Midfielder James Maddison and coach Ange Postecoglou won the Player and Coach of the Month awards for August - the first month of the 2023-2024 Premier League season.
It is the first time Tottenham have won both titles in a month since Mauricio Pochettino and Son Heung-min were honored in April 2017. Pochettino is currently leading Chelsea, while Son Heung-min became Tottenham's new captain, after Harry Kane joined Bayern for a total fee of 132 million USD in the summer of 2023.
In the first month of the 2023-24 Premier League season, Tottenham drew 2-2 with Brentford, then beat Man Utd and Bournemouth by the same score of 2-0. Maddison contributed two assists in the match against Brentford and scored his first goal against Bournemouth. The English midfielder also created nine chances and made 25 crosses - the third highest number in the Premier League - in August.
Coach Postecoglou (arms crossed) watches Maddison dribble during Tottenham's 2-0 win over Bournemouth in the Premier League on August 26. Photo: Reuters
Maddison beat Taiwo Awoniyi, Jarrod Bowen, Bryan Mbeumo, Kaoru Mitoma and Rodri to be named Premier League Player of the Month for the first time, on his fifth nomination.
Maddison is the most anticipated new signing of the summer, when he joined Tottenham from Leicester for 51 million USD. The 26-year-old midfielder was immediately elected vice-captain, along with center-back Cristian Romero, and is expected to become the club's conductor to replace Kane.
"Being a new player at a new club in the Premier League is never easy, so if you said I was going to win this at the start of the season, I would have bitten your hand off," Maddison joked after receiving the award. "There have been so many great names, top players and current players who have won it, so it's great to be in that category. I'll leave this on the mantelpiece!"
Postecoglou helped Tottenham secure a personal double as Premier League Manager of the Month for August. He is the first Australian manager to manage in the Premier League, but only the second Australian to win the award, after goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer was named Fulham Player of the Month in February 2010.
Postecoglou beat Mikel Arteta, Pep Guardiola, Jurgen Klopp and David Moyes to the first individual award of his career. The 58-year-old is the ninth Tottenham manager to win the award, following Gerry Francis (December 1994), Glenn Hoddle (October 2001, August 2002), Martin Jol (December 2004), Harry Redknapp (August 2009, September 2011, November 2011), Andre Villas-Boas (December 2012, February 2013), Mauricio Pochettino (September 2015, February 2016, April 2017), Jose Mourinho (November 2020) and Nuno Espirito Santo (August 2021).
Maddison (left) and Postecoglou show off their monthly awards at Tottenham's training ground on September 15. Photo: X / @SpursOfficial
Meanwhile, Kaoru Mitoma won the goal of the month award with a superb solo effort from midfield, cutting inside, dribbling past four players and scoring in the 4-1 win over Wolves in the second round on August 19. Mitoma is the first Japanese player to win the Premier League's monthly award, and the first Brighton player to win the award since Alireza Jahanbakhsh in January 2020.
Hong Duy
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