To nobody's real surprise, after an incredible December for Quique Sanchez Flores and his Watford players, the Hornets' boss has been nominated - alongside star striker Odion Ighalo - for Manager of the Month and Player of the Month respectively.
Watford tackled December the same way they masterminded the vast majority of 2015 - by continuing to play attractive, free-flowing football. They also proceeded to completely defy all expectations, ripping up the script written by critics - most of whom predicted an early downfall back into the Sky Bet Championship at the start of their return to the Premier League.
Upsetting the apple cart
The Hornets took some scalps during the festive period, truly showcasing why they deserve to be battling with some of English football's best teams and biggest stars. The highlight was a wonderful 3-0 victory over Jurgen Klopp's in-form Liverpool, in which Ighalo scored a brace.
Flores guided his Golden Boys to victories over Sunderland and Norwich City - 1-0 and 2-0 respectively - keeping defensively solid but continuing to be such a threat in front of goal. There was also a largely impressive 2-2 draw against champions Chelsea - who despite struggling this season still pose a challenge to the vast majority of teams in the Premier League.
Spearheading the Watford attack in December - as he has all season - was Ighalo. The 26-year-old Nigerian has been in incredible form all campaign - indeed, the striker is just two goals adrift of Leicester City's Jamie Vardy and Romelu Lukaku of Everton, both on 15 goals so far this season.
December didn't suddenly see Ighalo turn cold in front of goal, instead he remained red hot, netting five times - including being on target against Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich, and Sunderland, as well as the brace against Liverpool.
Other options
The other nominees for Manager of the Month include Arsenal's Arsene Wenger, Claudio Ranieri of Leicester, and Crystal Palace boss Alan Pardew. Meanwhile, Ighalo will go up against Mesut Ozil of Arsenal, Stoke City's Marko Arnautovic, Leicester's Riyad Mahrez, Lukaku and Spurs' Dele Alli for the right to be named December's best Premier League player.
