Arsenal Premier League Month in Review: August - Best Player, Worst Performance & Overall Rating

​An international break might not give fans enough time to recover from those pre-match nerves ahead of the north London derby, but it does provide the perfect chance to reflect on Arsenal's start to the 2019/20 season.

With the new Premier League campaign already one month old, here's a look back at what Arsenal produced in August.


​Best Player

FBL-ENG-PR-ARSENAL-TOTTENHAM

Picking up exactly where he left off last season, Golden Boot winner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is already proving once again why he's one of the most exciting players in the Premier League.

With three goals from five shots on target heading into the international break, Aubameyang has shown that he could be the perfect fit for Arsenal at left wing, even if it isn't the Gabon international's preferred position.

He's scored match-winning goals against Newcastle and Burnley, while his second half strike also saw Arsenal claim a well-deserved point in the north London derby.


Worst Player

Mohamed Salah,David Luiz

Just four games into the season, there are already a few players fans could pick out as their Achilles heel during the opening few weeks.

But only new centre back David Luiz has provided clangers in defence in more than one game, losing Ashley Barnes with some schoolboy marking against Burnley before that shirt pull on Mohamed Salah at Anfield.

Conceding a penalty on the road to Liverpool is hardly the worst crime, but it came at a crucial moment for Arsenal when they were looking to find their feet just after half-time and it ruled out any chance of a comeback for Unai Emery's side.


Best Performance

Nicolas Pepe,Danny Rose

They may not have won the match, but Arsenal made a real statement by going toe to toe with bitter rivals and Champions League finalists Tottenham in their most recent game.

Mauricio Pochettino's side set up in almost a carbon copy way to Burnley, relying on mistakes in defence from quick counter-attacks to get their openings which were few and far between.

Two individual errors saw Arsenal go two goals behind, but they dominated the match from start to finish, ending with twice the amount of shots as Spurs (26) as well as winning more duels in the air and on the ground, more tackles and almost double their rivals' interceptions.


Worst Performance

FBL-ENG-PR-LIVERPOOL-ARSENAL

The game plan was working for Arsenal when they travelled to face Liverpool on matchday three, but as fans have become all too accustomed too in recent years, the Gunners went into self-destruct mode as soon as Joël Matip broke the deadlock.


Emery's side went on to collapse like a Jenga tower, with the final result overshadowing chances for Aubameyang and Nicolas Pépé.


It was the latest in a long line of results which shows Arsenal still aren't ready to return to Europe's elite group of clubs, but it's far from all doom and gloom as all-but Manchester City are expected to lose at Anfield this season, and beating the likes of Liverpool won't be key in returning to the top four.


Best Goal

FBL-ENG-PR-ARSENAL-TOTTENHAM

It wasn't Arsenal's flashiest goal of the season so far but with a combination of technical quality and perfect timing, Alexandre Lacazette's strike against Tottenham was the pick of the bunch from the club's opening four games.

After a lengthy spell of pressure, Nicolas Pépé picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area and fired a low cross into the middle of the box with the outside of his left foot.


Lacazette killed the ball with his first touch and he instantly got on the ball again to work some space away from Jan Vertonghen.


From a tight angle, Lacazette smashed the ball with his weaker left foot past compatriot Hugo Lloris to half the deficit just before half-time.


It proved to be the spark Arsenal needed to save a point against their bitter rivals, and Lacazette's goal went on to inspire a performance which should have seen the club take the bragging rights on matchday four. 


Rating

Unai Emery,Jurgen Klopp

Arsenal might have only won half of their games so far this season, but all signs suggest that the Gunners will at least reclaim their beloved fourth place come May.

A combination of free-flowing football with rugged performances have proved Arsenal are no longer a one-dimensional team who are easy to frustrate.

Fans are still waiting for Pépé to start firing on all cylinders, but as soon as he does Arsenal could be the only team to give Manchester City and Liverpool a run for their money this season, even if talk of a first title in 15 years in certainly still premature.


Rating: 7/10



Source : 90min