The Premier League Manager and Player of the Month awards have been formally announced in December, in the month of the year where outstanding individual contribution in a decisive month has occurred. The announcements highlight the fact that momentum and positioning in the title race and European races are still influenced by form in December.
Leeds United striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin won the Player of the Month award following a prolific spell that saw him revert to the kind of consistency he last exhibited at the very highest levels. The England international scored in every five of his league matches, and at the end of the month, he had six goals in his account and propelled Leeds through an unbeaten December.
The work of Calvert-Lewin was decisive since Leeds won important matches over Chelsea and Crystal Palace in a tough schedule. His performance at Elland Road has been extensively considered as a pure illustration of personal revival in a direct transfer to team performance.
The Player of the Month award is an indication of the importance of central Calvert-Lewin to the attacking formation at Leeds during the festive run. His scoring in each and every December game brought consistency and confidence in a season of squad rotation and injury challenges throughout the league.
Under the managerial category, Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery was the winner of the award following five victories of his team in six games in the league. Such a chain of events sealed off 2025 and placed Villa squarely in the title race of the Premier League. Emery was honoured with December success for the third time, which has validated his tactical consistency since the time of arrival.
Villa also had a statement win over Manchester United to add to their increasingly developing reputation of being true top-end competitors. A dramatic 4-3 away victory against Brighton & Hove Albion started the month at Villa, in which Ollie Watkins scored two goals. A late goal by Emiliano Buendia then secured a 2-1 domestic win at Villa Park against Arsenal.
Close victories were made with West Ham United, Manchester United, and Chelsea, demonstrating that Villa was becoming more at ease dealing with the pressure of managing the game. The team went on an eight-match winning run towards the end of the month, but a 4-1 loss at Arsenal only led the team to earn four out of six points after the New Year.
The December awards of the Premier League Manager of the Month and the Premier League Player of the Month show that decisive individual leadership and form can be extremely effective at a time when the season is most tense. Since both honours are elaborate, as the campaign moves on, they establish a good standard of consistency and influence at the top.
