Harry Kane on shortlist for Premier League Player of the Month for December
Friday 5 January 2018 13:51, UK
Harry Kane is among the nominees for the December Premier League Player of the Month award, after the Tottenham striker ended 2017 in record-breaking style.
Marcos Alonso, Marko Arnautovic, Roberto Firmino, Jesse Lingard, Riyad Mahrez, Nicolas Otamendi and Mohamed Salah are also on the shortlist.
Kane broke Alan Shearer's longstanding record for the most Premier League goals in a calendar year and finished ahead of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the leading goalscorer in Europe's top-five leagues.
The England international is the Premier League's top scorer this season with 18 goals, eight of which came during December, including successive hat-tricks against Burnley and Southampton.
Liverpool duo Firmino and Salah, who was named African Player of the Year, have been vital to Liverpool's unbeaten seven-match streak during December as Jurgen Klopp's side sit inside the top four.
Lingard and Arnautovic both enjoyed a rich rein of form as the attacking pair scored five goals for Manchester United and West Ham respectively, while Mahrez impressed for Claude Puel's Leicester with three goals.
Alonso helped Antonio Conte's Chelsea to four league clean sheets and the wing-back scored two goals, against Southampton and Brighton respectively, while Argentina international Otamendi continued his progress under Pep Guardiola with four clean sheets and two goals.
The winner of the award will be announced on January 12.
