PITA's Arsenal Player of the Month - April 2024

April was a mammoth month for Arsenal, and despite enduring their annual springtime wobble, the Gunners escaped a daunting 30 days emboldened.

Sure, there Champions League exit was a major disappointment, but Mikel Arteta's side aren't going anywhere anytime soon. They'll be back.

European disappointment arrived just after a potentially crippling home defeat to Aston Villa, but the Gunners have since shown they're made of much sterner stuff. Arteta's title hopefuls rattled off four consecutive wins to conclude April and ensure they retained their status as one of the horses at the Premier League summit.

The title is in Manchester City's hands, but Arsenal will be there right to the very end.

Eight games made up Arsenal's hectic April schedule, so four starts were required for entry into our Player of the Month award. Only eight hit the qualifying brief, and it was almightily tight at the top. Let's see who's been crowned our April 2024 Player of the Month.

PITA's Arsenal Player of the Month - April 2024

3. Bukayo Saka (Average rating - 6.86)

Any of the defensive regulars could've made the podium, but Saka pipped the likes of William Saliba and Gabriel (the centre-backs each fittingly ended the month with a 6.83 average rating) to third spot.

Questions were raised over a potential Saka burnout given his rather subdued 2024 form amid barrage of minutes, but the England international produced a stellar month of football in crunch time.

Saka scored a delightul opener in the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich and dazzled in the North London Derby win over Tottenham. The winger stepped up on the big occasion and he took his scoring tally for the season up to 20 with four goals in April.

2. Kai Havertz (Average rating - 6.93)

Havertz has been so effective as a #9 that the once striker-needy Arsenal could end up avoiding a new leading man this summer. Their attentions are shifting elsewhere in terms of transfer priorities thanks to the German's form.

Havertz started all eight April fixtures, depicting his newfound importance, with six of these arriving as a #9. In one of the games he dropped back into midfield, the Gunners lost at home to Villa.

The German is proving to be ever so tricky to defend against as a result of his physicality, improving hold-up play, and crafty movement. He's a match-up nightmare for centre-backs. While not the most prolific forward in the world, Havertz certainly found his scoring boots in April as he found the back of the net four times. He also recorded three assists, with all of his goal contributions arriving while stationed in the frontline.

1. Martin Odegaard (Average rating - 7.2)

There will be no maiden POTM crowning for Havertz, though. Instead, our April award heads to Scandinavia.

Odegaard's start to the 2023/24 campaign was slow, but he's arguably been the Premier League's standout performer in 2024. His evolution into a deeer-lying controller has been crucial for the Gunners this season, with the skipper producing dazzling display after dazzling display while maruding across the Emirates turf.

He's a player fitting of the Gunners' Arsene Wenger-inspired champagne traditions. Everything goes through the Norwegian, with the Gunners currently singing to the captain's majestic tune.

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