Premier League managers had to juggle the demands of the FA Cup in January and it will come as a relief to them that from here on in the schedule is not as crowded. January played host to four rounds of PL fixtures, and there has been plenty of movement at the bottom of the table. Two victories and a draw have lifted Swansea off bottom spot, and two wins and two draws have taken Bournemouth out of trouble and to the dizzy heights of 10th.
We finally saw Manchester City taste defeat in the Premier League in a 3-2 defeat to Liverpool at Anfield, but with two FA Cup rounds to deal with, clubs struggled to maintain their consistency. This was shown by only two clubs going unbeaten in the league during January, Tottenham and West Ham.
After a crazy month which player deserves to pick up the Premier League Player of the Month award? Voted by the fans, the winner will receive a special FIFA Ultimate Team item which can be attained by completing a squad building challenge on FIFA 18. We look at the contenders for January’s PL Player of the Month award.
Sergio Aguero (OVR 89 – POTM 94)
The favourite for the Player of the Month award, Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero bagged five goals and grabbed an assist during January. The highlight was a hat trick netted against Newcastle in a 3-1 victory, and despite his City side tasting defeat for the first time this season against Liverpool, they still lead the table by a massive 15 points.
Aguero’s 89 overall rating would likely rise to a 94 rating on Ultimate Tea, if he receives the POTM award. His normal card is priced at 348,000 coins on PS4 and 317,000 on Xbox One, with a 90 in form costing 948,000 on PS4 and 899,000 on Xbox One. The Argentinean also has a 91 rated super in form card, which will set you back 903,000 on PS4 and 865,000 on Xbox One, and lastly his 92 super in form will cost close to 1.4 million coins on PS4 and 1.3 million on Xbox One.
Harry Kane (OVR 86 – POTM 92)
Always in the goals, Harry Kane has already bagged two Player of the Month awards this season. With three goals in January the Spurs frontman stands a chance of another, scoring twice against Everton and once against Southampton to put him on 99 Premier League goals over his career.
Another man with a stack of in form and rare cards, a third POTM item would take Kane’s 86 overall rating to 92. His normal card is valued at 32,250 coins on PS4 and 34,750 on Xbox One on the FUT transfer market, with his 87 in form costing 352,000 on PS4 and 400,000 on Xbox One. The Tottenham striker also has an 88 ‘Team of the Group Stage’ item, costing 400,000 coins on PS4 and 550,000 on Xbox One, and a 89 super in form priced at 555,000 on PS4 and 545,000 on Xbox One. Lastly, his incredible 96 Team of the Year card will cost you 1.6 million coins on PS4 and 1.5 million on Xbox One.
Roberto Firmino (OVR 83 – POTM 88)
Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino put in a superb performance against Manchester City last month, scoring and earning an assist in the 4-3 victory. The Brazilian backed that up with a well-taken goal against Huddersfield, taking The Reds into the top three. If Liverpool can find their consistency, they could even finish second this season.
Firmino would likely see an increase of five to 88 if he was named the PL Player of the Month. His normal 83 card costs around 3,800 coins on both consoles in Ultimate Team, and you will need a massive 155,000 on both platforms for his 85 Team of the Group Stage item. The forward’s 86 rated super in form card is priced at 267,000 coins on both PS4 and Xbox One.
Nacho Monreal (OVR 80 – POTM 85)
With Alexis Sanchez heading to Manchester United, Arsenal needed a source of goals. Left back Nacho Monreal of all people answered the call, bagging two goals and two assists in January. The defender only played in two league games during the month due to injury, but that didn't stop him from scoring against Crystal Palace and teeing up both Alex Iwobi and Laurent Koscielny.
His newfound goal scoring prowess could take Monreal’s 80 overall rating to an 85 if he's named the PL Player of the Month. The Spaniard’s normal card currently costs just 900 coins on both consoles, with his 83 in form rating priced at 20,000 coins on PS4 and 23,000 on Xbox One.
Marko Arnautovic (OVR 82 – POTM 88)
West Ham were one of two clubs to go through January unbeaten in the Premier League, and they have the form of Marko Arnautovic to thank. The Austrian may have only scored once, but he added three assists as they defeated both West Brom and Huddersfield over the past month. The Hammers recent form has lifted them four points clear of the relegation zone and up to 12th in the league table.
Arnautovic 82 overall could climb to an 88 Player of the Month rating if he wins the vote. The left midfielder’s normal card is valued at 1,800 coins on both consoles, with his 84 in form costing 35,000 on PS4 and 45,500 on Xbox One. Lastly, his 86 striker card will cost you 112,000 on PS4 and 121,000 on Xbox One.
Who do you think should be the Premier League Player of the Month? Let us know in the comments section below.
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