Football got freaky in October, and no that’s not intended as a sketchy Halloween pun.
The month was full of wild results from across Europe’s Big Five leagues as the rigours of the Champions League and Europa League clustered an already tight schedule.
Aside from the outstanding team performances, a number of individual displays caught the eye and are in contention for Sport360’s October Player of the Month award.
Two from each division have been selected and you can vote through our Instagram Stories for the player most deserving of POTM.
To help with the decision process, here’s a closer look at the contenders.
PREMIER LEAGUE
Harry Kane, Tottenham
3 Games | 4 Goals | 3 Assists
Might Spurs actually emerge as genuine title challengers this season? If Kane continues in this form, and more pertinently if he can remain fit, there is veracity to their claim. Ironically, the more Kane drops deeper into Spurs’ midfield, the higher his stock rises because his dual threat of assisting and scoring has been incredible so far this season. His partnership with Son Heung-min is celebrated and lethal, evidenced by the 6-1 destruction of Manchester United at the start of October. Kane scored twice and set up Son in that encounter with that feat repeated in the 3-3 draw with West Ham. The England captain then assisted Son for the winner in a dogged victory at Burnley. The fusion of H and H has been nuclear for Spurs.
Son Heung-min, Tottenham
3 Games | 4 Goals | 2 Assists
The only player who can rival Kane in the October POTM voting is his team-mate. The pair’s success is bound by their partnership and so splitting them apart is difficult. But Son has fortified his reputation as one of, if not the best, counter-attacking talent in the game. He ripped United to shreds, scoring twice and naturally setting up Kane for another before similar exploits against West Ham, this time just the one goal and assist. He netted the only goal against Burnley to round out a deeply impressive month.
SERIE A
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, AC Milan
2 Games | 4 Goals | 1 MOTM
Ibrahimovic is a rare character because unlike many other athletes who perform the same amplified bravado, the God-like status he assigns himself is actually backed up by his production. The 39-year-old, yep you read that right, topped the Capocannoniere standings in October thanks to four goals in two games. This included a brace to down Inter in the Derby della Madonnina plus another two in a 3-3 draw with Roma, results which have many believing Milan are back in the big time, somewhere their giant Swede has always been.
Andrea Belotti, Torino
2 Games | 3 Goals | 1 Assist
It’s difficult to comprehend Ibrahimovic’s age and it’s equally so for Belotti, although not quite for the same flattery. The 26-year-old Torino captain wears a pretty brutish expression and plays in a similar fashion. In October, he absolutely bullied defenders, twice scoring in a losing effort against Cagliari and adding one more goal plus an assist as his side threw away three points late on to draw 3-3 with Sassuolo. Torino might not be living up to their Il Toro identity, but their captain certainly is.
LA LIGA
Mikel Oyarzabal, Real Sociedad
3 Games| 4 Goals | 2 Assists
Oyarzabal is an absolute baller. The Real Sociedad star is a real throwback winger with his raw speed and direct crossing ability. He extended his impressive start to the new campaign into October with four goals and two assists, ably powering La Real’s charge to the summit of La Liga. He’s also emerging as one of the best and most assured penalty takers in Europe, scoring three times from 12 yards in October to maintain a 100 percent record from 14 taken for club and country.
Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid
4 Games | 1 Goal | 3 Victories
Ramos’ passport will say his birthplace is Spain but his blood is clearly Viking. His place among the greatest centre-backs of all time is assured, yet the 34-year-old continues to prove that he is among the best active defenders in the world. Few can rival his blend of defensive and attacking ability, leadership, passion, confidence and skill. All these qualities were on display throughout October, but naturally the headline-grabbing performance was in El Clasico. Ramos was monstrous, scoring another crucial penalty and helping to close out a 3-1 win. He hasn’t missed a single La Liga Clasico in 16 years and that statistic is a testament to his longevity, another one of his finest traits.
BUNDESLIGA
Robert Lewandowski, Bayern Munich
3 Games | 9 Goals | 1 Assist
In truth, there’s probably no need to examine the other nine candidates for October’s POTM because it should obviously be Lewandowski. His record last month is utterly terrifying. In three games the Pole scored nine times, including a poker to secure a late comeback in a 4-3 win over Hertha Berlin and a hat-trick in the 5-0 swatting of Eintracht Frankfurt. In the only game Lewandowski didn’t score at least three goals, he still directly contributed to three, scoring twice and setting up another against Arminia Bielefeld. He scored via his head, with both feet and all with efficiency of touch and technique.
Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund
3 Games | 3 Goals | 2 Assists
In any other month Haaland would be a strong contender, but as it is, he’s struggling to stand out in his own league. Still, the Dortmund No9 has been absolutely box office and not just for his goals. Haaland’s amped-up goal celebrations carry the same explosive energy he displays in action. October saw three such examples with a fine double against Freiburg and a quite sublime derby goal in the defeat of Schalke. That goal against Schalke in particular packaged up Haaland’s beastly traits as he surged through midfield in transition, showed neat feet to retain the ball then pass to Jadon Sancho, before bursting into the box to intelligently drag the return pass into his path before deliciously chipping over the goalkeeper.
LIGUE 1
Neymar, PSG
2 Games | 2 Goals | 3 Assists
Yes, Neymar only featured twice for PSG in October but my word was he incredible in those two performances. The Brazilian dropped two 10/10 displays in WhoScored’s rating system, the first one in orchestrating a 6-1 demolition of Angers with two goals and an assist, the second with two assists in a 4-0 win over Dijon. Across those two games he managed 12 successful dribbles and some of them were breathtaking. Depending on which side of the divide people are on, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are regularly labelled the world’s best, but without a doubt, there’s no player who can challenge Neymar’s claim as the most entertaining.
Kylian Mbappe, PSG
4 Games | 6 Goals | 2 Assists
Mbappe hasn’t been able to replicate his domestic form in the Champions League having gone six straight games without a goal in Europe’s showpiece competition. But there can be no denying his Ligue 1 displays having been directly involved in eight goals across four matches for PSG in October. Mbappe possesses the most lethal step-over in the game and he demonstrated that in his assist for Ander Herrera against Nantes and with his delightful first goal against Dijon. Real Madrid will be hoping to step over the rest of Europe’s elite in order to capture the 21-year-old next summer.
