Arteta and Odegaard win EPL Manager, Player of the Month awards

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and captain Martin Odegaard have been named as the Premier League Manager and Player of the Month for November and December respectively.

It is the second time Arteta has won the award this season after he led Arsenal the Gunners to four victories from four Premier League matches, winning away against Chelsea, Wolves and Brighton, as well as beating West Ham United at home.

The victories meant the league leaders held a seven-point lead at the top of the table going into 2023.

It is the fourth Manager of the Month Award won by Arteta, who has been at Arsenal since December 2019. He also claimed the honour in September 2021, March 2022 and August 2022.

Arteta beat fellow nominees Thomas Frank, Eddie Howe and Jurgen Klopp after votes from the public were combined with those of a panel of experts.

The award makes it a double celebration for Arsenal, after midfielder Odegaard was named the Player of the Month.

The Arsenal captain becomes only the second Norwegian to win the accolade, after Manchester City’s Erling Haaland earned the August 2022 prize.

“It feels great,” Odegaard told Arsenal’s official website. “I’ve said a lot of times this team has a lot of young, hungry players and we play so well with each other.

“It’s a pleasure to play with them and show my qualities so I’m very happy to get this award.”

Odegaard, 24, is the first Arsenal player to win the award since Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in September 2019.

He topped an eight-man shortlist that included Casemiro, Haaland, Ben Mee, Joao Palhinha, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Kieran Trippier.