Two Liverpool stars nominated for Premier League award

Two Liverpool stars nominated for Premier League award Alexander Isak and Jeremy Jacquet Earn Premier League Award Recognition Liverpool’s encouraging start under Andoni Iraola has produced plenty of talking points, but perhaps the clearest indication of progress comes at opposite ends of the pitch. Alexander Isak is scoring goals. Jeremy Jacquet is helping prevent them. Both Liverpool players have now been shortlisted for the Premier League Player of the Month award for September, recognition of two very different contributions to Iraola’s developing side. The full list of nominees are: Mohamed Belloumi (Hull City), Jayden Bogle (Leeds United), Pascal Grob (Brighton), Alexander Isak (Liverpool), Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool), Charalampos Kostoulas (Brighton), Kevin Schade (Brentford) and Antoine Semenyo (Man City). Alexander Isak Finds His Rhythm For Isak, the numbers tell a fairly straightforward story. Three Premier League appearances in September brought three goals, taking him to within one of Manchester City striker Erling Haaland in the early Golden Boot standings. That matters because last season never really allowed Liverpool to see the player they had invested so heavily in. Injuries disrupted Isak’s campaign and prevented him from developing any sustained rhythm. September has looked very different. The Sweden international scored twice in Liverpool’s 2-0 victory away at Ipswich Town before providing the decisive moment in the 1-0 win at Bournemouth. Sandwiched between those results was the 0-0 draw with Fulham. Photo: IMAGO Three games, three goals and seven points. For a centre-forward, there is not much ambiguity there. More importantly for Iraola, Isak is beginning to look like a striker around whom Liverpool can construct their attack. Jeremy Jacquet Makes Immediate Liverpool Impact Jeremy Jacquet’s inclusion on the shortlist might be the more intriguing of Liverpool’s two nominations. The 21-year-old arrived from Rennes during the summer with considerable promise, although few could have expected him to settle quite this quickly. Jacquet has started every Premier League game this season and has immediately established a partnership alongside Virgil van Dijk. Photo: IMAGO September provided compelling evidence of how effective that relationship has become. Liverpool did not concede a single Premier League goal during the month. Clean sheets against Ipswich, Fulham and Bournemouth were built around a defensive unit in which Jacquet played every minute. His work in tackles, interceptions and recoveries has further strengthened the impression of a young defender already comfortable with the physical and tactical demands of English football. France Recognition Adds to Jacquet Rise Jacquet’s performances have also attracted attention beyond Liverpool. The defender received his first senior France call-up this month, with Zinedine Zidane selecting him among five uncapped players for the September and October Nations League fixtures. For a 21-year-old adapting to a new club, league and country, that represents a significant few weeks. Isak arrived at Liverpool carrying enormous expectations. Jacquet arrived with considerably less attention. September has placed both firmly in the spotlight. They are joined on the eight-player Premier League shortlist by Mohamed Belloumi, Jayden Bogle, Pascal Gross, Charalampos Kostoulas, Kevin Schade and Antoine Semenyo. Whatever happens in the vote, Liverpool having Alexander Isak recognised for goals and Jeremy Jacquet recognised for defensive excellence feels significant. Iraola needs match-winners at one end and reliability at the other. September suggests Liverpool may have found both.