Midfielders of the month - September: The nominees

A truly diverse mix of players from across the footballing world can be found in our list for the top midfielders of September. From emerging youth stars to veterans, from London to Rome, from new signings to old warhorses; all the categories have been adequately represented. Of course, performance is the metric which matters the most, and given below are five of the very best who ply their wares in midfield.

5. Mesut Ozil – Arsenal

Key stats - Minutes played: 428 Goals: 1 Assists: 4

After talk over the necessity his final day transfer from Real Madrid to Arsenal had transformed itself into pressure to perform, and the German star simply shrugged it all off and proved why exactly his arrival at the club signals radical progress. Arsenal are consistently on top of the league table for the first time in many years, mainly thanks to the opportunities created by Ozil, who has gelled well with the likes of Ramsey. Showing glimpses of his peak form for Madrid so early in his Arsenal career, one can expect only better things to come in the future.

4. Marco Reus – Borussia Dortmund

Key stats - Minutes played: 455 Goals: 4 Assists: 1

Playing in a much more attacking role than any other player on this list, Reus has taken full advantage of the opportunity to add to his impressive tally for Dortmund. Although his September was punctuated with a couple of inconsistent performances, the Dortmund star more than made up for it in the remaining games, scoring and assisting a total of 5 goals. The versatility of this player, as opposed to most players who play wide/up front is something that sets him apart, and contributes to his performances.

3. Cesc Fabregas – Barcelona

Key stats - Minutes played: 425 Goals: 4 Assists: 2

Having refused explicit overtures from Manchester United over the summer, Fabregas has done plenty to justify his decision to stay back with the Blaugrana, and more. Competing with a full set of highly talented midfielders to retain his spot in the side, Fabregas has made the most of his time on the pitch, rather than focus on the negatives. His achievements for September include two assists in a narrow win over Valencia, as well as scoring the lone goal in a 1 – 0 win over Celtic, among others.

2. Francesco Totti – Roma

Key stats - Minutes played: 374 Goals: 1 Assists: 5

At 37 years of age, and showing no signs of slowing down, Roma’s talisman Francesco Totti is a living ode to the statement – ‘Form is temporary, class is permanent.’ A mass exodus from Roma has seen the core of the club change radically, but with Totti standing firm as the pillar upon which it is all built. With at least one goal scored or assisted in every game of September, Totti has led Roma’s resurgent charge remarkably well, and it is thus no surprise that the capital club currently sit on top of the Serie A with a perfect record to boast of.

1. Aaron Ramsey – Arsenal

Key stats - Minutes played: 538 Goals: 5 Assists: 1

If there is one player that has to be selected as the most improved compared to the previous season, it has to be Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey. His form in September has been comparable to the golden patch that Gareth Bale had last year, and while Ramsey’s goals haven’t quite been from as far out as Bale’s were, they certainly haven’t been random flukes. The Welshman finally seems to have shrugged off the affects of his terrible injury, and seems all set to fulfill the potential attached to him when he first burst onto the scene. If he can keep things going like he did in September, scoring and assisting goals domestically as well as abroad, there is no reason to see why he won’t.

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