Europe-chasing AFC Bournemouth won three of the four monthly Premier League awards following a remarkable and historic start to the year.
The Cherries won Manager of the Month, Player of the Month, and Goal of the Month, with Andoni Iraola, Justin Kluivert, and David Brooks winning respectively.
It’s little surprise that the awards were headed south for January after the south coast side won three of their four league games, scored 12 goals, and extended their undefeated streak to a club record 11 games.
The three trophies are especially fitting given Justin Kluivert and Dango Ouattara’s two consecutive hat-tricks against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest near the conclusion of the month.
Manager of the Month:Andoni Irola
After a phenomenal January, Andoni Iraola has been crowned Barclays Manager of the Month for the second time in his career.
This recognition is a testament to his tactical brilliance and leadership, as he led the club to a second unbeaten month despite significant squad challenges.
With both senior strikers out due to injury at the beginning of January, Iraola was forced to rely on a young bench made up almost entirely of academy players.
Yet, under his guidance, Bournemouth did not just survive – they thrived.
The Cherries picked up three wins and a draw, scoring an impressive 12 goals in the process, further cementing their status as one of the Premier League’s most exciting teams this year.
However, the month’s games were far from easy, with Bournemouth facing three of the league’s top five teams.
They began with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Everton, followed by a thrilling 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge, with a late Reece James equaliser preventing a historic win.
Following that, the Cherries achieved a spectacular 4-1 away victory over Newcastle, who had won nine straight games, and a 5-0 demolition of third-placed Nottingham Forest to round out the month in style.
These efforts extended Bournemouth’s Premier League unbeaten streak to 11 games, propelling them to sixth position in the rankings.
Iraola’s ability to adapt, encourage, and outmanoeuvre some of the league’s top managers has earned him great accolades, especially in light of recent injury issues.
This accolade places Iraola in the footsteps of club legend Eddie Howe, who won it three times in 2017 and 2018.
With Iraola at the helm, Bournemouth’s European hopes become more realistic with each game, and they will hope this is not his final accolade.
Player of the Month: Justin Kluivert
Justin Kluivert, a Dutchman, finished second in the awards after being awarded the EA SPORTS Player of the Month for January 2025.
Kluivert’s influence has been nothing short of incredible.
In four matches, he scored five goals and provided two assists, giving him the Premier League’s joint-top goal contributor in January.
His performances were critical to Bournemouth’s excellent unbeaten run, which allowed the club to continue its rise in the league.
His greatest performance came in the form of a sensational hat-trick against Newcastle, when he scored three stunning goals against a team that had not lost in nine games.
This performance was made even more memorable by the fact that Kluivert tripled his renowned father, Patrick Kluivert,’s goal count during his tenure at Newcastle in the 2004/05 season.
Aside from the sheer number of goals, Kluivert’s strikes were of the finest quality.
Two of his long-range, perfect finishes against Newcastle and Forest were shortlisted for the BBC’s Match of the Day Goal of the Month award, demonstrating his technical ability.
Kluivert becomes only the second Bournemouth player to win the Player of the Month title, following Dominic Solanke, who won in December 2023.
Furthermore, he joins an elite group of Dutch football legends who have won the honour, including Ruud van Nistelrooy, Dennis Bergkamp, Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie, and Virgil van Dijk.
Kluivert’s presence and goal-scoring abilities will definitely be important as Bournemouth pursues European football in the coming months.
Goal of the Month: David Brooks vs Everton
To top off an already amazing two awards, the team earned January’s Guinness Goal of the Month with David Brooks’ outstanding performance against Everton.
This extraordinary performance makes the Cherries only the third team in history to win all three monthly trophies, joining Manchester United (November 2023) and Newcastle United (October 2022).
Brooks’ goal was more than simply aesthetically pleasing; it was a key 77th-minute winner in a hard-fought 1-0 triumph over Everton.
Brooks, who had just come off the bench, seized onto Milos Kerkez’s magnificent precise cross and met it with a superbly executed volley that soared past the custodian and into the net.
This is Brooks’ first Premier League monthly award, validating his comeback narrative following considerable health struggles in recent years.
He is only the third Bournemouth player to win the Guinness Goal of the Month title, joining Jermain Defoe in December 2017 and Charlie Daniels in August 2017.
Brooks’ goal beat out an eight-goal shortlist that included two strikes from teammate Justin Kluivert.
As the season goes, more eye-catching goals will be required to help secure that coveted European position.
