Manchester United’s unbeaten November where they won three out of three, without conceding a goal was sorely needed.
After a disastrous start to the season, this run brought United back to life in the race for Champions League spots.
Consequently, United’s prints are all over the top Premier League awards for the month of November.
While Erik ten Hag has been nominated for the Manager of the Month, two huge architects of United’s resurgence on the pitch are up for Player of the Month and Goal of the Month.
Harry Maguire’s resurgence has coincided with United’s and he has been rightly nominated for the Player of the Month award.
Alejandro Garnacho is the overwhelming favourite for the Goal of the Month award for his acrobatic bicycle kick against Everton.
On the Player of the Month front, Maguire faces some tough competition, particularly against Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku, who exploded to life in November.
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Alongside those two are Raheem Sterling, Anthony Gordon, Marcus Tavernier, and Luton’s Thomas Kaminski.
Defenders face a tough fight for the award anyway as their raw stats don’t immediately jump out like they do for attackers.
Still, for Maguire, this is a huge mark of acceptance that he is well and truly reaching his previous reliable levels after a tough few years in the game.
The fight for the Goal of the Month is less intense and is almost a procession. Out of eight strikes, Garnacho’s effort stands head a shoulders above any other.
Barring something truly miraculous or remarkable happening in the rest of the season, his bicycle kick is likely to win the Goal of the Season award as well.
It would put a big exclamation point on the Argentine’s rise to now being an established first-team player, and rightly so.