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PITA’s Arsenal Player of the Month – October 2023

By James Cormack

LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates with teammate William Saliba after scoring a goal 2-1 during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on October 21, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Declan Rice of Arsenal celebrates with teammate William Saliba after scoring a goal 2-1 during the Premier League match between Chelsea FC and Arsenal FC at Stamford Bridge on October 21, 2023 in London, England. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images) /
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Can someone tell me where October went, please?

One night I’m lamenting a poor display in Lens, and the next I’ve got trick-or-treaters at my door having enjoyed a beatdown of Sheffield United to close out October. The month flew by!

Anyway, the conclusion of October can only mean one thing: it’s POTM time!

For the latest award, three out of a possible five starts were required to qualify. While you might think Gabriel Jesus is a worthy contender, his poor display against Chelsea ultimately ruined his chances of a podium finish.

PITA’s Arsenal Player of the Month – October 2023

So, who has been crowned PITA’s POTM for October 2023? Let’s find out.

Declan Rice celebrates his goal at Chelsea. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images)
Declan Rice celebrates his goal at Chelsea. (Photo by MB Media/Getty Images) /

3. Gabriel Martinelli (Average rating – 6.83)

This may come as a little bit of a surprise, but Martinelli slots in at third spot after earning an average rating of 6.83. The Brazilian returned from injury before the break and secured Arsenal’s huge win over Manchester City with a late deflected strike.

Once the internationals were in the books, Martinelli started Arsenal’s three remaining games of the month.

The winger got the ball rolling against Sevilla with an excellent finish on the counter-attack before impressing without contributing in the final third in the thumping win over Sheffield United. Those two performances helped him claim third spot over the likes of Jesus, Gabriel, and Ben White.

2. William Saliba (Average rating – 6.9)

Saliba sneaks in ahead of Martinelli with a 6.9 average rating, and you might think the Frenchman warrants a higher rating than that. However, his performance against Chelsea warranted a 4/10, and he had little to do last weekend against the Blades.

Saliba was otherwise supreme in October, starting all of Arsenal’s games. His best work came in the victories over City and Sevilla.

1. Declan Rice (Average rating – 7.9)

Rice has twice finished second in the POTM charts this season, but his October triumph proved convincing. His average rating of 7.9 is the highest of the campaign so far.

What else is there to say about the Englishman? Has he put together a sub-par 90 minutes in an Arsenal shirt? I don’t think so.

Rice has been a model of consistency so far and has been crucial to the Gunners’ unbeaten domestic start. The midfielder set the stage for a late comeback at Chelsea, while his defensive contributions led to wins over City and Sevilla.

I feel safe with Dec patrolling our midfield.

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