Hull City manager Sergej Jakirovic and Chelsea striker João Pedro have been named the Premier League’s standout performers for August, capping off a memorable start to the 2026/27 season for both the promoted Tigers and the Brazilian forward.
Jakirovic picked up the Barclays Manager of the Month award after guiding newly-promoted Hull City to a perfect two wins from two in August, a start few would have predicted for a side back in the top flight for the first time in nine years.
The 49-year-old becomes only the third Hull manager ever to win the award, following in the footsteps of Phil Brown in September 2008 and Mike Phelan, who last landed it for the club back in August 2016. He’s also the first Bosnian coach to be honoured with the prize, taking the tally of nationalities represented among Barclays Manager of the Month winners to 21.
Having already steered Hull to promotion through the Championship play-offs last season, Jakirovic wasted no time making an impression in the Premier League. His side stunned Manchester United 2-0 on the opening weekend, then followed it up with a nervy but deserved late win over fellow promoted side Coventry City.
He saw off competition from Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, Chelsea’s Xabi Alonso and Manchester City’s Enzo Maresca, all of whom also won their sides maximum points in August, with the winner decided through a mix of fan votes and a panel of experts.
Meanwhile, Chelsea forward João Pedro capped an electric opening to the season by being named EA Sports Premier League Player of the Month for August, his first individual honour in the competition, and the first time a Chelsea player has won it since Cole Palmer back in September 2024.
The Brazilian edged out Cole Palmer and six other shortlisted players in a public vote, after a start to the campaign that few could have scripted better. He needed just 33 seconds to get off the mark in Chelsea’s opening-day clash with Fulham, before turning provider to tee up Palmer for the winner.
He kept that momentum going in Chelsea’s first home league game against Brighton & Hove Albion, scoring a composed finish of his own and again setting up Palmer for what proved the decisive goal.
Two goals and two assists from his first two outings were enough to mark Pedro out as one of the season’s early standout performers and enough to convince fans around the world to hand him the award, which he collected at Chelsea’s Cobham training base.
For both Jakirovic and Pedro, August’s recognition marks an early high point in what have already been eventful starts to the new campaign, one steering an unfancied newcomer to an unbeaten start, the other announcing himself as one of the league’s most dangerous forwards.