Lyon dominate WhoScored’s Ligue 1 team of the month

October was a pivotal month for Lyon as they secured 10 points from a possible 12 available to rise to third in table. Having been held by Angers, they then went on to brush defending champions Monaco, Troyes and Metz aside. As such, it’s no surprise to see them with four representatives in our Ligue 1 team of the month, with Nabil Fekir the star man. 

The rumoured Arsenal target secured a WhoScored rating of 8.78 last month having scored the most goals (4), including a late winner against Monaco, and created more key passes (11) than any other player in France’s top tier. Fekir’s attacking partner in crime also features in the XI as Mariano impressed on the frontline for the French side, scoring three goals in four appearances. The summer arrival has formed an effective partnership with Fekir, with Fekir to Mariano the best assist-to-goalscorer combination in Ligue 1 this season, returning three goals. 

Dutchman Memphis features on the left flank having rattled in four goals, including a hat-trick at Troyes to earn a perfect WhoScored rating of 10. With six dribbles and six key passes, the 23-year-old did well to earn a WhoScored rating of 7.63 in October. Lyon teammate and teenager Houssem Aouar was an effective performer in the middle of the park, with three of his five league starts this season coming last month. The 19-year-old displayed impressed defensive awareness to make a combined 10 tackles and interceptions and pressed forward with purpose as he completed 15 dribbles to gain a WhoScored rating of 8.02. 

Fellow youngster Alexis Blin partners Aouar in the middle of the park after the 21-year-old Toulouse man excelled, registering two assists and making a combined 11 tackles and interceptions. Florian Thauvin rounds off the midfield having scored one and assisted another in an October that saw the Marseille wideman make nine key passes and nine successful dribbles. 

Youngster Nordi Mukiele features at the back following another notable month for the 20-year-old defender, who made 16 tackles and interceptions combined in the Montpellier backline. Fellow Frenchman Christophe Kerbrat comes in alongside Mukiele, with the 31-year-old centre-back reinforcing his knack for being in the right place at the right time as he made 19 clearances and 16 interceptions. 

Monaco’s Brazilian left-back Jorge turned out two commendable showings in October to earn a WhoScored rating of 7.83, with his defensive qualities rising to the fore again that saw the 21-year-old 12 tackles and interceptions combined in wins over Caen and Bordeaux. Malian right-back Hamari Traore made 11 tackles and interceptions combined for Rennes in October as Rennes won two of the three games he featured in, keeping clean sheets in those two victotries. 

Benjamin Lecomte completes the XI following a solid October between the Montpellier sticks. The 26-year-old kept two clean sheets last month, one of which came in a man of the match display in a 2-0 win over Nice, where Lecomte made eight saves to return a WhoScored rating of 9.44.