Ranking Arsenal's Top 5 Players for October
October has been a good month for Arsenal. Despite their Capital One Cup exit against Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday, the month to date was largely a period of progress.
When September ended with a dispiriting home defeat against Olympiakos, optimism was scarce. However, the next few weeks saw the Gunners pick up wins over both Manchester United and Bayern Munich and climb, albeit briefly, to the summit of the Premier League.
Although much of Arsenal’s recent success has been due to their collective game clicking into gear, there have also been some outstanding individual performers in that period.
In this piece, we count down the five players who have made the greatest contribution to Arsenal’s October.
5. Nacho Monreal
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These days, Nacho Monreal barely puts a foot wrong in an Arsenal shirt. It is difficult to name a more consistent-full back than the former Malaga man.
In the past, Arsene Wenger’s left-backs have largely been converted wingers. Ashley Cole and Kieran Gibbs both began their careers further upfield before being shoehorned into a defensive role. However, Monreal is a defender first and foremost; while he is capable of getting forward to good effect, his absolute priority is to help his side maintain a clean sheet.
With Hector Bellerin bombing forward on the opposite flank, Arsenal need that kind of dogged discipline.
The highlight of Monreal’s month was arguably his performance against Bayern Munich, in which he was up against one of the world’s most feared forwards, Thomas Muller. Muller barely got a kick, coming off a clear second best in his duel with Monreal.
Monreal also benefits by way of not being involved in the calamitous 3-0 defeat at Sheffield Wednesday in the Capital One Cup. Had he played in that tie instead of the out-of-form Gibbs, perhaps the result might have been slightly more palatable.
4. Petr Cech
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October 2015 may come to be remembered as the month when Petr Cech really announced himself at Arsenal.
Cech got off to a sticky start at the Emirates Stadium, making two errors against West Ham United on his Premier League debut. However, those early nerves seem a long time ago now. Cech’s presence and natural authority seem to grow with each passing game.
When Arsene Wenger swooped to sign the veteran goalkeeper from Chelsea, he would have hoped for a No. 1 who would make match-winning saves. In the past few weeks, Cech has delivered.
Against Bayern Munich, he made two outstanding stops to deny both Thiago Alcantara and later Robert Lewandowski. On both occasions, he showed superb positioning and excellent reflexes to keep the German champions at bay.
Against Everton, his late parry prevented Gerard Deulofeu from snatching a gut-wrenching equaliser. That kind of intervention makes the price Arsenal paid to secure Cech’s signature, £10 million, look like an absolute snip.
Those are just glimpses of the quality Cech brings every time he steps onto the field. The one blot on his record is his inclusion in the team that lost heavily at Sheffield Wednesday, although he was afforded little protection by an underperforming defence.
3. Hector Bellerin
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Is there a more exciting young attacking full-back in world football than Hector Bellerin?
The Spaniard meets every challenge that faces him with class, composure and a staggering degree of maturity. While his defending seems to be improving with each passing week, it is his attacking contributions that live long in the memory.
At Watford, for example, a mazy run led to him squaring for Aaron Ramsey to bundle home Arsenal’s third goal in a 3-0 win.
Then, in the dying moments against Bayern Munich, he produced a sequence of play that sums up his energetic style. After intercepting the ball close to the halfway line, he burst away from the Bayern defence with ease.
When Bellerin gets going, there is simply no catching him. It’s always impressive to see someone run at that speed, but to see Bellerin do so at the end of a gruelling match was truly extraordinary.
That Bayern game was a great demonstration of how fast Bellerin learns. In the early part of the match, he struggled against the trickery of Douglas Costa. However, by full-time, he had emerged as the triumphant figure in that battle.
2. Alexis Sanchez
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Alexis Sanchez's performance against Manchester United alone would probably have been enough to earn him entry to this list.
The Chilean was in scintillating form against Louis van Gaal’s men, scoring two outstanding goals as Arsenal ran riot in a 3-0 victory. The first was a ludicrously cocky backheel; his second was a thumping strike into the top corner from the edge of the box. United were stunned; the Arsenal fans were elated.
That’s what has endeared Alexis to the Arsenal fans so much: He relishes the big stage. When Arsenal need someone to step up, he is the first to embrace the limelight. He seems to thrive under pressure. For a team that has often been accused of flakiness, that’s an invaluable commodity to possess.
Alexis added another goal against Watford and led by example with a tireless display against Bayern Munich.
Once again, Alexis showed he can be a difference-maker at the top level for the Gunners.
1. Mesut Ozil
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Even Mesut Ozil’s harshest critics are having to revise their opinion of the German playmaker.
As the club’s record signing, there had previously been some consternation about Ozil’s apparent inability to influence the biggest games. However, such concerns can now be put to bed. In the month of October, Ozil scored against both Manchester United and Bayern Munich.
Of course, there have been assists along the way, too—the most recent being a glorious lofted pass Olivier Giroud simply had to flick over the goalkeeper and into the net against Everton. Ozil’s productivity is on the rise, with goals and assists now beginning to flow freely.
Watching Ozil is a joy. He seems free from the self-doubt that plagued his first two years at Arsenal and able to express himself fully. The results are spectacular.
Right now, there is no more in-form player in the Premier League. It took Ozil some time to settle at Arsenal, but on October’s evidence, it seems he may have been worth the wait.
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