The winners of December 2024's Premier League monthly awards have been revealed.
Isak voted EA SPORTS Player of the Month
Alexander Isak has been voted December 2024's EA SPORTS Player of the Month.
Isak wins the award for the first time in his career after an incredible month for Newcastle United, scoring eight goals and assisting a further two in six Premier League appearances.
The striker was the Premier League's top scorer in December, finding the net in all six of his appearances as Newcastle won four matches, drew one and lost only once to join the race for a top-four finish.
Isak's December matches
Isak's goals included a hat-trick against Ipswich Town, while he also scored against Liverpool, Brentford, Leicester City, Aston Villa and Manchester United.
His goal in the 3-3 draw with leaders Liverpool won December's Guinness Goal of the Month award, making him one of only six players to claim both awards in the same month, following Cole Palmer in April 2024, Bruno Fernandes in June 2020, Jesse Lingard in April 2021, Mohamed Salah in October 2021 and Miguel Almiron in October 2022.
The 25-year-old is only the fourth Swedish player to win the EA SPORTS Player of the Month award since it was introduced in 1994/95. The others are Freddie Ljungberg for Arsenal in April 2002, Johan Elmander for Bolton Wanderers in November 2010, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Man Utd in December 2016.
Isak is the first Newcastle player to claim the prize since October 2022, when Miguel Almiron won it.
Isak topped an eight-man shortlist after the public's votes on the EA SPORTS website were combined with those of a panel of football experts.
Can Isak continue fine form?
Isak has scored in his last seven Premier League matches and on Wednesday 15 January, at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, he has the chance to become only the sixth player to ever net in eight in a row. If he scores in that match he will move three behind Jamie Vardy's record for most consecutive matches scored in.
Isak netted in Newcastle's EFL Cup semi-final first-leg win at Arsenal in midweek, reaching 50 goals in all competitions for the club. He reached the milestone in his 89th match, making him the third-fastest player to reach a half-century for Newcastle since the Premier League started, after Andrew Cole (50 matches) and Les Ferdinand (84). Isak beat Alan Shearer, the Premier League's all-time leading scorer, to a half-century by five appearances.
2024/25 EA SPORTS Player of the Month winners
August: Erling Haaland (Man City)
September: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
October: Chris Wood (Nott'm Forest)
November: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
December: Alexander Isak (Newcastle)
Nuno named Barclays Manager of the Month
Nuno Espirito Santo has been voted December 2024's Barclays Manager of the Month.
Nottingham Forest head coach Nuno wins the award for the second time in three months and for the sixth time overall in his Premier League career.
Nuno took Forest to second in the Premier League table for the first time since 1994, with five wins from six December matches, including three consecutive clean sheets to end the month.
Nuno said: "I have to thank the players who go out there and give their all for this club. Ultimately, this is recognition for their performances.
"We also have to thank everyone at the club and the support add ambition they show, starting with our owner, Mr Marinakis, all the way through to every member of staff. And finally, we cannot thank our fans enough for their magnificent support."
🗣️ ‘A reward for every one of us at the Club.’
— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) January 10, 2025
Nuno on being named @PremierLeague Manager of the Month. 🏆
Only nine managers in Premier League history have won the award more times than Nuno, who joins Sam Allardyce and Sir Bobby Robson on six wins.
Nuno has now claimed it with Wolverhampton Wanderers in September 2018, June 2020 and October 2020, with Tottenham Hotspur in August 2021, and now Forest in October and December 2024.
Most Barclays Manager of the Month awards
| Manager | Awards |
|---|---|
| Sir Alex Ferguson | 27 |
| Arsene Wenger | 15 |
| Pep Guardiola | 11 |
| Jurgen Klopp, David Moyes | 10 |
| Martin O'Neill, Harry Redknapp | 8 |
| Mikel Arteta, Rafa Benitez | 7 |
| Sam Allardyce, Sir Bobby Robson, Nuno Espirito Santo | 6 |
| Carlo Ancelotti, Eddie Howe, Kevin Keegan, Claudio Ranieri | 5 |
Nuno topped a four-man shortlist that also included Newcastle United's Eddie Howe, AFC Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola and Liverpool's Arne Slot, after votes from the public were combined with those of a panel of experts.
How high can Nuno take Forest?
Forest are currently on the Premier League's longest active winning streak, having won their last six matches to sit third in the table, level on points with Arsenal and six points behind leaders Liverpool.
They face Liverpool at home on Tuesday 14 January in a big top-of-the-table fixture, having beaten the Reds in the reverse fixture at Anfield. They are the only team this season to win against Slot's side in the Premier League.
2024/25 Barclays Manager of the Month winners
August: Fabian Hurzeler (Brighton)
September: Enzo Maresca (Chelsea)
October: Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest)
November: Arne Slot (Liverpool)
December: Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest)
Isak strike voted Guinness Goal of the Month
Alexander Isak's incredible strike in Newcastle United's 3-3 draw with Liverpool has been voted December 2024's Guinness Goal of the Month.
Isak smashed into the top-right corner from the edge of the 18-yard-box after running off Virgil van Dijk and making a yard of space to shoot past the Liverpool defender.
Isak's Guinness Goal of the Month
What a strike from Alexander Isak 🚀
— Premier League (@premierleague) January 10, 2025
This effort wins him December's Guinness Goal of the Month award! #PLAwards | @NUFC pic.twitter.com/8q02f1EBqO
Isak wins a December Premier League awards double, having also been named the EA SPORTS Player of the Month after scoring eight goals and assisting a further two in only six appearances last month.
He is one of only six players to win both awards in the same month, following Cole Palmer in April 2024, Bruno Fernandes in June 2020, Jesse Lingard in April 2021, Mohamed Salah in October 2021 and Miguel Almiron in October 2022.
Isak is the first Swedish player to win a Guinness Goal of the Month award since it was introduced in 2016/17, and the first Newcastle player to do so since Almiron in October 2022.
He topped an eight-goal shortlist after the public's votes were combined with those of a panel of football experts.
2024/25 Guinness Goal of the Month winners
August: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
September: Jhon Duran (Aston Villa)
October: Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea)
November: Harry Wilson (Fulham)
December: Alexander Isak (Newcastle)
Martinez wonder save voted Premier League Save of the Month
Emiliano Martinez has won December 2024's Premier League Save of the Month award for his jaw-dropping stop on the goalline for Aston Villa at Nottingham Forest.
Martinez produced one of the best saves in Premier League history, somehow twisting his body to stop Nicolas Dominguez's header from a corner centimetres before it crossed the line.
Martinez's save in pictures
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Nicolas Dominguez (No 16) directs his header towards goal
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Martinez readjusts his footing and drops low to his left
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The Villa goalkeeper somehow gets a hand to the ball
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The VAR checks if the ball has crossed the line
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VAR confirms "No Goal" following Martinez's sensational save
Nicolas Dominguez (No 16) directs his header towards goal
1 / 5
Martinez readjusts his footing and drops low to his left
2 / 5
The Villa goalkeeper somehow gets a hand to the ball
3 / 5
The VAR checks if the ball has crossed the line
4 / 5
VAR confirms "No Goal" following Martinez's sensational save
5 / 5
Is Martinez's save the best ever?
Martinez's save drew praise from people across the footballing world, with some claiming it's the best they've ever seen.
Nuno Espirito Santo, Forest head coach and a former goalkeeper: "Big save. It was remarkable. That is not about anything, it is pure instinct. Reflex. It's amazing. I wish I had [the] quality to do that once, but I didn't!"
Jamie Redknapp, former Liverpool midfielder: “I can't think of a better Premier League save in my life. We talk about the Pele one from Gordon Banks. Somehow he saved it. It's almost like a magician, sleight of hand. That is truly sensational.”
Marc Albrighton, PL title-winner with Leicester City: "He is not even facing the right way and manages to claw it away. I honestly can't believe it. It is centimetres from going in, that is incredible. That is one of the best I've seen."
Lee Hendrie, former Villa midfielder: “The save is world-class. I just think the pace of the ball and everything. Phenomenal.”
Rob Green, former goalkeeper: "It’s incredible. You could ask him how he saved it - he doesn’t know! It’s just instinct. He’s in a brilliant, set position. His feet are level and on the ground, his hands are out in front of him - it seems an obvious thing but if you can’t see your hands, you can’t track your hand to the ball. It’s incredible reactions but what he’s done within the space of a fraction of a second is got the basics perfectly right. To have your hands up and set, your feet square up the pitch, gives him all the time he can be afforded. It’s an incredible bit of goalkeeping. Everyone’s saying it’s wonderful reactions, but it’s brilliant basics as well."
Martinez wins December's award after votes from the public were combined with those of a panel of experts, topping a shortlist of six stunning saves by goalkeepers across the month.
It is the first time Martinez has won a Premier League Save of the Month award since it was introduced in 2022/23.
2024/25 Save of the Month winners
August: David Raya (Arsenal)
September: Andre Onana (Man Utd)
October: Robert Sanchez (Chelsea)
November: Andre Onana (Man Utd)
December: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)