Ranking Arsenal's 5 Best Players in August

August has been a mixed month for Arsenal. They’ve struggled on the attacking front, failing to find the fluency expected from a side earmarked as potential title challengers.

However, there have been some encouraging signs. Petr Cech has begun to settle, and when their first-choice back four are in place, they look more secure than they have done in some time.

In this piece, we identify the five individuals who’ve contributed most effectively to the first month of the 2015/16 season. It’s about consistency of performance, really: Cech may have been outstanding against Liverpool, but his shaky showings in the first two league games of the campaign discount him from contention.

Go to the next slide to discover who is ranked as Arsenal’s fifth-best player in August.

5. Aaron Ramsey

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Despite being largely deployed out of position, Aaron Ramsey has enjoyed a decent month. Although he is not particularly suited to playing on the right-hand side, he remains an energetic and efficient member of the Arsenal midfield.

Restored to the centre against Newcastle United in the absence of Mesut Ozil, Ramsey gave a sparkling demonstration of why he craves a place in the middle. He created a number of good goalscoring opportunities and offered a constant threat with his movement and shooting ability.

What he needs to do now is convert some of those shots into goals. According to Squawka, Ramsey has a shooting accuracy of 71 per cent from seven shots in his first four games. It seems merely a matter of time until he’s back among the goals.

4. Hector Bellerin

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A year ago, Hector Bellerin barely figured in the first-team picture. Now he, like Francis Coquelin, has become an undisputed first-choice player.

Bellerin has started the season in outstanding fashion. He improves as quickly as he sprints down the touchline to provide width on the overlap.

In some ways, his value has been underlined by how much Arsenal missed him in the opening-day defeat against West Ham United. Since returning to the side, he has shown that a fit-again Mathieu Debuchy has a serious fight on his hands if he is to reclaim his place in the starting XI.

3. Nacho Monreal

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Nacho Monreal is one of the most consistent members of the Arsenal first-team squad. Over this calendar year, he has established himself as a regular in the XI ahead of Kieran Gibbs, and based on his form in the early part of the season, that shows little sign of changing.

One area where Monreal seems to be improving is in his attacking play. According to Squawka, Monreal has created four goalscoring chances already this season—that’s higher than any other defender on the club’s books. Only Alexis Sanchez, Santi Cazorla, Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil have been more creative for the Gunners.

2. Santi Cazorla

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According to Squawka, Santi Cazorla has created 16 goalscoring opportunities in just four games. That’s a remarkable testament to his ability to fashion something out of nothing.

In the first match of Arsenal’s Premier League season, against West Ham, Arsene Wenger attempted to redeploy Cazorla on the flank. By half-time, he had realised the error of his ways. The Spaniard’s ability to make incisive passes through the midfield makes him integral to the Gunners’ approach play, and shifting him out of his deep-lying midfield role seems unthinkable at present.

Cazorla could yet improve: A shooting accuracy of just 50 per cent is not good enough for a player of his undoubted technical gifts.

1. Francis Coquelin

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Anyone hoping that Francis Coquelin wouldn't be a one-season wonder will have been appeased by the Frenchman’s start to the season. His combative style continues to provide essential protection for Arsenal’s back four.

That was particularly evident against Liverpool, when the Gunners were forced to deploy the unfamiliar pairing of Calum Chambers and Gabriel Paulista together. Were it not for Coquelin’s sharp mind and fierce tackling, Arsene Wenger’s men would surely not have escaped with a clean sheet.

Squawka indicates Coquelin’s passing accuracy currently stands at 91 per cent, suggesting he is far more than a mere destroyer. Right now, he’s one of the first names on the teamsheet.