Antonio Rudiger has been included on the shortlist for the EA Sports Premier League Player of the Month award for September following his impressive performances for Chelsea.
The German defender featured in every minute of our three Premier League matches during September as we continued our excellent record at the back this season, keeping two clean sheets in consecutive 3-0 victories over Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur, and conceding just one goal in that competition over the last month, in the 1-0 defeat to reigning champions Manchester City.
His importance to the side was demonstrated as he was the one constant in our sturdy defence, as the rest of our back three was rotated across that trio of Premier League fixtures, while Rudiger also started both of our opening Champions League group games, against Zenit St Petersburg at Stamford Bridge and away at Juventus.
It isn’t just in his defensive responsibilities that the 28-year-old has impressed for the Blues in September, either, as he also got his name on the score sheet in the London derby victory away at Tottenham, showing a striker’s instincts to find space in the box and fire Timo Werner’s cut-back low into the back of the net on the turn.
It is the second month in a row that a Chelsea player has been nominated for the monthly Premier League award, following Marcos Alonso in August, but Rudiger would be the first to win the trophy since Eden Hazard did so exactly three years ago and the first Blues defender for over a decade.
The other players nominated for the September 2021 Premier League Player of the Month award are Joao Cancelo (Manchester City), Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United), Allan Saint-Maximin (Newcastle United), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) and Ismaila Sarr (Watford).
The winner will be decided by the public and voting is now open. You have until midday on Monday 4 October to cast your vote and the winner will be announced on Friday 8 October.