Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne are both up for the Premier League's Player of the Month award for September.
With Anthony Martial still out injured, Rashford has continued to keep Cristiano Ronaldo at bay at Old Trafford and came up with two goals and two assists in the Premier League this month.
The death and subsequent state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II meant that Erik ten Hag's side will only play two Premier League games this month, claiming successive wins over Leicester City and Arsenal.
Rashford set up Jadon Sancho's goal in the 1-0 win over Leicester before playing through Antony to open the scoring against Arsenal, and he netted a second-half brace to inflict a 3-1 defeat upon the league leaders.
The 24-year-old has now been recognised for his efforts with a Premier League Player of the Month nomination, but he was again overlooked for a place in the England squad by Gareth Southgate following a muscular injury.
🍒 Philip Billing 🍒
— Premier League (@premierleague) September 22, 2022
🔵 @KevinDeBruyne 🔵
⚪️ Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg ⚪️
🍬 @alexiwobi 🍬
🦁 @JacobRamsey28 🦁
🔴 @MarcusRashford 🔴
Six in-form #PL stars, but only one can be September's @EASPORTSFIFA Player of the Month...#PLAwards | https://t.co/7wLGKBDASn 🗳 pic.twitter.com/SyUd487SXf
"There were certain players we wanted to keep involved this time, but that said it doesn't mean that this is the end for some of the others who aren't involved," Southgate said after naming his squad for September's games with Italy and Germany in the UEFA Nations League.
"Marcus Rashford, for example, has shown some encouraging signs recently. He is a player we know well so if he can perform at a high level in the next few weeks, he of course will be under consideration."
Rashford and Man United will be back in Premier League action in the Manchester derby on October 2, where fellow nominee Kevin De Bruyne will also aim to build on a solid September.
The Belgian playmaker provided three assists as the reigning champions drew with Aston Villa and overcame Wolverhampton Wanderers earlier this month, and he is one of three players from the Big Six clubs up for the award.
Tottenham Hotspur's Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg helped his side to back-to-back wins over Fulham and Leicester, scoring against the former before setting up another in the 6-2 thumping of the Foxes.
© Reuters
Elsewhere, Everton midfielder Alex Iwobi has also been rewarded with a nomination, as the ex-Arsenal man provided the assist for Neal Maupay's winner against West Ham United and played the full 90 in the Merseyside draw with Liverpool.
Aston Villa youngster Jacob Ramsey is another name on the list, as the 21-year-old set up Leon Bailey's equaliser against Man City before scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 success over Southampton.
Finally, a fine month for Bournemouth's Philip Billing is capped off with a nomination after the Denmark international netted against Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United, with the former being a scintillating effort from long range.
Erling Braut Haaland was crowned August's Player of the Month, and Rashford is the only one of September's nominees to have won the award, doing so in January 2019.
Despite being crowned the Premier League's Player of the Season for 2021-22, Man City's De Bruyne has never won a Player of the Month trophy.
Ben Knapton
