Premier League Player of the Month: Man Utd and Spurs stars among NationalWorld Sport’s September picks

We're not even a quarter into the new Premier League, but there's already been some stunning performances, goal of the season contenders and VAR blunders aplenty.

As things stand, Mikel Arteta's Arsenal are riding high at the top of the table, winning six of their opening seven matches. Hot on their heels, however, are Manchester City and Spurs, who certainly won't allow the Gunners a straightforward march to their first Premier League title since 2003/04.

Meanwhile, Liverpool and Chelsea have been wildly inconsistent, with the latter sacking their Champions League winning manager Thomas Tuchel, while Manchester United have tightened up their defence - possibly thanks to dropping Harry Maguire - and surged their way back up the table.

Down at the tail end of the league, Leicester City are rock bottom of the table with a solitary point from seven matches, and they're joined in the relegation zone by transfer oniomaniacs Nottingham Forest and David Moyes' lacklustre West Ham United.

Here are the September Premier League Player of the Month picks from the team of NationalWorld Sport writers...

Martyn Simpson - Eric Dier (Spurs)

The Spurs defender is back in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the first time in two years and deservedly so.

The former Sporting CP man must have thought his chances of going to the World Cup finals were slim to none, but a combination of factors has given the 28-year old hope.

Foremost has been his form for Tottenham in both the Premier League and Champions League this season.

He’s been a solid part of the defence under Antonio Conte and has started all seven of their league matches so far, while the likes of Clément Lenglet, Davinson Sánchez and Cristian Romero have been rotated in and out.

Spurs won both of their Premier League matches in the disrupted month of September with Dier getting his name on the scoresheet in the 6-2 home win over Leicester City.

With fellow English centre-backs like Harry Maguire and Tyrone Mings either out of form or out of favour at their clubs, it’s the perfect time for Dier to have his name at the forefront of the international conversation.

If he keeps going about his business the way he has this past month then he could very well be on the plane to Qatar.

Susanna Sealy - Marcus Rashford (Man Utd)

This month’s Premier League action has felt somewhat shorter than the one previous, due to the international break and the recent death of Queen Elizabeth II.

However, England’s football stars have not excelled any less and one player has stood out for their team in an invaluable fashion.

After months of criticism and reports of the striker being ‘burnt out’ at the grand old age of 24, Marcus Rashford has had a resurgence of success and been key in Manchester United’s wins over Leicester and Arsenal earlier this month.

Rashford secured an assist when he set up Jadon Sancho’s goal against Leicester before playing through to Antony for the first of three goals against Arsenal.

He was then further rewarded for his hard work by netting a second-half brace as the Red Devils won 3-1.

It remains to be seen whether he can maintain his recent return to form but the striker’s bounce back to the high quality we have known of him may come just in time, with the Qatar World Cup selection looming in the not too distant future.

In fact, Gareth Southgate has added to the speculation by saying: “(Rashford) has shown some encouraging signs recently. He is a player we know well so if he can perform at a high level in the next few weeks, he of course will be under consideration.”

It’s now all down to Brentford’s Ivan Toney to pip him to post, with his time to shine for England coming in the current international break.

Jason Jones - Erling Haaland (Man City)

We need to talk about Erling. This lethal Midwich Cuckoo, this Nordic obelisk of ice and fire, is not human. He simply can’t be.

In years gone by he would have been bought from his childhood home at a tender age and carted around in the caravan of some carnival sideshow or other. “Roll up, roll up”, they would have proclaimed, “And see the Boy With an Insatiable Appetite for Goals!

Marvel at his deceptive turn of pace and frightening physical might! Swoon in awe as he makes a mockery of the accepted laws of physics and tests the tensile strength of various nettings with his punishing displays of incomprehensible velocity!”

Haaland has arrived in the Premier League like the secret love child of Godzilla and Ivan Drago, crushing everything in his path with a wanton pitilessness.

Sure, his 38 minute hat-trick against Nottingham Forest may technically have come just before September started, but it was indicative of a brute whose supremacy grows with each passing game.

Subsequent goals against Aston Villa and Wolves have taken his running tally for the season to 11 in seven outings - and that’s just in domestic competition.

It is unnatural.

Molly Burke - Marcus Rashford (Man Utd)

It was Erling Haaland that once again claimed the headlines across September for his performances, however it is a local rival that I have opted for as my Player of the Month.

Marcus Rashford has managed to completely turn his football career around in a very short period of time, becoming a talisman for Manchester United once again as they enjoyed back-to-back wins in the Premier League this month.

The 24-year-old had fallen down the pecking order during the 2021/22 campaign and looked set to leave the Red Devils, however he is now one of their biggest assets after bagging two goals and two assists in the same amount of matches.

Rashford’s impressive form has now put him back in the fold for this winter’s World Cup, with the forward only missing out on the Nations League fixtures due to injury.

If United’s clashes with Crystal Palace and Leeds United had gone ahead then Rashford could have easily added to an already impressive tally, however there is no doubt he has the confidence to pick up where he left off once he returns.