August Premier League Manager of the Month: Who Is Most Likely to Win?

Xabi Alonso, Mikel Arteta, Sergej Jakirovic and Enzo Maresca have all made perfect starts to the Premier League season. But who deserves to be crowned Manager of the Month for August?

The first Premier League Manager of the Month award of the 2026/27 season has become a fascinating four-way battle.

Chelsea's Xabi Alonso, Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, Hull City's Sergej Jakirovic and Manchester City's Enzo Maresca have all been nominated after winning their opening two league matches.

With supporters' votes combined with those of a football expert panel, the winner will be announced on September 11.

But who has the strongest case?

Xabi Alonso: The new manager making an instant impact

Alonso has enjoyed an impressive start to life at Chelsea.

The Blues defeated Fulham before producing another attacking statement in a 4-3 victory over Brighton.

His new attacking trio of João Pedro, Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers has already produced five goals and four assists between them in the opening two matches.

For a manager beginning a new era at a major club, a perfect record combined with seven goals scored is a strong argument.

His case: Immediate impact and exciting attacking football.

Mikel Arteta: The champions are already looking ruthless

Arteta's case may be the most complete.

Arsenal have also won both matches, but their biggest strength has been defensive control.

The champions defeated Coventry City before beating Aston Villa 1-0, keeping clean sheets in both games. Arsenal have conceded just one shot on target across their opening two league matches.

That makes Arteta's nomination about more than simply winning games.

His team already looks extremely difficult to break down.

His case: Two wins, four goals scored and no goals conceded.

Sergej Jakirovic: The outsider with the biggest story

If the award is judged partly on achievement relative to expectations, Jakirovic has an enormous argument.

Hull City only came up through the Championship play-offs, yet they have started life in the Premier League with two victories.

Their opening win came against Manchester United before they defeated fellow promoted side Coventry City.

Even more impressively, Hull have yet to concede.

Jakirovic has therefore transformed a newly promoted team into one of the early surprise packages.

His case: Two wins, no goals conceded and an extraordinary start for a promoted club.

Enzo Maresca: The perfect beginning to the post-Guardiola era

Maresca arguably faces the most pressure of the four.

Replacing Pep Guardiola at Manchester City was never going to be easy.

Yet Maresca has responded with two wins from two.

City came from behind to defeat Bournemouth before producing a dominant 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace.

His tactical changes were particularly important against Bournemouth, with substitute Rayan Cherki directly influencing all three late goals.

For a new manager taking over one of Europe's biggest clubs, it is an excellent beginning.

His case: Perfect start while successfully navigating the enormous pressure of replacing Guardiola.

So, who should win?

There is no obvious choice.

Alonso has the attacking numbers.

Arteta has defensive dominance.

Jakirovic has the surprise factor.

Maresca has the pressure of beginning a new Manchester City era.

If the award is based purely on the strongest overall start, Arteta has an extremely compelling case because Arsenal have combined six points with a perfect defensive record.

But if the question is which manager has produced the most unexpected achievement, Jakirovic could be the standout.

That is what makes this year's award so difficult to predict.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is nominated for the August 2026 Premier League Manager of the Month award?

Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso, Sergej Jakirovic and Enzo Maresca are the four nominees.

Who is the favourite to win?

There is no clear runaway favourite. Arteta, Alonso, Jakirovic and Maresca all won their opening two league matches.

When will the winner be announced?

The winner will be revealed on Friday, September 11, 2026.

How is the winner decided?

Supporters' votes are combined with those of a football expert panel. Voting closes at 12:00 BST on September 7.