Three months and approximately a quarter of a way through the season, proceedings are beginning to take shape at the bottom of the table but remain as contested as they’ve ever been at the top. As we entered December with 10 Matchweeks played, just 5 points separated the top 11 teams.
The competitiveness is a welcome change from last season when Liverpool strolled their way to the title completely unopposed, and despite the unpredictability this time around, players across several teams are achieving remarkable consistency in this already fascinating season. Here are the 11 stars who make up our November Team of the Month.
Team of the month in Premier League – November 2020
GK: Lukasz Fabianski (West Ham)
After impressively navigating a nightmare list of opening fixtures, November finally gave West Ham the chance to breathe as they came face to face with some lower quality opposition. The Hammers conceded just one goal in three Premier League fixtures, winning the lot. Veteran goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski was key to this, making some good saves against Aston Villa and Sheffield United. A 98th-minute penalty save against Fulham was amongst his most noteworthy moments, and although the penalty itself was comically bad, Fabianski did well to hold his nerve and save it comfortably.
RB: Vladimir Coufal (West Ham)
Fabianski wasn’t the only West Ham player to impress in November; new right back Vladimir Coufal also enjoyed a solid month in the Hammers’ backline. A signing that seemed to go somewhat under the radar in the summer, Coufal has enjoyed a strong start to his career in East London, and for now, at least, looks to have solved West Ham’s problems in that position. The Czech defender has played a key role in his team’s strong recent form and was among the best players on the pitch against Fulham and Sheffield United.
CB: Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur)
Tottenham remain top of the table three months into the season and are looking like a side reborn under the management of Jose Mourinho. Eric Dier has had something of a rebirth of his own this season in the centre back position, and played every minute of Tottenham’s four November fixtures as the North Londoners won three times and conceded just once. He’s done extraordinarily well in the heart of the Spurs defence recently, could he finally become a mainstay in the position?
CB: Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham)
Another defender, another West Ham name in our XI, which is once again hardly surprising after such a solid month for the London side. Ogbonna has generally been one of the team’s better defenders since arriving in 2015, but the Italian has been getting rave reviews lately from the Hammers faithful, having played a key role in helping the team to tighten up at the back. Ogbonna has formed a strong understanding with Aaron Cresswell and Fabian Balbuena and even scored a rare goal in his side’s narrow victory over Aston Villa.
LB: Ben Chilwell (Chelsea) (C)
Sometimes, a player arrives at a new club and hits the ground running instantly; this has certainly been the case for Chelsea left-back Ben Chilwell, who is already making his second appearance in Team of the Month this season. Since being eased into the team, Chilwell’s form has been exceptional at both ends of the pitch, helping his side achieve two clean sheets out of three in November and also scoring in the eventual 4-1 win over Sheffield United. Left backs aren’t often a popular choice for player of the month, but if anyone deserves the award, it’s him.
CM: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham Hotspur)
Whilst several of Tottenham’s old guard are enjoying an exceptional spell of form, a couple of new faces at White Hart Lane have certainly helped the team progress as well. This can perhaps be said about Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg more than anyone; a Mourinho player through and through, Hojbjerg’s flexibility in midfield has helped Spurs control the middle of the park in important recent matches, and the Danish international has also slotted in seamlessly as an auxiliary defender at key moments. Hojbjerg also won a total of 10 tackles in November, a league-high.
CM: James Ward-Prowse (Southampton)
How often do you see a player score two free-kicks in a match? For Southampton captain James Ward-Prowse against Aston Villa, it was just another milestone that cemented his status as arguably the best and most consistent set-piece taker in the league. The midfielder contributed three goals and two assists across four November fixtures, all of which came directly from set-pieces. In the absence of the talismanic Danny Ings, Ward-Prowse’s pinpoint deliveries helped the Saints maintain their brilliant start to the campaign last month.
CAM: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Where would Manchester United be without Bruno Fernandes? Almost one year on from joining the club, Fernandes continues to stand out head and shoulders above the rest of the team, helping his side to achieve a number of good results almost single-handedly. The Portuguese playmaker chipped in with four goals and one assist in four fixtures as the Red Devils began to hit some much-needed consistency in November. Undoubtedly a great player all around and the perfect figure to spearhead United’s progression.
LF: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
It’d be fair to say that Aston Villa are already having a topsy turvy season in 2020/21, but the stunning form of captain Jack Grealish has been the key driving force behind many of the early high points. During November the England attacker added another two goals and two assists to his tally in the space of four matches and continues to be one of the standout players of the season so far.
ST: Edinson Cavani (Manchester United)
Although easily United’s star man, Bruno Fernandes wasn’t the only player to enjoy a standout November in Solskjaer’s side. New signing Edinson Cavani also put in some great performances, finding his feet with a late goal against Everton before launching a one-man fightback against Southampton as the Red Devils came from 2-0 down to clinch the win. Cavani’s arrival feels like the second coming of Ibrahimovic at Old Trafford, and on the evidence of these games, acquiring Cavani already looks like an equally smart move from United.
RF: Callum Wilson (Newcastle United)
Steve Bruce’s Newcastle continue to struggle for goals on occasion, but star striker Callum Wilson certainly doesn’t seem to. The signing of Wilson seems to be exactly what the Magpies needed, with the striker netting three goals in three fixtures last month, and also registering an assist in the victory over Crystal Palace. The former Bournemouth striker is quietly solidifying himself as one of the signings of the season, and without him, such as against Chelsea recently, Newcastle look toothless going forward, such is Wilson’s importance already.
Manager: Jose Mourinho (Tottenham Hotspur)
This was a close contest between Jose Mourinho and West Ham manager David Moyes, but I’ve narrowly gone for Mourinho, who achieved some vintage tactical masterclasses in November to guide his team to some great results in big matches. Defensively dogged, pragmatic and lethal on the counter attack, Jose is silencing his doubters and proving that his style still has the ability to wield a cutting edge in England’s top flight. Could he take Tottenham all the way this season?
