The Premier League have revealed the nominees for October’s Player and Manager of the Month awards.
There will be a new player taking home the prize after September’s winner, Brighton & Hove Albion’s Pascal Groß, missed out on a spot on the shortlist, but manager Fabian Hürzeler is back to try and defend his crown after another excellent month.
Eight players are up for October’s award, while six managers are jostling to take home their own crown.
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October 2026 Premier League Player of the Month Nominees
- Evanilson (Bournemouth)
- Nicolas Jackson (Aston Villa)
- Ezri Konsa (Arsenal)
- Declan Rice (Arsenal)
- Jack Rudoni (Coventry City)
- Jan Paul van Hecke (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Bart Verbruggen (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Luka Vušković (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Bournemouth forward Evanilson ended October with four goals from four appearances and even added an assist as his side saw off Sunderland, Manchester United and Leeds United to rebound from what had been a slow start to the season for the Cherries.
The same return of four goals came for Aston Villa striker Nicolas Jackson. The former Chelsea man fired twice to hand Manchester City a 2–1 defeat and added goals in draws with both Brentford and Fulham.
Arsenal duo Ezri Konsa and Declan Rice are both up for the award after a perfect month for the Gunners. Konsa has been sensational at the back in the absence of William Saliba, keeping two clean sheets out of a possible three and scoring his first goal for the club, while Rice made an impact at the other end with two crucial assists.
Jack Rudoni has led the way for Coventry City in recent weeks. The newly promoted side relied on his three goals across October to pick up two wins from four matches and start to inch away from the relegation zone.
An unbeaten October is exactly what Tottenham Hotspur needed. Center back Jan Paul van Hecke faced plenty of pressure to start the season but helped lead Spurs to huge wins over Coventry, Chelsea and Crystal Palace. No player attempted or completed more passes than the Dutchman last month.
The player with whom Van Hecke traded places this summer, Luka Vušković, is one of two Brighton players trying to win the prize alongside goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. A month that yielded three clean sheets from four games brings unsurprising praise for the Seagulls’ back line.
Previous Winners
|
Month |
Player |
Club |
|---|---|---|
|
August |
João Pedro |
Chelsea |
|
September |
Pascal Groß |
Brighton |
October 2026 Premier League Manager of the Month Nominees
- Xabi Alonso (Chelsea)
- Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
- Roberto De Zerbi (Tottenham Hotspur)
- Unai Emery (Aston Villa)
- Fabian Hürzeler (Brighton & Hove Albion)
- Marco Rose (Bournemouth)
No team scored more than Chelsea’s nine goals in October. Victories over Bournemouth, Everton and Manchester United kept Xabi Alonso’s side moving in the right direction despite a frustrating defeat to Tottenham.
Mikel Arteta will have fond memories of October after leading Arsenal clear at the top of the Premier League table. Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Everton all fell to the Gunners, with some of Arteta’s substitutes ultimately deciding those games.
Three straight victories to end October sees Roberto De Zerbi earn a spot on this shortlist, which hardly seemed possible at this time last month. The Italian turned things around and earned a real statement victory over Chelsea to get Tottenham fans on his side.
It is no surprise that Unai Emery was being linked with Man Utd throughout October. An unbeaten month ended with talks over a contract extension for the Aston Villa boss, who helped mastermind the end of Man City’s perfect start to the season with a 2–1 victory.
Fabian Hürzeler won September’s managerial prize and will fancy his chances of going back-to-back after Brighton’s dazzling form in October. Like Emery, he also figured out a way to stop Man City, seeing off Enzo Maresca’s side 1–0 away from home.
Rounding out the shortlist is Bournemouth’s Marco Rose. October featured his first three victories since joining the club in the summer, with three straight clean sheets a perfect response to a 5–1 defeat to Chelsea to start the month.
Previous Winners
|
Month |
Manager |
Club |
|---|---|---|
|
August |
Sergej Jakirović |
Hull |
|
September |
Fabian Hüzeler |
Brighton |
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