Joy Elite League: the top scorer and his two runners-up head the best five stars in August

The standout star was of course Mohammed Al-Isa. The Al-Ettifaq striker scored 5 goals in the first two rounds, racing to the top of the JOI Elite League scorers' chart early on.

Four of them came in a single game, a super hat-trick in Al-Ettifaq's emphatic 10-1 win over Al-Tadamon in the first round. He then added another in the 2-0 victory over Damac in the second.

That form saw the Saudi striker steal the spotlight from teammate Jalal Al-Salem, the other scorer and one of the most prominent stars of last season's JOI Elite League. Al-Salem competed fiercely with Al-Taawoun striker Basem Al-Oraini for the top scorer title before losing out.

Al-Isa's decisive goals put Al-Ettifaq top of the Saudi under-21 league with a perfect record of 6 points, ahead of Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal and Al-Taawoun on goal difference.

Now the owner of the number 9 shirt must keep it up. Do that, and he writes his name into history as top scorer of the second JOI Elite League season, and marks himself out as a future striker for Al-Ettifaq and the Saudi national team.

Al-Eisa's dreams will run into some strong competitors, though, foremost among them Al-Ahli winger Ziyad Aba. He shone in the first two rounds of the Elite Joway League too, doing enough to thoroughly deserve his billing as the second-best player of August.

Aba scored a hat-trick in the 3-1 win over Al-Feiha in the first round, then added another in the 2-1 win over Al-Fateh in the second.

Those four goals put the left-footed Saudi winger second among the Elite Joway League's top scorers after two rounds, a single goal behind Al-Ettifaq star Mohammed Al-Eisa.

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Those influential, decisive goals have lifted Al-Ahli into second place in the Saudi Under-21 League table after the first two rounds. They sit on 6 points, behind Al-Ettifaq on goal difference.

Aba earned his place as August's second-best player not just for the goals, but for the manner of them. Each one showcased superb individual skill and a tremendous ability to strike the ball.

Third place goes to the Cape Verde arrival Jefferson Ramos, the Al-Fateh striker, and he has earned it. A blistering start to the current campaign has carried on the eye-catching form he showed last season.

Known simply as "En Ras", the striker hit a hat-trick in the 6-0 rout of Al-Ansar on the opening round, then added another in the 2-1 defeat to Al-Ahli in round two.

Al-Fateh may have lost that second match to Al-Ahli, but Ramos held onto his place as runner-up in the Saudi under-21 league scoring charts after the opening two rounds. His 4 goals leave him level with Ziyad Aba and one behind Mohammed Al-Issa.

This purple patch stretches back to the end of last season, when En Ras scored 6 goals in the knockout stages. He left his mark in every round from the quarter-final play-off onwards, the final being the sole exception in a defeat to Al-Hazm.

Ramos stands out as the most prominent foreign player in the Joy Elite League since last season. It looks like he will do it all over again this term.

Fourth place went to Al-Hilal striker Turki Al-Ghamil, who caught the eye in the opening two rounds of the new Saudi Pro League season.

Al-Ghamil struck twice in the 2-1 win over Al-Faisaly on the opening weekend, then added another in the 2-0 victory over Al-Kholood a round later.

Variety marked every one of those goals. He finished with his left foot after a fine run in front of an empty net, then bagged a second with his right after pressing a defender and robbing him of possession. A penalty, expertly dispatched, completed the set.

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Those three goals lift the young Saudi to fourth on the scorers' list, two behind Mohammed Al-Aissa and one adrift of both Jefferson Ramos and Ziyad Aba.

At 21, he looks set to become coach Mohammed Al-Shalhoub's new gamble this season, after several players shone in the role last term, chief among them Tunisia's Louai Al-Obaidi.

Basem Al-Uraini finished last season as the Joy Elite League's top scorer in his debut campaign, netting 20 goals for Al-Taawoun despite the team's quarter-final exit.

His promotion to the first team left Al-Taawoun hunting for a new striker. Youssef Al-Salem, it seems, has claimed that honour in a hurry.

Al-Salem has fired Al-Taawoun to victory in their opening two matches. He scored both goals in a clean 2-0 win over Al-Najma on the opening day, then the only goal against Al-Orobah in round two.

Al-Uraini's successor boasts a fearsome left foot, even from distance, as he proved with his second goal against Al-Najma.

Individually, the Al-Taawoun striker has dazzled. Three goals after two rounds lift him into fourth on the scoring charts, level with Turki Al-Ghameel, two behind Mohammed Al-Issa and one short of En Ras and Ziad Aba.

His impact on the team tells the same story. Al-Salem has scored 100% of Al-Taawoun's goals, driving them to fourth in the table on 6 points, behind Al-Ettifaq, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal on goal difference.