Xabi Alonso has made a promising start to life as Chelsea manager, despite a few frustrating results along the way. The Blues suffered an early exit from the EFL Cup on penalties, while defeats to Tottenham and Brentford were also setbacks.

However, there have been plenty of positives, with impressive victories over Brighton and Manchester United helping Chelsea climb to fourth in the Premier League table. Alonso’s side will now look to build on that momentum when they travel to Sunderland on Sunday.

The Spaniard’s work has not gone unnoticed, as he has now been nominated for a Premier League award alongside one of his Chelsea players. It is further recognition of an encouraging start to his tenure at Stamford Bridge.

Xabi Alonso and Mike Penders rewarded for Chelsea’s impressive start under new boss

Xabi Alonso has been nominated for the Premier League Manager of the Month award for October, while Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders is also in contention for the Save of the Month prize. According to SamC_reports, both nominations have been made ahead of the official announcement.

Alonso recorded three wins from four Premier League matches during October, beating Bournemouth 5-1, Everton 2-0 and Manchester United 2-0. His only defeat came against Tottenham, with the 2-0 loss a huge disappointment given Chelsea’s impressive recent record in the fixture.

That setback could ultimately cost the Spaniard the monthly award, but the Blues can still take plenty of positives from their performances last month. Chelsea’s victory away at Everton was particularly impressive, as they kept an unlikely clean sheet at a difficult ground.

Penders could also be in line for individual recognition after producing an outstanding save against Manchester United on Saturday. The 21-year-old goalkeeper tipped Bryan Mbeumo’s thunderous effort from outside the box onto the crossbar, preventing what looked certain to be a goal.

It was an important moment for Penders, who has been growing in confidence since his costly error against Tottenham, when he punched the ball into his own net. The Belgian now has a strong chance of winning the award.