Carlo Ancelotti - Manager of the month Sep 2020

Carlo Ancelotti - Manager of the month Sep 2020

Carlo Ancelotti says winning September’s EA Sports Premier League Manager of the Month award is “a great achievement I must share with my players” after being recognised for Everton's flawless start to the 2020/21 season.

The manager was confirmed as the winner on Friday to complete an Everton double, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin being named Player of the Month.

Ancelotti’s Blues won all three of their top-flight matches during September.

Everton began the campaign with an impressive 1-0 win at Tottenham Hotspur, before delivering a dynamic attacking display to see off West Bromwich Albion 5-2 at Goodison Park.

The Toffees' final top-flight game of the month saw them triumph 2-1 at previously-unbeaten Crystal Palace.

Everton maintained their winning run in October with a 4-2 success against Brighton & Hove Albion – and have qualified for the Carabao Cup quarter-finals following comprehensive wins over Salford City, Fleetwood Town and West Ham United.

In winning their opening seven games in all competitions, Everton have made their best start to a campaign since 1894.

“I am really pleased to win this award,” said Ancelotti, who was named Premier League Manager of the Month four times during his two-year spell at Chelsea.

“I think it is a great achievement for this month. I have to share with my team because they started the season really well.

"We hope to continue and to win this award again.

“I think the key point was the first game against Tottenham.

“Tottenham is a really good team, but we did well and won away. That victory increased our confidence and belief for this season. It was a really good start."

Blues boss Ancelotti paid tribute to the impact made by the Club’s summer signings. Niels Nkounkou, Allan, James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucoure have each made hugely impressive starts to their Everton careers.

Everton further bolstered their squad on transfer deadline day earlier this week, with the acquisitions of centre-back Ben Godfrey from Norwich City and goalkeeper Robin Olsen on loan from Roma.

“We worked well in the transfer market, we signed very good players,” Ancelotti said.

“They were also desperate to come here and they had the ambition to come here.

“The players adapted really fast with their new teammates and that has helped us to start well."

Everton went into the current international break top of the Premier League table, having taken the maximum 12 points from their four top-flight matches.

The Blues have scored 12 goals over the course of those games and conceded just five.

The Toffees return to action on Saturday 17 October when Merseyside rivals Liverpool visit Goodison (12.30pm) - and Ancelotti says the in-form Blues will approach the derby showdown with a positive mindset.

“We are confident,” said Ancelotti.

“It doesn’t matter what happened last week [Liverpool’s 7-2 defeat to Aston Villa], they are still a fantastic team with a fantastic manager.

“It will be a difficult game but we have confidence.

“The ambition is to stay at the top as long as possible. Our target is to be competitive and, at the end of the season, to be in the European places.”

Everton FC