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Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard have won the Premier League Manager and Player of the Month award for November and December 2022.
“Arteta led Arsenal to four victories from four Premier League matches, winning away against Chelsea, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Brighton & Hove Albion, as well as beating West Ham United at home,” the Premier League said in a Friday statement.
“The victories meant the league leaders held a seven-point lead at the top of the table going into 2023.”
The Spaniard won the prize in August 2022 with the most recent win being his fourth since becoming Arsenal’s manager.
On his part, Odegaard scored three goals and produced three assists in November and December to beat Norwegian compatriot Erling Haaland to the prize.
“Odegaard, 24, is the first Arsenal player to win the award since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in September 2019,” an EPL statement added.
Apart from Haaland, he saw off competition from the Manchester United duo of Marcus Rashford and Casemiro, Ben Mee of Brentford, Newcastle United’s Kieran Tripper, and Fulham’s Joao Palhinha.
“It feels great. I’ve said a lot of times this team has a lot of young, hungry players and we play so well with each other, so it’s just a pleasure to be here and to be part of what we’re doing now,” the midfielder told the Arsenal website after winning the award.
“It’s a pleasure to play with them and show my qualities so I’m very happy to get this award.”
The playmaker is the first Arsenal player since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in September 2019 to take home the top performer gong.
‘A Great Challenge’
Friday’s wins are expected to serve as a boost for Arsenal who face North London rivals Tottenham in a league tie at White Hart Lane.
They have never won there in their last three visits but Arteta hopes the Gunners can rewrite history and draw inspiration from their first-leg victory at the Emirates Stadium.
“In the last few years there were places we haven’t won for 15, 17, or 20 years,” Arteta told a pre-match press conference. “I would like to do it all at once. We haven’t been able to do that, so we have a great challenge and opportunity on Sunday to get that done.
“That’s the challenge that we have. We have to beat them at their place.” (CTV)
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