1st place – Nacho Monreal
After last season’s defensive incompetence, every Arsenal fan feared the worst when Nacho Monreal stepped in for the injured Kieran Gibbs against Beşiktaş. What happened next was surprising to say the least. Nacho was brilliant!
The Spanish left-back appears to have removed many of the defensive weaknesses of his game, and looks like a much calmer presence in our back four. Furthermore, the attacking threat he offers is outstanding.
His best performance of the month was against Everton. Nacho refused to give up when we went 2-0 down, and he bombed down our left flank in an attempt to get us back in the game – linking up with Özil expertly. He ended the game with a spectacular cross that Giroud headed into the back of the net, grabbing Arsenal a much-needed point.
Nacho continued his fine form at home to Beşiktaş, showing both attacking intent and defensive stability. He was one of the few players that deserved praise against Leicester in the Premier League, and nearly got us a second goal with a few decent crosses and intelligent runs.
The final point to mention is Monreal’s role in the Emirates Cup. Deployed in an unfamiliar centre-back position, Nacho done a very good job in the heart of defence for us during our pre-season tournament.
As things stand, I’d say Monreal has done enough to stay in the team when Gibbs returns from injury. Let’s hope his fine form continues – he could be the surprise of the season.