Liverpool duo pick up Premier League awards for August

LONDON. Daniel Sturridge and Brendan Rodgers have won the Barclays Premier League Player and Manager of the Month awards for August.Liverpool are top of the Premier League following a fine start to the season in which they have recorded three 1-0 victories at home to Manchester United and Stoke and away to Aston Villa.It took classy finishes from Sturridge and an organised defence to inspire those victory and is the first time the forward’s form has led to him winning the award.Rodgers won the Manager of the Month award in January 2012 when in charge at Swansea but this is his first since succeeding Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool.It was a potentially tricky start for Liverpool, with Jamie Carragher’s retirement and the departure of Pepe Reina leaving the club without two long-term first-team regulars at the back.In addition to that, Rodgers had to overcome Luis Suarez’s disruptive attempts to leave.Liverpool on Monday travel to Swansea, where they may have to win in order to return to the top of the Premier League depending on the weekend’s results.