PITA’s Arsenal Player of the Month – September 2023

We’re two months into the 2023/24 season, and Arsenal’s unbeaten record is still intact.

Control and efficiency have been the way for Mikel Arteta’s side at the start of the new campaign, with Premier League opposition wising up to their proficiency that was almost novel in 2022/23.

As a result, the Gunners haven’t had it all their own way in August and September, but their away record remains pristine. Arteta’s men are yet to concede on the road, although individual errors continue to plague Arsenal on home soil.

We were treated to six games of the title hopefuls in September, although streaming woes meant weren’t able to produce any player ratings for the Carabao Cup win at Brentford. So, in order to qualify for this month’s award, three starts from five were required.

PITA’s Arsenal Player of the Month – September 2023

So, let’s see who’s been crowned PITA’s Player of the Month for September 2023.

3. Martin Odegaard (Average rating – 7.3)

The Nordic playmaker perhaps hasn’t sparkled consistently at the start of 2023/24, but a couple of majestic displays in September see him make the podium.

While the skipper offered little in possession against Tottenham and was a little bit wasteful at Everton, he was superb as Arsenal celebrated their return to the Champions League with a 4-0 beatdown of PSV. That night we saw Odegaard at his sultry best.

The month concluded with a productive showing at Bournemouth, with Odegaard scoring and winning a penalty before teeing up Ben White for Arsenal’s fourth.

2. Declan Rice & Gabriel (Average rating – 7.5)

We’ve got a share of second place with Rice once again making the podium. However, the performance of a particular defender means he won’t be winning his first Player of the Month award just yet.

Nevertheless, outside of a quiet 45 minutes in the North London Derby, Rice has been a model of consistency at the base of midfield. He’s everything we thought he was going to be.

His level has been matched by the sturdiness of Gabriel at the heart of defence. Left out for Arsenal’s opening games of the season, the Brazilian has barely put a foot wrong since returning to the fold. Gabriel continues to produce big defensive moments for the Gunners, but it’s his centre-back partner who’s just outdone him.

1. William Saliba (Average rating – 7.8)

That’s right, folks, the performances of Saliba certainly haven’t been ignored. It didn’t take long for the young defender to emerge as one of the Premier League’s best, and the defender himself knows the outcome of the title race may have been different hadn’t he suffered a back injury in March.

Nevertheless, Saliba hasn’t missed a beat at the start of the new season, producing stellar performance after stellar performance. He was Arsenal’s standout performer in the derby and notched ratings of at least 8.0 in four of his five September starts.

He’s got the aura of a prime Virgil van Dijk, with strikers boasting an element of defeatism when they line up against the imperious Frenchman.