No Surprises With August’s Premier League Player, Manager of the Month Nominees

September’s arrival brings an end to the first calendar month of action in the 2026–27 Premier League season.

With two games in the books, the nominees for August’s Player and Manager of the Month awards have been unveiled, with a fan vote and a panel of experts combining to hand out the first prizes of the new campaign.

Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White won the player prize when it was last given out in April, when Pep Guardiola took home the managerial award for the final time as Manchester City boss.

August 2026 Premier League Player of the Month Nominees

Bruno Fernandes has started the season in great form. | James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images

Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal)
Rayan Cherki (Manchester City)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
João Pedro (Chelsea)
Mamadou Sangaré (Brentford)
Konstantinos Tzolakis (Hull City)
Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United)

Arsenal are known for their defense, and while Riccardo Calafiori undoubtedly helped the Gunners to two clean sheets in August, his biggest impact was felt at the other end of the pitch. The maurauding left back, who scored in the Community Shield victory over Manchester City, has two assists in as many appearances this year.

Another with two assists to their name in August, Man City playmaker Rayan Cherki has quickly established himself as a core part of the Enzo Maresca era. Adding to his electric start is an extra two goals, all contributed in just 109 minutes.

Bruno Fernandes has not been so focused on assists this season—one from two appearances—but his impact has come in front of goal. Manchester United’s captain has bagged three, with all those goal contributions coming in a 5–2 victory over Ipswich Town.

Chelsea duo Cole Palmer and João Pedro will both hope to be in contention for this prize. Palmer has two goals and an assist so far, but that return is bettered by his Brazilian teammate, who has two in each column after an electric start to life under Xabi Alonso.

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Few new signings have made the same impact as Mamadou Sangaré of Brentford. The former Lens star has taken to life in England perfectly and is already a fan-favorite after a stellar first two appearances, which included an assist in the 3–0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur.

Sangaré has taken a lot of the attention away from another new face. A club-record signing when he joined Hull City in August, goalkeeper Konstantinos Tzolakis is no longer flying under the radar after keeping two clean sheets, despite facing 21 shots in victory over Man Utd.

Finally, Newcastle United striker Yoane Wissa has threatened to rediscover the peak of his Brentford days with a strong start under new manager Matthias Jaissle. Having been deployed both as an attacking midfielder and a striker, the DR Congo forward has chipped in with a goal and an assist—both as eye-catching as the other.

August 2026 Premier League Manager of the Month Nominees

Enzo Maresca has enjoyed a perfect start. | Steve Bardens - AMA/Getty Images

Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
Xabi Alonso (Chelsea)
Sergej Jakirović (Hull City)
Enzo Maresca (Manchester City)

Four teams have enjoyed perfect starts to the new season, and it comes as no surprise to see each represented in the Manager of the Month nominees.

Mikel Arteta, the 2025–26 Manager of the Season, has ensured Arsenal look typically dominant in defense by limiting opponents to just one shot on target thus far in a dream start to the Gunners’ bid to retain their crown.

Across London, new Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has also celebrated two wins from two. Only Brighton & Hove Albion can match the Blues’ return of seven goals from their first pair of matches, with Palmer and Pedro purring alongside new signing Morgan Rogers in attack.

Sergej Jakirović and Hull City were widely expected to be fighting for their lives this season, but the Tigers have looked incredibly comfortable thus far. Victories over Man Utd and Coventry City have come without conceding a single goal.

Rounding out the list is Enzo Maresca, the man looking to keep the prize at the Etihad Stadium. Both Bournemouth and Crystal Palace fell to this new version of Man City, who ended August top of the league.

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