Manchester United have completed a double swoop of the monthly Premier League awards for November, which have been taken home by Harry Maguire and Erik ten Hag.
Owing to the third international break of the season, the Red Devils played just three times in the top flight last month, but they emerged with a perfect record of nine points from a possible nine.
Man United kicked off the month with a slender 1-0 beating of Fulham, before triumphing over Luton Town by the same scoreline ahead of the two-week domestic hiatus.
When the Red Devils returned to Premier League duty on November 26, they continued their hot streak in a 3-0 beating of Everton at Goodison Park, which also saw them go through the entire month without shipping a league goal.
Man United were the only team to go through November without dropping a single point or conceding a single goal in the Premier League, moving up to sixth in the table in the process, and their feats have now been recognised.
© Reuters
Having led Man United back into European contention after a mediocre start to the season, Ten Hag has been bestowed with his third Manager of the Month prize, having also claimed the accolade in September 2022 and February 2023.
The Dutchman's honour marks the end of Ange Postecoglou's phenomenal streak of prizes, as the Tottenham Hotspur coach collected the first three awards of the season for August, September and October.
Amid Tottenham's downturn in fortunes, Postecoglou was not even on November's four-man shortlist, which comprised Ten Hag, Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola, Newcastle United's Eddie Howe and Luton Town's Rob Edwards.
By winning the November award, Ten Hag now boasts the joint-most Manager of the Month prizes for a Dutch coach alongside Ronald Koeman, who won three in a row between September 2014 and January 2016 while at the Southampton helm.
Meanwhile, resurgent centre-back Maguire joined Ten Hag in taking home a trophy with the Player of the Month prize, winning the individual honour for the first time in his career.
© Reuters
The England international had been out in the cold since the start of last season and had the captain's armband taken off him over the summer, but he has enjoyed an unforeseen revival in the heart of the Red Devils' backline.
With Jonny Evans and Lisandro Martinez injured, and Raphael Varane falling out of favour, Maguire played every minute of Man United's wins over Luton, Fulham and Everton, where he was praised for a string of solid defensive displays.
Maguire made the joint-most blocks in the Premier League last month with six and also won the second-most aerial duels with 16, while 20 clearances put him fifth in that individual category.
The 30-year-old beat Manchester City's Jeremy Doku, Bournemouth's Marcus Tavernier, Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon, Chelsea's Raheem Sterling and Luton Town goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski to the November award, marking the first time that a defender has won the Player of the Month trophy since Liverpool's Joel Matip in February 2022.
Maguire is only the second Man United defender to win the prize after Nemanja Vidic in January 2009, while Rio Ferdinand scooped the honour in October 2001 while playing for Leeds United.
James Maddison, Mohamed Salah and Son Heung-min have also taken home Player of the Month accolades in the 2023-24 season.
Ben Knapton
