It's been a good month for...
Harry Kane
I put him down as a loser last weekend, so it's only fair that he tops the list this month! Tottenham's talisman has been in scintillating form, scoring six in September and helping Spurs to ten points from a possible twelve. All of his goals have come away from home, and if Kane can start scoring at Wembley Tottenham could be in for a really exciting season. England captaincy for the recent World Cup Qualifiers was richly deserved, and Kane repaid manager Gareth Southgate with two goals in two 1-0 victories to send England to Russia.
 |
| Getty Images |
Arsene Wenger
The Arsenal manager gets a lot of stick, but deserves credit for the way his team performed in September. Arsenal beat both Bournemouth and West Brom convincingly at The Emirates Stadium, but what impressed me most was the way they set up and battled in a 0-0 draw at reigning champions Chelsea. The Gunners lost 3-1 at Stamford Bridge last season, and Arsene Wenger was heavily criticised for his supposed lack of tactical knowhow. Although Arsenal didn't beat Chelsea, they were defensively solid which is something we have not always seen from Wenger's men in recent times. As a result, they sit fifth in the league, and have had a decent start to the season.
 |
| Getty Images |
Newcastle United
Rafa Benitez can be very proud of how his side have started the season. A solid September saw them pick up two wins out of a possible three, but what struck me most about Newcastle was how they played for their manager in a 1-0 win at Swansea. Benitez was absent following surgery, but the Magpies stuck to their tactics and secured a mightily impressive win in Wales thanks to captain Jamaal Lascelles. The skipper then scored again in a deserved 2-1 win over Stoke at St James' Park. The Geordies are ninth in the table after their good start, and fans will finally feel that Benitez has got them back where they belong.
 |
| Getty Images |
But a bad one for...
Roy Hodgson
Roy Hodgson may be regretting his decision to join Crystal Palace after an abysmal start to life at Selhurst Park. They are still yet to score a goal or pick up a single point in the Premier League this season, and the former England manager has failed to change anything that was going wrong under Frank de Boer. Admittedly Hodgson has had to face both Manchester clubs in September, losing 5-0 at City and 4-0 to United, but they also lost 1-0 at home to Southampton in his first match in charge. Those are the kind of games you have to pick points up in to stay in the Premier League, and it looks like the Eagles are in for a long, long season if Hodgson can't quickly turn their fortunes around.
 |
| Getty Images |
Everton
After a summer in which Everton spent over £100 million on new signings, fans of the Toffees would have hoped that they would sit much higher than the sixteenth place that they currently hold. You expect Everton to give the big boys a game at Goodison Park, but they were inferior in a 3-0 home defeat to Spurs and couldn't fare any better away at Old Trafford, where former striker Romelu Lukaku scored in a 4-0 win for United. Everton's remaining October fixtures come away to Brighton and Leicester and at home to Arsenal, and it's vital that Ronald Koeman finds a way to send the Blues up the table, rather than further towards the bottom three.
 |
| Getty Images |
Liverpool
After a decent start to the season, Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool endured a frustrating September. Star man Sadio Mane was sent off at Manchester City, a game which ended in a 5-0 defeat, and a 1-1 draw at home to Burnley followed. Liverpool are suffering at both ends of the pitch at the moment, struggling to keep out the opposition in every game they play and unable to convert enough chances, such as in the game against Burnley. They ended the month with a 3-2 win at Leicester, but Liverpool fans do not feel comfortable watching their side at the moment, and Klopp's failure to sign a centre-back in the summer has resulted in much questioning. Manchester United are next up for the Reds after the international break, and they will have to defend much better if they want to keep out Lukaku and co.
 |
| Getty Images |
