Liverpool’s Joel Matip was named Premier League Player of the Month in February, while Eddie Howe won Manager of the Month.
Matip becomes the first Cameroonian to win the award, which was richly deserved after a stellar month in which he played every minute of Premier League football.
He and his centre-back partner Virgil van Dijk were in imperious form, conceding just one goal in four matches and keeping three clean sheets.
Liverpool reignited the title race in February with four wins that saw them close the gap on league leaders Manchester City to six points with the Reds one game less.
But Matip stood out for more than his defensive qualities and showed what he is capable of higher up the pitch.
He caught the eye for two brilliant pieces of forward play, first producing an assist for Diogo Jota in Liverpool’s 2–0 win over Leicester.
Matip then overcame that with a superb solo goal in the Reds’ 6–0 thrashing of Leeds. The 30-year-old made a blistering run into the opposition’s penalty area before producing a sublime chipped finish on goalkeeper Illan Meslier.
Alongside Matip, Newcastle boss Eddie Howe was named Manager of the Month after an unbeaten February.
Under Howe’s watch, the Magpies left the relegation zone for the first time since September and currently sit 14th in the league.
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