English referee Kevin Friend shows a yellow card to Arsenal's English defender Calum Chambers (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on September 30, 2019. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP)
September has been and gone and a month that saw us start against Spurs and end against United told us quite a bit.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on September 22, 2019, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
For a start, the Europa League and Carabao Cup teams are much more fun to watch than the selection Emery sends out in the league.
Not only that, they seem to have a clue. You could argue that the standard of opposition is lower, but are you really going to try and tell me that Frankfurt are worse than Watford, against whom we threw away a two-goal lead?
The two cup games saw us score eight without reply but we won only one of our four league games, drawing the other three, scoring eight and conceding seven.
How did the players rate?
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 30: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal celebrates after scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford on September 30, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Arsenal used 25 players across the month of September, some more than others.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang averaged a rating of 8 but so did Bukayo Saka who really seized his chance this month. I’m giving it to Auba, however, on the basis of games played and goals scored.
LONDON, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 22: Ainsley Maitland-Niles of Arsenal fouls Neil Taylor of Aston Villa leading to a red card and his dismissal during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on September 22, 2019, in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Ainsley Maitland-Niles, meanwhile, had a bit of a stinker, averaging just 4.3, the lowest of all players who aren’t Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who played just one game for us last month before leaving for Roma.
Season so far
Arsenal’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (C) celebrates with Arsenal’s Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka (L) and Arsenal’s English striker Bukayo Saka (R) after scoring their first goal, decision of off-side overturned by VAR (Video Assistant referee) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on September 30, 2019. (PAUL ELLIS / AFP / Getty Images)
Arsenal have one clear standout player so far this season and it will come as no surprise to learn it is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the only player to break 60 points.
WATFORD, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 15: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Arsenal (14) and team mates Granit Xhaka and David Luiz react during the Premier League match between Watford FC and Arsenal FC at Vicarage Road on September 15, 2019 in Watford, United Kingdom. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
The worst-rated player overall and wooden spoon winner, who has played more than three matches, is shared between Granixt Xhaka and David Luiz who have both averaged 4.8 this season so far.
Top 5 so far (total)
LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 17: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette of Arsenal look on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Burnley FC at Emirates Stadium on August 17, 2019 in London, United Kingdom. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 60.5
Joe Willock 56.5
Dani Ceballos 54.5
Matteo Guendouzi 48
Bernd Leno 47
Top 5 so far (average)
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 30: Bukayo Saka of Arsenal embraces Calum Chambers of Arsenal after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal FC at Old Trafford on September 30, 2019, in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Bukayo Saka 8
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 7.6
Calum Chambers 7.1
Joe Willock 7.1
Matteo Guendouzi 6.9
Bottom 5 so far (average)
FRANKFURT AM MAIN, GERMANY – SEPTEMBER 19: Granit Xhaka of Arsenal applauds the fans after the UEFA Europa League group F match between Eintracht Frankfurt and Arsenal FC at on September 19, 2019 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. (Photo by Christian Kaspar-Bartke/Bongarts/Getty Images)
