Ranking Arsenal's Top 5 Players for September

September was a confusing month for Arsenal fans. It featured their most fluent and thrilling performance of the season, a thumping 5-2 win away to Leicester City, but also three dispiriting defeats against Dinamo Zagreb, Chelsea and Olympiakos.

Amid the chaos, there were some impressive individual performers.

In this piece, we rank the five most effective Arsenal players across the calendar month. Those who enjoyed one standout display—such as Mathieu Flamini, whose brace took Arsenal past Tottenham Hotspur in the Capital One Cup—do not feature. This is an attempt to accumulate contributions across September.

Go to the next slide to begin the countdown.

5. Laurent Koscielny

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Laurent Koscielny has just been ruled out for most of October with a hamstring problem, per the Arsenal wesbite. That’s a major blow to Arsenal, as the French centre-half has been one of their more impressive performers of late. 

His display against Stoke City was arguably his best of the season, as Mark Hughes’ side simply could not find a way past the rugged defender.

Prior to his injury, it seemed as if he and Gabriel Paulista might be forging a new central-defensive partnership at the base of Arsene Wenger’s team.

4. Hector Bellerin

Scott Heppell/Associated Press

Since the start of the season, Hector Bellerin has arguably been Arsenal’s most consistent performer.

When he didn’t play in September, his absence was very obvious. Against both Tottenham and Dinamo Zagreb, Mathieu Debuchy looked well short of offering a credible challenge to Bellerin’s first-team place.

He was in particularly good form against Stoke, when he not only helped the Gunners to a clean sheet, but also created three goalscoring chances for his team-mates, according to Squawka.

3. Nacho Monreal

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Nacho Monreal has evolved into one of the most reliable full-backs in the Premier League. At the outset of last season, Kieran Gibbs was actually ahead of him in the battle for a starting place. Twelve months on, Monreal is the undisputed first choice.

It’s his sharp defensive instincts that make him so valuable to Arsene Wenger. Monreal is positionally astute, a tidy tackler and surprisingly strong in the air.

However, he can play too. Against Leicester, it was Monreal who broke forward in stoppage time to lay on a goal for substitute Olivier Giroud.

2. Alexis Sanchez

Alastair Grant/Associated Press

After a slow start to the season, Alexis Sanchez finally burst into life in September. It happened at the King Power Stadium, when he scored a superb hat-trick in the mauling of hosts Leicester City.

As soon as his first goal of 2015/16 hit the net, the shackles were off. It was telling that Alexis also scored in the one remaining fixture of the month, against Olympiakos. Now he’s started, he’ll be difficult to stop.

The Chilean’s dedicated attitude and relentless defensive work mean he is always a candidate for inclusion in lists such as these. The fact he has started to produce moments of dazzling individual quality makes him a certainty.

1. Theo Walcott

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Theo Walcott will look back on September as the month in which he won his place as Arsenal’s first-choice centre-forward. The England international scored four goals against four different opponents, suggesting that he can provide a significant goal threat against a variety of defensive setups.

However, his performances showed he is more than just a goalscorer. Against Leicester, he produced an outstanding all-round attacking display. What’s more, his clipped cross for Alexis Sanchez against Olympiakos shows the creative instincts honed on the wing have not deserted him entirely.

Walcott will be hoping to build on his good form and further cement himself as Arsene Wenger’s preferred striking option.