February 2026's Premier League Stars: Who Will Claim Player and Manager of the Month Glory?

The Premier League has revealed an impressive lineup of contenders for the February player and manager of the month honors.

Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Manchester City all feature representatives in the nominations, while Brentford continues to receive recognition following another outstanding month.

Although the team's overall performance has been strong, Bees striker Igor Thiago will not be able to retain his January player of the month title, though Michael Carrick remains a contender for the managerial accolade once more.

February 2026 Premier League Player of the Month Nominees

February 2026 Premier League Player of the Month Nominees

Dango Ouattara represents Brentford in the nominations. The summer signing from Bournemouth contributed two goals and an equal number of assists, including decisive strikes against Aston Villa and Newcastle United.

Ouattara also played a crucial role in Brentford's 1–1 stalemate with Arsenal. Viktor Gyökeres notably failed to register a single attempt on goal at the Gtech Community Stadium during that rain-soaked evening. Nevertheless, the powerful Swedish striker had found the net five days prior, securing a second-half double against Sunderland after entering as a substitute.

Mikel Arteta rejected suggestions that Gyökeres had undergone any significant transformation, attributing that brace to the specific match circumstances. There were no excuses of fatigue when Gyökeres netted twice more in February's north London derby. Arteta readily acknowledged that his primary striker had delivered his finest performance of a debut season that has experienced both highs and lows.

Manchester City's tight pursuit of Arsenal has been driven primarily by the partnership of Antoine Semenyo and Nico O'Reilly. Both players managed the remarkable achievement of outscoring Erling Haaland in February while also representing the tactical evolution Pep Guardiola has implemented in recent weeks.

O'Reilly's repositioning to midfield has provided City with the energetic, physical presence needed to operate a diamond formation behind a front pairing that has frequently featured Semenyo and Haaland.

Benjamin Šeško recorded three goals of his own, each directly contributing to Manchester United earning positive outcomes. Without the Slovenian's contributions in February, United would have dropped five points, falling from third place to sixth in the standings.

It's more difficult to quantify Virgil van Dijk's impact for Liverpool precisely, but he clearly rediscovered something close to his peak form during February. Regrettably for the Reds, he produced a notably poor performance at the start of March.

Previous Winners

Previous Winners

February 2026 Premier League Manager of the Month Nominees

February 2026 Premier League Manager of the Month Nominees

This award appears to be Carrick's to claim. While United may have begun March with a loss, the Red Devils sustained their impressive form under the former midfielder throughout last month. United secured 10 points from a potential 12, despite some displays being what Carrick himself described as "labored."

Should the interim appointment win February's honor, he would become the first manager since Ange Postecoglou in September and October 2023 to secure this award in consecutive months. What became of that situation?

Keith Andrews has remarkably not claimed any monthly award this season despite guiding Brentford into European contention following a summer departure of their captain, keeper, leading scorers, and manager. February wasn't Brentford's strongest month—some dubious VAR decisions helped them earn four points against Burnley and Bournemouth—so this might not be his moment.

Arne Slot has arguably done well to earn a nomination. Liverpool started the month with a defeat to Manchester City, concluded it with possibly the most unconvincing 5–2 victory in the league's history, and ground out narrow 1–0 wins against Sunderland and Nottingham Forest in between.

Forest spoiled Guardiola's March opening, but they were the sole team to achieve four victories in February. Whether that will suffice for a prize considerably more significant than the Manager of the Month recognition will be determined in May.

Previous Winners

Previous Winners