Opta Player of the Month

Opta's statisticians have named their player of the month for February.

Despite another difficult month for the reigning Premiership champions, in which red cards, injuries and dropped points have well and truly spoiled that much-heralded sheen of invincibility, February's Opta player of the month awards are dominated by Arsenal, with The Gunners scooping the top three spots.

Patrick Vieira tops the rankings, having finally rediscovered the form that made him a prime target for Real Madrid in the summer.

The Gunners' skipper scored two goals last month and set up six goalscoring chances for his team-mates. The Senegal-born superstar was also The Premiership's best passer in February, hitting 264 accurate passes, more than any other player.

Vieira also provided his customary physical presence in the middle of the park, winning 16 tackles, more than any other Arsenal player.

Coming in second behind his captain and compatriot, Thierry Henry continued to prosper in The Premiership, adding another three goals in February to take his season total in the league to a chart-topping 19.

The fleet-footed Frenchman was particularly inspirational in the 5-1 Valentine's Day massacre of Crystal Palace, bagging a brace for himself and providing an assist. In total, Henry provided four goal assists in February, more than any other player while the former Juventus man also hit 11 shots on target, more than anyone else.

Veteran playmaker Dennis Bergkamp makes it a hat-trick for The Gunners. The Highbury legend has been in superb form in The Premiership, using all his experience, vision and skill to orchestrate The Gunners' attack.

Bergkamp bagged two goals in February, as well as providing another two goal assists and one wonders if Arsene Wenger now regrets not taking his non-flying Dutchman to Munich for last week's crucial UEFA Champions League tie against Bayern.

Another one of The Premiership's old boys takes the fourth spot in the rankings. While Arsenal have slipped out of the title race, Manchester United have kept the pressure on Chelsea and central to United's title charge has been the superb form of Roy Keane.

The former Nottingham Forest man made 16 tackles in February, more than any other United player, while the outspoken dynamo also managed to bag his 50th goal for The Red Devils, getting on the scoresheet against Birmingham.

Taking fifth place for February is The Premiership's Mr. Consistent. Seemingly impervious to injury and fatigue, Frank Lampard continued to provide the homegrown hub at the centre of Jose Mourinho's multi-national title tilt.

The former Hammer fired in 10 attempts on goal, more than any other midfielder in the top tier. Lampard also set up a goalscoring chance for a team-mate on six occasions and was The Blues' top tackler, winning 12 challenges.

Rank	Player	Team	OPTA Index
1	Patrick Vieira	Arsenal	1814
2	Thierry Henry	Arsenal	1794
3	Dennis Bergkamp	Arsenal	1575
4	Roy Keane	Manchester United	1567
5	Frank Lampard	Chelsea	1554