MFF October Premier League Team of the Month

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

With October coming to its conclusion, the MFF Premier League team of the month is here. The team takes on a 3-5-2 formation. This month’s spoiler is that in a highly competitive three matchdays, interestingly no player from the league leaders were able to make the cut. As always remember the players take on the positions they occupy in the Premier League’s official ‘Fantasy Premier League’.

Goalkeeper

Matz Sels (Nottingham Forest)

Sels has had an impressive start to the season, and he is joint-2^nd with David Raya and Alisson Becker on three clean sheets overall. He made 14 of his 26 saves this campaign in October as Nuno Espirito Santo’s men collected 7 points from a possible 9. His best performance was in the 1-1 draw with Chelsea when Forest were down to 10-men. He made crucial saves from Cole Palmer including a heroic double save and he also got a vital hand to a close-range header by Christopher Nkunku.

(Matz Sels celebrates after his superb performance saw 10-man Nottingham Forest get a point at Chelsea. Image from ‘Rene Nijhuis/ MB Media/ Getty Images via The Athletic’.)

Defenders

Ethan Pinnock (Brentford)

Pinnock showed his worth at both ends of the pitch in October. The Jamaican international headed in from a corner to put the Bees 4-2 ahead as they beat Wolves 5-3 at the G-Tech Stadium. Thomas Frank’s men took the lead at Old Trafford only to fall 2-1 in the end and it was Pinnock who gave them the lead with another emphatic header. Pinnock is 4^th in the league in clearances with 50 and joint-6^th in aerial battles with 26.

Michael Keane (Everton)

In Jarrad Branthwaite’s absence Keane has stepped up to help Everton have some stability at the back. The Toffees’ two clean sheets in three October games were the most in the Premier League. After a goalless home draw with Newcastle, Sean Dyche’s men won 2-0 at Ipswich. It was Keane who put them 2-0 up with a comprehensive finish on his weaker left foot. Keane is 6^th in the Premier League in clearances with 47 so far this campaign and he just kept Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol out of the team this month.

Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolverhampton)

In Wolves’ 5-3 defeat at Brentford, Ait-Nouri assisted Jorgen Strand Larsen’s goal to make it 2-2. Ait-Nouri was then to get a consolation goal himself at the death. After a 2-1 defeat to the champions Manchester City, Gary O’Neil’s men came from 2-0 down to savage a point in a 2-2 draw at Brighton to conclude the month. Ait-Nouri started the comeback as he fired in low after the Seagulls failed to clear a set piece. Ait-Nouri’s 3 goals this season are the most by a defender.

Midfielders

Jarrod Bowen (West Ham)

Bowen, started the month laying on a goal for Michail Antonio in the first minute of the 4-1 dispatching of Ipswich at the London Stadium. Later, he turned his former teammate Kalvin Phillips and then drove home to make it 3-1. The Hammers bounced back from a 4-1 hammering at Tottenham with a home win over Manchester United. After being pegged back to 1-1, Bowen had enough composure to win the contest with a penalty in the 92^nd minute.

Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)

Mbeumo, continues to be Brentford’s new talisman since the sale of Ivan Toney. The Cameroon international scored from the penalty spot in the Bees’ 5-3 victory over Wolves. He completed the month by bagging a brace as Thomas Frank’s men won another high scoring home fixture as they edged past 10-man Ipswich 4-3. Mbeumo scored from the penalty spot again, before he won the game in injury time. The goal was actually a cross into the box that evaded everyone and ended up in the back of the net. Mbeumo is now the second highest scorer in the Premier League with an impressive 8 goals.

(Bryan Mbeumo fires home a penalty as Brentford secured another home win. Image from ‘premierleague.com’.)

Georginio Rutter (Brighton)

Rutter has settled in nicely since joining from Leeds in the summer. Fabian Hurzeler’s men battled back from 2-0 down to beat Tottenham 3-2 at home. Rutter scored the second goal seizing on some questionable Spurs defending as he drove in a low shot. Rutter’s perseverance then so him get a deflected ball into the box before Danny Welbeck headed in the winner. Brighton then got a massive win at Newcastle, with Rutter’s pass supplying the only goal for Welbeck. The Seagulls finished October with a 2-2 draw at home to Wolves and Rutter again assisted Welbeck to open the scoring.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Salah has had many months where he has played better overall, but the importance of his contributions in October have squeezed him into the team. Salah responded from a quiet game against Crystal Palace to help the Reds to a 2-1 home triumph over Chelsea. First, the Egyptian converted a spot-kick. Then, in the second half straight after the Blues equalised, he produced a sublime ball that found Curtis Jones to make it 2-1. In Arne Slot’s toughest match so far in his tenure, Liverpool were heading for a 2-1 loss to Arsenal when Salah levelled in the 81^st minute with a composed finish to secure a point.

Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)

Saka missed one of Arsenal’s three October games and easily still made his mark. The Gunners beat Southampton 3-1, and Saka found Kai Havertz for the opener. The England international then fashioned one of the assists of the season thus far as he found Gabriel Martinelli at the back-post to make it 2-1. He scored the 3^rd goal as he pounced on the Saints’ inability to clear the ball. He missed the 2-0 loss away to Bournemouth through injury but returned to give Arsenal the lead against Liverpool in a 2-2 draw. Saka sent Andy Robertson for ‘haggis’ as he turned and fired in at the near post.

Forwards

Danny Welbeck (Brighton)

Welbeck’s fine start to the season continued as he scored in all three of Brighton’s October games. Welbeck headed in the winning goal as the Seagulls came from a 2-0 deficit to beat Tottenham 3-2 at the Amex Stadium. He was to score another winning goal, as he improvised well after being found by Georginio Rutter in a 1-0 victory at Newcastle. In the 2-2 draw with Wolves, again he was assisted by Rutter as he opened the scoring driving the ball into the corner sending Jose Sa the wrong way.

Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)

Wood has been fantastic for Forest since joining from Newcastle. Amazingly since Nuno Espirito Santo took over at the club in December 2023, only Erling Haaland has scored more Premier League goals than Wood. Wood found the net four times in three October matches. He gave Forest the lead against Chelsea in a 1-1 draw poking in Nikola Milenkovic’s flick-on. Wood’s hopeful volley won the home game with Crystal Palace as Dean Henderson could only get a hand to it. He then copped a brace in a 3-1 away win at his former club Leicester. A fine turn and finish gave him is first goal, before a defensive mix-up allowed him to score a header for his second.