Premier League: Marcus Rashford, Erik ten Hag scoop monthly awards
Manchester United duo Marcus Rashford and Erik ten Hag have completed a double swoop of the Premier League’s Player and Manager of the Month awards for February.
A stellar month for the Red Devils saw them take 10 points from 12 on offer in the top flight to cement their third-placed standing in the table, and Rashford showed no signs of slowing down on the goalscoring front.
The revitalised England international scored in all four of Man United’s Premier League games in February, notching a total of five goals across those 360 minutes of football.
After netting his side’s second against Crystal Palace, Rashford was on target as the Red Devils came from behind to draw with Leeds United, four days before making the net ripple in a 2-0 Elland Road success.
Finally, Rashford struck a brace at home to Leicester City on February 19, taking his tally to 14 goals for the season in the top flight – only Ivan Toney (15), Harry Kane (18) and Erling Braut Haaland (27) have more.
The 25-year-old beat Emerson Royal, Ollie Watkins, Kelechi Iheanacho, Bernd Leno and Manor Solomon to the award, which represents his third accolade of the season following successes in September and January.
“It’s obviously always good to be amongst the conversation,” Rashford told MUTV after winning the award. “To be awarded this Player of Month, I feel like especially in the last three months, you could give it to anyone.
“Any of the people that have been voted deserve to win it, it obviously makes me feel really proud that I have managed to do it three times.
“All the players that have been up for it, even some of the ones that haven’t been up for it deserve it. It shows that, as a team, we are improving and, hopefully, we can continue doing that.”
Rashford now boasts a total of four Premier League Player of the Month awards, having also won the vote in January 2019, while Ten Hag was bestowed with the Manager of the Month prize.
Under the Dutchman, Man United recorded a 2-1 win over Crystal Palace in early February, but they were forced to come back from 2-0 down to draw 2-2 with Leeds at Old Trafford.
However, the Red Devils strolled to a two-goal success over the Whites at Elland Road a few days later, prior to a comprehensive 3-0 win over Leicester on February 19.
Ten Hag’s prize represents his second Manager of the Month accolade, having also won the trophy in September alongside Rashford, while Antonio Conte and Marco Silva were also up for the honour.
Man United got off to an ideal start in March with a 3-1 win over West Ham United in the FA Cup, but Ten Hag then witnessed his side suffer an embarrassing 7-0 loss at Liverpool.
Nevertheless, an unchanged team eased past Real Betis 4-1 in Thursday’s Europa League last-16 first leg, and the Red Devils now prepare to host Southampton on Sunday afternoon.
