and Arsenal.
Tottenham captain Son Heung-min, whose eight goal involvements (four goals, four assists) were a league-high total in December, has also been nominated, as have Chelsea’s Cole Palmer, Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise, Wolves’ Matheus Cunha and West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus.
Bournemouth have two players in the running after winning four of their last six games to round off 2023, with defender Marcos Senesi joining Dominic Solanke – who was December’s top scorer with six Premier League goals – on the shortlist.
Supporters’ votes will be combined with those of a panel of football experts to decide the winners of the awards, which will be announced next week.
8️⃣ top performers in December 🌟
Who is your @EASPORTSFC Player of the Month? 🏆 #PLAWARDS | 🗳️ Vote: HTTPS://T.CO/6NYDE6QPAB PIC.TWITTER.COM/I38VWJRRGX
— Premier League (@premierleague) JANUARY 4, 2024