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Team Melli’s European-based stars were unstoppable, with Mehdi Taremi and Sardar Azmoun both piling on the goals for their respective clubs, while Hwang Hee-chan and Kyogo Furuhashi continued their stunning early days in British football.
But who was Asia’s best player outside of the continent for the week just passed?
Study our list of contenders – based on performances from October 19 to 25 – and don’t forget to cast your vote.
Study our list of contenders – based on performances from October 19 to 25 – and don’t forget to cast your vote.
Mehdi Taremi (FC Porto, IR Iran)
86 minutes, 6 shots, 1 shot assist, 11 duels won (1-0 v AC Milan)
90 minutes, 3 goals, 83% pass accuracy (3-1 v Tondela)
Fresh from an UEFA Champions League victory over AC Milan, Mehdi Taremi was at his sensational best in league action against Tondela, scoring in the 19th, 43rd and 79th minutes to register a stunning hat-trick.
Sardar Azmoun (Zenit, IR Iran)
36 minutes, 67% pass accuracy (0-1 v Juventus)
90 minutes, 2 goals, 1 secondary assist (7-1 v Spartak Moscow)
Under pressure to deliver in one of Russian football’s biggest fixtures after nine matches without a goal for club and country, Sardar Azmoun was electric on Sunday, scoring two early goals and winning a penalty kick as Zenit inflicted a historic thrashing on rivals Spartak.
Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers, Korea Republic)
90 minutes, 1 goal, 15 duels won (1-1 v Leeds United)
Korea Republic’s Hwang continued his brilliant start to life in the Premier League by opening the scoring at Elland Road on Saturday, taking his tally to four goals in six league appearances since arriving in England.
Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli, Australia)
90 minutes, 1 goal, 2 shot assists, 15 duels won (4-0 v Hansa Rostock)
A mainstay in the Australian national team, Jackson Irvine delivered a superb performance at club level, where he was one of the best players on the pitch as St Pauli stormed to a big Bundesliga 2 win over Rostock.
Takuma Asano (VfL Bochum, Japan)
83 minutes, 1 assist, 71% pass accuracy, 5 successful dribbles (2-0 v Eintracht Frankfurt)
Staying in Germany, where Japan international Takauma Asano thrived in a wide position for Bochum, setting up Danny Blum’s opener within three minutes as part of an impressive all-round performance against Daichi Kamada’s Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ryota Morioka (RSC Charleroi, Japan)
90 minutes, 1 goal, 76% pass accuracy, 21 duels won (3-1 v RFC Searing)
A week after being undone by Kaoru Mitoma’s stunning hat-trick, RFC Searing fell victim to another outstanding individual performance from a Japanese player, with Ryota Morioka turning in an excellent display both with and without the ball in Belgium.
Ali Gholizadeh (RSC Charleroi, IR Iran)
65 minutes, 1 goal, 1 assist, 86% duels won (3-1 v RFC Searing)
Morioka wasn’t the only Asian player to contribute to Charleroi’s 3-1 win. Iranian star Ali Gholizadeh also starred for Edward Still’s side, delivering a goal and an assist and making it three successive league matches where he has got his name on the scoresheet.
Kyogo Furuhashi (Celtic, Japan)
86 minutes, 1 goal, 91% pass accuracy, 3 interceptions (2-0 Ferencváros)
81 minutes, 87% pass accuracy, 1 penalty won (2-0 St. Johnstone)
Back in the Celtic line-up after his injury lay-off, Furuhashi produced a moment of magic to give the Hoops the lead in their UEFA Europa League clash against Hungarian champions Ferencváros, controlling Jota’s pass with the most delightful of first touches before easing home his ninth goal of the season.
Aias Aosman (Ionikos, Syria)
67 minutes, 1 goal, 1 assist, 80% dribbles successful (2-0 v Atromitos)
A match-winning individual performance sees Syria’s Aias Aosman return to our list, after the Greece-based attacking midfielder scored one and set up the other as his Ionikos side moved up to seventh on the Super League table.
Allahyar Sayyadmanesh (Zorya Luhansk, IR Iran)
90 minutes, 1 goal, 15 duels won (1-0 v CSKA Sofia)
90 minutes, 1 goal, 5 interceptions (1-0 Kolos Kovalivka)
Playing two full games in the space of 72 hours is a challenge for any footballer, but to score the winning goal in both is an immensely satisfying outcome for a 20-year-old forward like Allahyar Sayyadmanesh, whose star continues to rise in Ukrainian football.
*Poll ends at 17:00 hours (UTC+8) on October 30.
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