MFF August Premier League Team of the Month

MFF August Premier League Team of the Month – 2024/25

The start of a new season means MFF are here with another alternative Premier League team of the month to start the 2024/25 campaign. This month’s team takes on a 3-5-2 formation and with many good performers some have been extremely unlucky not to make it like Amadou Onana and Yoane Wissa. Remember the players are in the positions they occupy in the Premier League’s Official ‘Fantasy Premier League’.

Goalkeeper

David Raya (Arsenal)

Raya, kept two clean sheets in Arsenal’s three August games. In the 2-0 home win against Wolves, he made a good save from a Jorgen Strand Larsen header at 1-0. Arsenal then travelled to Aston Villa and Raya made a superb save to deny an Ollie Watkins header. Watkins should have scored but Raya’s save cannot be denied as he recovered after diving over the goal-line when the ball had struck the crossbar.

(David Raya got back on his feet to superbly deny Ollie Watkins’ header. Image from ‘football365.com)

Defenders

Rico Lewis (Manchester City)

Lewis has started the season so well that Kyle Walker has played less than 10 minutes this season thus far. Whether he has been inverting from right-back or been in central midfield he has looked accomplished. He was stellar in the 2-0 away victory against Chelsea. City then came from behind to beat Ipswich 4-1. In their last August outing Lewis assisted Erling Haaland’s second goal.

Cristian Romero (Tottenham)

Other Spurs defenders Pedro Porro and Micky van de Ven had claims for this month’s team too, but Romero got the nod as he continues to show how important he is for Tottenham. A commanding presence at the back, his dominance in the air at both ends is evident. A nuisance for the opposition at set pieces, he had a first half effort saved before heading in the third goal as Spurs beat Everton 4-0.

Antonee Robinson (Fulham)

Robinson is an all-action full back and showed his worth in August as he was a factor at going forward and defensively. Robinson fed Alex Iwobi on the left wing as Fulham got their first win of the campaign at home to Leicester as it ended 2-1. Robinson assisted again as his cross found Adama Traore who equalised in the 1-1 away draw with Ipswich. The American international ended the month joint-2^nd in the league in tackles with 14.

Midfielders

Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)

Ivan Toney leaving the club is not initially reverberating as thought as Mbeumo has started the season so well. He cut in off the right-hand side and finished superbly to open the scoring as the Bees beat Crystal Palace 2-1. Brentford bounced back from a 2-0 defeat at Liverpool to triumph 3-1 at home to Southampton. Here Mbeumo bagged a brace, as he scored from a rebound, and then produced a composed finish into the bottom corner for his second.

(Bryan Mbeumo bends in the opener against Crystal Palace. Image from ‘thetimes.com’.)

Noni Madueke (Chelsea)

Harsh to leave out Cole Palmer but Madueke ousted his teammate as he was the only other man outside of Erling Haaland to score a hat-trick in August. After being an unused substitute in the home defeat to Manchester City, Madueke started against Wolves and responded in the best way possible. Palmer incidentally assisted all Madueke’s goals as the two of them tormented Wolves’ Rayan Ait-Nouri on Chelsea’s right-hand side. Madueke’s clinical finishes with both feet drove the Blues to victory after it was 2-2 at half-time.

Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)

Semenyo contributed in all three of the Cherries’ August fixtures. The Ghanaian international grabbed a late leveller at Nottingham Forest in a 1-1 draw. He then setup James Tavernier to give them the lead in the 1-1 home draw with Newcastle. Andoni Iraola’s men came from 2-0 down for a remarkable late second half comeback at Everton and Semenyo netted the first goal to set them on their way back.

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Saka continues to be instrumental in lot of what Arsenal do going forward. To open the season, he crossed for Kai Havertz to give the Gunners the lead at home to Wolves, before smashing in a goal himself in the second half. Mikel Arteta’s men then won 2-0 at Aston Villa and Saka assisted the second goal for Thomas Partey. Saka’s quick thinking then allowed Havertz to give Arsenal the lead in the 1-1 home draw with Brighton.

Mo Salah (Liverpool)

Salah had three goal contributions in Liverpool’s two August games. The Reds had a tricky first half away at Ipswich, however, they turned it on in the second half as Salah assisted Diogo Jota for the first goal. The Egyptian then snuck in to slide in the second goal as it finished 2-0. Arne Slot’s men only led by a single goal at home to Brentford before Salah cemented the three points 20 minutes from time with a clever finish past Mark Flekken.

Forwards

Joao Pedro (Brighton)

This could have easily been Pedro’s teammate Danny Welbeck or Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, but the importance and timing of Pedro’s goals just squeeze him in for August. He scored an epic 95^th minute winner as Brighton beat Manchester United 2-1 as he was left unmarked at the back post to head in. The Seagulls then salvaged a point against ten-man Arsenal thanks to an equaliser by Pedro after Welbeck’s shot had been saved.

Erling Haaland (Manchester City)

Regardless of Haaland not being able to consistently linkup the play like some other forwards, he guarantees goals. He scored a ridiculous 7 goals in August including two hat-tricks. He opened the scoring in the 2-0 victory at Chelsea as he kept his balance well and provided a deft finish. Ipswich were the victims of his first hat-trick, the best goal was his third as he fired low from outside the box. West Ham were the other team on the receiving end of a Haaland triple, as the Norwegian provided three classy finishes, his second goal being the most emphatic.