Perfect September Sends Kobe Top; Kashima, Gamba Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Tokyo V Go Winless [Monthly Report (September): MEIJI YASUDA J1]

Matchweeks 5 to 8 of the MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE were played in September.

Kobe enjoyed a perfect month to climb to the top of the table. The 100 YEAR VISION LEAGUE champions won all four of their September matches, rising from sixth at the end of August to first. Their defence was a major strength, conceding just twice, while they also showed an ability to grind out tight victories. With injured players returning and new signing Erik making an immediate impact following his move from Machida, Kobe head into October with plenty of momentum.

Kashiwa, who had opened the season with four straight wins to lead the table, began September with back-to-back defeats. They responded with two consecutive victories and finished the month second, just one point behind Kobe. Yusuke Segawa has been particularly effective off the bench, regularly making an impact with important goals.

Machida slipped to fourth after suffering their first defeat of the season against Kashiwa, while free-scoring Hiroshima climbed to third. FC Tokyo also remained among the leading sides after going unbeaten through September with three wins and a draw.

Kashima, meanwhile, endured a difficult month after matching Kashiwa's perfect start in August. Defeat in the derby against Mito was followed by losses to Urawa and Kobe as they suffered three straight defeats. They stopped that run with a draw against Kawasaki Frontale in Matchweek 8, only to concede a late equaliser. Having allowed 10 goals in four matches during September, tightening up defensively will be a priority.

Okayama were one of the month's standout sides, winning three straight matches from Matchweek 5, while Urawa also collected three victories to climb to 10th.

At the other end of the form table, Kashima were one of five teams to go through September without a win, alongside Gamba Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Tokyo V. Nagoya endured the toughest run, losing all four of their September matches. They scored just once during the month, underlining their struggles in attack. Tokyo V have faced similar problems in front of goal and remain without a league victory this season.

Chiba finally ended their difficult start by beating Gamba Osaka in Matchweek 6 for their first win since returning to J1. They were unable to build on that result in their next two matches, however, and remain bottom of the table.

MEIJI YASUDA J1 LEAGUE Results (September)