Players from Birmingham, Blackpool, Bristol City, Burnley, Coventry, Huddersfield, Reading, Rotherham, Sheffield United and Watford all feature as WhoScored.com run through their Sky Bet Championship Team of the Month for October
Monday 31 October 2022 18:06, UK
As October draws to a close, it's time to take stock and round up the Team of the Month. Here, WhoScored.com take a look at their best XI for October of those to have made four or more appearances, with Sheffield United, Watford and Burnley, among others, represented.
Far and away the busiest goalkeeper in October, Viktor Johansson made 40 saves in the Championship last month, at least 12 more than any other goalkeeper. Eleven of those came in Rotherham's 1-0 win at Stoke, a record in a Championship match this season, as the Swede features between the sticks with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.12.
Michal Helik won three WhoScored.com Man of the Match awards in October, that's more than any other player last month, as the Huddersfield centre-back put in star man displays against Hull, Middlesbrough and Millwall. Helik made the second most clearances (43) in the division in October to help return a WhoScored.com rating of 7.39.
Joining Helik in defence with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.30 is Birmingham's Auston Trusty. The American has scored three goals this season, all of which were netted in October, as he earned man of the match awards in wins over Bristol City and QPR. Trusty made 10 clearances in the victory over the latter, the 12th-best return in a match, to feature.
Bristol City may have conceded 11 times in eight matches in October, marking one of the worst defensive records, but Robert Atkinson rounds off the backline having shone at the back for the Robins regardless, as noted by a WhoScored.com rating of 7.29. Two of Atkinson's three goals were scored in October, while 47 aerial duels won was also more than any other player.
With a rating of 7.66, Jerry Yates is the WhoScored.com Championship Player of the Month. The Blackpool winger scored more goals (7) than any other player in the division in October, and provided an additional assist. Yates' overall goal contribution earned Blackpool an additional eight points to feature on the right in this XI.
Gustavo Hamer's September ended on a sour note as he was dismissed in Coventry's 0-0 draw with Birmingham, but he's sought to make amends in October. Indeed, Hamer has returned a WhoScored.com rating of 7.47 to make the Team of the Month, having scored two and provided one assist in man-of-the-match showings against Stoke and Rotherham.
Burnley's sole representative in the October Team of the Month is key midfield man Josh Brownhill. The Clarets star was effective off the ball as no player made more tackles than 26-year-old (26), while 18 goalscoring chances created was the second most in the division. With two assists and one goal, Brownhill is good value for his inclusion with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.42.
The first of two Sheffield United players in the XI, Oliver Norwood was unfortunate not to register an assist in October as he provided 15 key passes across his seven outings. Norwood did at least score his second league goal of the season, that coming in a 3-3 draw with Blackpool, as the Blades midfielder features with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.39.
With a WhoScored.com rating of 7.21, Watford's Hassane Kamara rounds off the midfield. Kamara finished October fourth for tackles and interceptions combined (36), all the while registering his first and second league assists of the season to cap a solid month for the Hornets full-back.
Reading striker Yakou Meite has only been directly involved in just four league goals this season, scoring twice, but all four came across five appearances in October. Meite hit the back of the net with two of seven shots to reinforce a statistically calculated WhoScored.com strength of 'finishing', and feature in attack with a rating of 7.35.
Joining Meite on the frontline is Sheffield United striker Oliver McBurnie. Three of the seven goals McBurnie has scored this season were netted in October as he scored against Birmingham, Norwich and West Brom. Only Ben Brereton Diaz (23) had more shots than McBurnie (21) this past month as he completes the team with a WhoScored.com rating of 7.24.
