Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jurgen Klopp Named EPL Player, Manager of December

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and boss Jurgen Klopp have been named the Premier League's Player and Manager of the Month for December, respectively. 

The Premier League announced the pair as winners on Friday:

It is the seventh time Klopp has been named Manager of the Month and the fourth time he has won it this season. The only month in which he has not won it in this campaign was October, when Chelsea's Frank Lampard picked up the award.

Liverpool won all five of their league fixtures in December against Everton, Bournemouth, Watford, Leicester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers. In the process they scored 15 goals and conceded just twice, keeping four clean sheets.

The victories helped them take their lead in the division to 13 points ahead of Leicester, despite having a game in hand as a result of their involvement in the FIFA Club World Cup last month, which they also won.

Although Alexander-Arnold played well throughout the month, his award will largely have hinged on his remarkable performance against the Foxes on Boxing Day, in which he scored and recorded two assists.

Football statistician Dave O'Brien provided some of the numbers behind his incredible showing:

His game against Leicester set Twitter ablaze:

He also contributed an assist in the Reds' 5-2 Merseyside derby win over Everton on December 4.

Alexander-Arnold has won the award for the first time and is the second Liverpool player to win it this season, after Sadio Mane picked it up for November. He's also the first defender to win it since team-mate Virgil van Dijk took home the award for December 2018.

Given his meteoric rise in the game and the impressive consistency with which he delivers excellent performances—and decisive contributions such as assists—it's likely the first monthly award of many for the youngster.