Player & Goal Of The Month: João Pedro & Sarr Crowned August Winners

João Pedro and Ismaïla Sarr have won August’s Stake Player of the Month and Goal of the Month awards respectively, following a fan vote.

Brazilian forward João Pedro saw off competition from Daniel Bachmann, Megan Chandler, Edo Kayembe, Sarr and Helen Ward to scoop the Player of the Month prize, with a 51 per cent share of the vote.

The 20-year-old notched two goals and two assists in six appearances last month, making it his most productive start to a campaign since he joined the club in 2020.

His 56th-minute strike against Sheffield United proved the winner for the Hornets on the opening day of the 2022/23 Sky Bet Championship season, while he also netted in the 3-2 defeat at home to Queens Park Rangers.

Head Coach Rob Edwards showered praise on João Pedro and Sarr for their impressive displays and attitudes prior to the closing of the transfer window on September 1, and the latter duly earned the Goal of the Month gong for his extraordinary opener against West Bromwich Albion.

Watford had endured a somewhat tough start to proceedings at the Hawthorns in their second encounter of the campaign, but quickly bounced back through Sarr in the 12th minute, and in some style.

After picking up the ball in his own half and under little pressure, the Senegalese star - celebrating the three-year anniversary of his move to the Golden Boys - spotted home stopper David Button off his line and unleashed an outrageous shot that flew all the way into the back of the net.

Having opened his account for the season, Sarr added one more goal to his tally during the month of August, grabbing the equaliser in the 2-1 win against Middlesbrough that capped off the Vic 100 celebrations.

Sarr’s strike against West Brom won the Goal of the Month award with an emphatic 90 per cent of the vote, seeing off his Middlesbrough effort as well as goals scored by João Pedro (v Sheffield United), Ward (v Gillingham) and Bianca Baptiste (v Gillingham).