The Premier League shortlists for November have been published, highlighting individual runs that shaped the month.

Newcastle United winger Harvey Barnes closed November with three goals, two of which arrived in the win over Manchester City. Everton midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall delivered a memorable strike against Manchester United, also scoring against Newcastle and providing an assist against Fulham. Manchester City winger Jérémy Doku produced one of the season’s most eye-catching individual displays as he demolished Liverpool and helped Pep Guardiola’s side remain competitive in the title race.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes finished November with four assists, creating goals against Nottingham Forest, Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace. Morgan Gibbs-White enjoyed a three-game scoring streak for Nottingham Forest, firing home against Man Utd, Leeds United and in the away victory at Liverpool.

Chelsea defender Reece James featured in all four of the Blues’ Premier League matches in November. His assist in the 1–1 draw with Arsenal capped off a truly stunning individual showing in a month which yielded a total of three clean sheets. Arsenal’s Declan Rice added attacking impetus with a goal against Burnley and an assist in the north London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur.

Brentford striker Igor Thiago continued his hot form, adding five goals across November with strikes against Newcastle, Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley among them.

Managers with strong cases included Mikel Arteta after Arsenal’s unbeaten month, which produced wins over Burnley and Tottenham as well as draws with Sunderland and Chelsea. Unai Emery’s Aston Villa won three of four and emerged as outside contenders in the title race. Pep Guardiola’s Man City scored a league-high 10 goals in November, including the victory over Liverpool. Fabian Hürzeler’s Brighton & Hove Albion conceded once in four games, producing wins over Leeds, Brentford and Nottingham Forest. Chelsea went unbeaten under Enzo Maresca with three wins and a draw. Marco Silva’s Fulham recorded three wins over Wolves, Sunderland and Tottenham.

Recent monthly winners: Jack Grealish (Everton, August), Erling Haaland (Man City, September), Bryan Mbeumo (Man Utd, October). Recent manager winners: Arne Slot (Liverpool, August), Oliver Glasner (Crystal Palace, September), Ruben Amorim (Man Utd, October).

Pep Guardiola said he apologised immediately after a camera operator confrontation following Manchester City’s Premier League defeat at St James’s Park.

“I apologised. I feel embarrassed, ashamed when I see it. I don’t like it. I apologised after one second to the cameraman. I am who I am,” he told reporters on Monday, acknowledging the incident and his regrets.

The manager placed the episode in the context of the match, which produced three goals in the space of just 10 second-half minutes. Harvey Barnes gave Newcastle the lead at the hour mark, soon cancelled out by Rúben Dias. Yet within moments of City drawing level, Barnes got Newcastle’s decisive second.

That second Barnes goal sparked a lengthy VAR review. The officials concluded that two Newcastle players—Barnes and Bruno Guimarães—who could potentially have been in an offside position were not, and they also ruled there was no foul on City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma. Guardiola’s visitors also had two penalty appeals waved away during the contest.

The tense final whistle led to a fractious postgame melee in which Guardiola appeared to exchange cross words with Bruno Guimarães, a player he had openly praised just days earlier. On that relationship the manager said: “We have known Bruno for many, many years and every time after the game, even at the Etihad, we talk in the tunnel or wherever we talk, always. I don’t know what happened.”

Guardiola also reflected on his own conduct and the pressures of the job. “After 1,000 games I’m not a perfect person, I make huge mistakes. The reason why is I want to defend my team and my club,” he said, stressing both his intent and his fallibility.

The manager insisted the apology was immediate and personal, while the match itself will be remembered for its dramatic swing of events, the VAR decision that upheld the second Newcastle goal, and the denied penalty appeals that followed.

Pep Guardiola insisted repeatedly that “Everything is fine” as Manchester City left St James’ Park reeling after a late, disputed defeat. The manager said the phrase four times in less than five minutes during a press conference that followed a match littered with contentious moments.

City had seen a strong first-half penalty appeal turned down and fell behind shortly after the hour when Harvey Barnes fired a crisp opener. Rúben Dias produced a scruffy equaliser five minutes later, only for Barnes to claim what proved to be the winning goal on 70 minutes in circumstances City described as highly controversial.

A lengthy VAR check concluded that both the goalscorer and Bruno Guimarães were onside. City’s complaints focused on contact with goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, who appeared to be bumped to the floor by Barnes in the phase before his backheel.

Guardiola went onto the pitch at the final whistle and confronted match official Sam Barrott, a dispute reported to have continued into the referees dressing room. He dismissed the incident during the press conference, saying: “No, nothing, nothing. Everything is fine. Everything is fine. It is what it is.”

Cameras captured Guardiola in conversation with Newcastle skipper Bruno Guimarães. “I told him how good he is,” Guardiola said, before turning back to the game’s contentious moments: “and the situation with Gigio [Donnarumma] I told him what happened for the previous situations. I think it’s fine.”

The manager also had an on-pitch exchange with a camera operator, who had one of his headphones lifted up by the City boss as the edges began to fray. When asked about a foul on Donnarumma, Guardiola replied: “If he complained, it’s because something wrong happened. The same happened in Bournemouth . It’s what it is.”

Guardiola’s impatience grew as questions continued. “The last five questions [have been] about referees and the actions,” he fumed. “Ask the referees. I didn’t see the images yet and nothing is going to change. … I’m not coming here to talk about referees, it’s gone. I didn’t come here to blame. It’s fine. It didn’t happen against Bournemouth so it’s normal it didn’t happen today.”

Rúben Dias also voiced his frustration on Sky Sports: “Of all the decisions, only the second goal we need to make it make sense,” Dias fumed to Sky Sports. “Where’s the sense in their player pushing our keeper out of the goal. What are we allowing and for how long? It’s more like sometimes you allow it and sometimes you don’t so what can you do? In the second goal Gigi [Donnarumma] is being pushed outside his area and there is no consequence.

“I have had a chance to see, I didn’t even see it out of the pitch. I had the chance to see the review and I think it is Barnes is pushing him away from the goal. We are so picky with certain contacts but then ones like this with the keeper, then they allow it. If this is the rule then fine. ]”