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November was a busy month in the world of football. There was plenty of high-octane action. It featured the final international break of the year and European national teams played out the last group stage games of their 2022 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers.
On either side of the World Cup Qualifiers, we had club football action. The UEFA Champions League knockout lineup is now almost ready with just one round of group stage games remaining. With clubs heading into a busy set of fixtures over the coming weeks, now is the perfect time for players to be kicking into form.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best players in the month of November.
#5 Joao Cancelo (Portugal/Manchester City)
Joao Cancelo is in the process of establishing himself as one of the most technically proficient full-backs in the game right now. The Portuguese international is more than a handful to deal with and has been shining despite not playing regularly in his preferred position.
Cancelo, primarily a right-back, has been deployed on the left flank more often than not this season. His excellent passing, vision, driving runs and ability to wreak havoc in the final third have all come in handy for Pep Guardiola's men this term.
Cancelo picked up five assists in six appearances for both club and country in the month of November. That included a hat-trick of assists he picked up in Manchester City's 4-1 win over Club Brugge. He was also the man of the match in the Manchester derby.
Cancelo has also been solid defensively and was very consistent during November. Guardiola will hope that his talismanic full-back can continue to shine as fixtures start to come thick and fast in December.
#4 Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema finished fourth in the race for this year's Ballon d'Or. 2021 has been one of the best years of the Real Madrid striker's career at an individual level. He has turned in plenty of matchwinning performances for both club and country in recent times.
The 33-year-old has also been one of the most in-form players of the 2021-22 season. He has already clocked incredible numbers this term and November was a good month for the Frenchman.
Benzema scored eight goals in seven appearances across all competitions for club and country in November. This included braces against Shakhtar Donetsk for Real Madrid and against Kazakhstan for the French national team.
All of his performances in November were exemplary and it shows why Benzema is one of the best forwards of the modern era.
#3 Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich)
A large section of football's fanbase is miffed with Robert Lewandowski not winning the Ballon d'Or. The Bayern Munich striker has simply been in a class of his own in recent seasons and the 2021-22 campaign has been no different.
Lewandowski is cruising and is lugging Bayern Munich with him. He had a great November as well, scoring eight goals and providing two assists in just six games for both club and country.
Lewandowski scored a hat-trick and provided an assist as Bayern beat Benfica 5-2 in the UEFA Champions League. He also bagged a brace against Andorra for Poland and scored goals against Freiburg, Augsburg and Dynamo Kyiv for the Bavarians.
#2 Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool)
Trent Alexander-Arnold is the best right-back in the world right now and it is simply not up for debate. The Liverpool man has been unstoppable in recent weeks and has showcased sublime form in the month of November.
He kicked things off last month with a masterful performance against Atletico Madrid. The 23-year-old bagged two assists in that game before scoring a goal and registering an assist in the 3-2 loss against West Ham United a few days later.
Alexander-Arnold then provided a hat-trick of assists in England's 10-0 win over San Marino. He showed the Three Lions' manager Gareth Southgate exactly what he is capable of when he is given the freedom to roam on the right flank.
The Englishman kicked on in the same vein and picked up two assists against Arsenal as Liverpool thumped the Gunners 4-0. He set up another goal in Liverpool's 4-0 win over Southampton as well. Alexander-Arnold finished November with nine assists and a goal to his name.
#1 Kylian Mbappe (France/Paris Saint-Germain)
With neither Lionel Messi nor Neymar Jr. playing to the best of their capabilities, Paris Saint-Germain have had to rely on Kylian Mbappe yet again. The Frenchman has never disappointed and has now fully kicked into gear heading into December.
Mbappe scored four goals in France's 8-0 win over Kazakhstan. He became the first French player to score four goals in a game in 63 years. The 22-year-old then produced a match-winning performance against Finland as well, scoring a goal and providing an assist in a 2-0 win.
He had scored a goal and racked up two assists in PSG's 3-2 win over Bordeaux prior to the international break. Mbappe resumed club action with a goal and an assist against Nantes and scored his side's only goal in their 2-1 loss against Manchester City.
In total, Mbappe scored eight goals and provided six assists in seven appearances for club and country in November. He failed to score a goal or register an assist only in PSG's game against Saint Etienne, which came last weekend.
