By Mutunga Tobbias / The Common Pulse/latest news /US/ Kenya/Abroad/Africa / NOVEMBER2025
October ended with a familiar storm of arguments, celebration, and controversy as the Premier League announced its monthly awards. Ruben Amorim, the young tactician at the helm of Manchester United, was named Manager of the Month, while Bryan Mbeumo took home the Player of the Month award. The recognition capped off an impressive October for United, who won all three of their league fixtures, including a statement 2–1 victory at Anfield, a comfortable win over Sunderland, and a composed triumph over Brighton. Yet, while United fans celebrated a long-awaited double recognition, their first since November 2023, not everyone agreed with the verdict. Arsenal supporters, and many neutral observers, felt Mikel Arteta’s perfect defensive run should have earned him the managerial honor, reopening the old debate about what success really means in the modern Premier League: attacking flair, winning streaks, or defensive mastery.
Amorim’s October rise felt like a turning point for Manchester United. When the Portuguese manager arrived earlier in the year, he inherited a side fractured by inconsistency, tactical confusion, and player unrest. His appointment was initially met with skepticism, whispers about his limited experience outside of Portugal and doubts about his ability to command a locker room filled with stars and egos. But October may have finally silenced those critics. The transformation was visible not only in results but in attitude. United’s press became sharper, transitions quicker, and the collective intensity unmistakable. Amorim’s team began playing with a sense of rhythm and purpose that had been missing since the early days of Erik ten Hag’s tenure.
The Anfield victory stood out as the symbolic moment of the month. United had not won there in years, and doing so under Amorim was more than just a tactical triumph; it was a psychological breakthrough. The match showcased everything Amorim has tried to instill: coordinated pressing, midfield discipline, and courage in possession. Mbeumo, who was once considered an unlikely United signing, thrived in this system. With three goals and an assist across the month, the Cameroonian forward became the creative heartbeat of United’s attack, his movement and energy linking midfielders and strikers seamlessly. Amorim’s decision to play Mbeumo as a hybrid winger-forward instead of a traditional wide man unleashed his instincts, giving United an unpredictability that has long been missing.
While United’s attacking improvement caught the headlines, Amorim’s tactical flexibility deserves equal credit. In October, he adjusted his system in every match, alternating between a 3-4-3 and a 4-2-3-1 depending on the opponent. Against Liverpool, he compacted the midfield and forced Klopp’s men wide, nullifying their central press. Against Sunderland, he pushed his wingbacks higher, suffocating the opposition’s full-backs and turning possession into pressure. Brighton, known for their positional play, found themselves stifled by Amorim’s mid-block pressing trap. This adaptability marks a new identity for United, one that doesn’t rely solely on counterattacks or individual brilliance, but on collective intelligence and fluidity.
The significance of Amorim and Mbeumo’s awards goes beyond trophies and statistics. It’s about narrative, momentum, and the idea of revival. Manchester United have been desperately searching for signs of a coherent project, something fans can believe in after years of frustration. Amorim’s October run, brief as it may be, hinted at a structure finally clicking into place. Mbeumo’s form also represents something deeper, the success of players who buy into the system, who work tirelessly rather than rely on reputation. Together, they have given United fans something rare: optimism.
However, the celebrations were met with loud protests from North London. Arsenal fans flooded social media arguing that Mikel Arteta, not Amorim, deserved the managerial award. Their reasoning was clear, Arsenal went unbeaten in October, winning all three games without conceding a single goal. West Ham, Fulham, and Crystal Palace were brushed aside with clinical defensive organization, a reflection of Arteta’s evolution from the free-flowing idealist to a pragmatist who values control and discipline. The Gunners’ defensive statistics were unmatched, and many argued that clean sheets should carry equal weight to goal tallies when measuring dominance.
For Arsenal fans, the snub felt familiar. Arteta has often been overlooked in award conversations, especially when his team’s success comes through structure rather than spectacle. Their frustration is rooted in the belief that the Premier League still values flair and drama over control and consistency. Amorim’s win, while deserved in its own right, reignited this philosophical divide, the eternal question of whether football’s beauty lies in attacking brilliance or in defensive perfection.
Arteta’s side, for their part, have been quietly methodical. October saw them tighten the backline after early-season vulnerabilities, with William Saliba and Gabriel forming arguably the most stable central pairing in England. Declan Rice anchored the midfield with quiet authority, cutting passing lanes and recycling possession efficiently. Arsenal’s style may not have generated as many headlines, but the efficiency was remarkable, nine points, zero goals conceded, and minimal danger faced. Supporters felt that such mastery of control deserved recognition, especially in a league where defensive stability is often undervalued until it collapses.
The contrasting narratives of Amorim and Arteta reveal the broader tension defining modern Premier League football. Amorim represents the new generation of coaches who blend structure with aggression, pressing with purpose, and attacking transitions with confidence. Arteta embodies the maturing tactician who seeks balance, who believes the best attack begins with composure in defense. Both philosophies can win titles, but when awards are on the line, it is often the manager whose team wins the more spectacular matches that takes the spotlight.
Yet Amorim’s achievement should not be dismissed as mere spectacle. Beating Liverpool at Anfield remains one of the toughest tests in world football, especially for a manager still embedding his ideas. It’s a psychological barrier as much as a tactical one. United’s ability to handle that moment, to fight, absorb pressure, and still impose their rhythm, signaled a maturity that hadn’t been evident for seasons. Amorim’s calm demeanor on the touchline, his ability to keep players focused under fire, and his trust in his system all reflect a coach evolving rapidly into a top-tier leader.
For Mbeumo, the Player of the Month award may mark a new chapter in his career. Long underrated at Brentford before making his switch, he has become one of the most influential forwards in Amorim’s system. His versatility, drifting wide, pressing from the front, and cutting inside to link play, has given United balance. While other stars have struggled for consistency, Mbeumo has provided the spark that turned draws into wins. His chemistry with Amorim seems almost instinctive, the kind of player-manager synergy that drives successful teams.
Still, the debate lingers. Should the awards celebrate pure results, or should they recognize dominance in style and execution? Arsenal’s clean-sheet record speaks of discipline, teamwork, and precision, qualities often overshadowed by goals and flair. But perhaps what the Premier League’s October awards truly show is that the narrative matters as much as the numbers. Amorim’s story of revival, taking a struggling giant back into winning rhythm, captured imaginations. It’s not just that he won; it’s that he made Manchester United look alive again.
The reaction from pundits has been predictably split. Some praised the Premier League’s decision, arguing that Amorim’s wins were harder and more meaningful, especially given the opposition. Others sided with Arsenal fans, suggesting that Arteta’s tactical mastery and defensive brilliance deserved official acknowledgment. But as both teams prepare for the next stretch of fixtures, the debate might already be fueling their fire. For Amorim, the challenge is consistency, proving that October was the start of something real, not a brief flash. For Arteta, the goal is to maintain Arsenal’s steadiness while reminding everyone that control can be just as thrilling as chaos.
What cannot be denied is the symbolic weight of United’s first manager-player double in two years. It hints at a team rediscovering its rhythm, a manager asserting authority, and players buying into a collective identity. In a league defined by relentless competition and shifting narratives, such moments of coherence are rare and valuable. Amorim’s October wasn’t just about trophies, it was about re-establishing Manchester United’s presence in the conversation.
Arsenal’s protest, meanwhile, adds spice to an already intriguing season. Rivalries are built on more than results, they thrive on perception, recognition, and respect. The Gunners’ sense of injustice may serve them well in November and beyond, pushing them to make their dominance undeniable. If October belonged to United, Arsenal’s mission will be to ensure the next chapter isn’t decided by opinion but by overwhelming evidence on the pitch.
In the end, awards are fleeting, but the stories they tell shape the season’s narrative. Ruben Amorim’s triumph is one of rebirth and momentum. Bryan Mbeumo’s recognition is one of persistence rewarded. And Mikel Arteta’s frustration may yet become motivation. October’s Premier League honors have once again proven that in football, success is never simply about winning, it’s about convincing the world that your way of winning is the most worthy.
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