A great week of Premier League football wrapped up yet again. We saw Liverpool extend their lead, not only due to another win for the Reds but also with 2nd placed Leicester drawing their game 1-1. Chelsea’s worries grew a bit more with Frank Lampard’s side registering another loss in the Premier League. Man City seems to have bounced back with a 3-0 win. Tottenham moved up to the 5th spot ahead of Manchester United who drew their game after the win against City in the past week. Lots of developments and lots of great performances.
Here’s the team of the week:
Formation: 3-4-3
GK: Aaron Ramsdale (Bournemouth FC)
It was a tight contest between Chelsea and Bournemouth but ultimately Bournemouth was victorious with a 1-0 win. Chelsea were strong with the attack but it was not enough and Bournemouth FC owes that to the star goalkeeper of the game. Aaron Ramsdale’s reflexes were fast and his hands were quick and deft. His stopping power was on high throttle as he managed 5 saves in the game. A crucial performance that steered Bournemouth further away from the dreaded relegation spot just 4 points down (right now).
CB: Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool FC)
Virgil Van Dijk proved essential as Liverpool added another W to the column. He proved to be a brick wall and his coordination with fellow center-back Joe Gomez was noteworthy. He was amazing in the air as usual with 3 aerial battles won. The Dutchman also managed 3 clearances and 1 interception.
CB: Joe Gomez (Liverpool FC)
Speaking of ‘fellow centre-back’, Joe Gomez had to make this team. He seemed to really settle in despite his injury-laden hiatus. He was quick and sharp on defence and his tackling was aggressive and surprisingly clinical as well. He was just as impressive in the air with little getting past him. All in all,Joe Gomez managed a whopping 7 aerial wins, 3 tackles, 2 interceptions and 4 clearances. He stood on his own in a team full of star performers.
CB: James Tarkowski (Burnley FC)
And the praise about extremely impressive performances in the air continues with James Tarkowski. He was the brick wall that Burnley needed in the draw against Newcastle. He was strong and held the fort down with his positioning and read. Tarkowski managed 10 aerial wins, 1 tackle, 10 clearances and 4 interceptions. An important performance from the Englishman.
LM: Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Sterling returned to form after a brief lull in the past few PL weeks. His goal was in large part due to his cleverly timed run and fantastic positioning. He was really dominant along the left, linking well with his teammates. Sterling managed 4 shots in the game along with 1 dribble. His passing was clinical with a 91% success rate and 2 key passes in the game. Sterling proved why he’s considered such a key offensive player.
CM: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
Kevin De Bruyne once again put up arguably the best performance of the weekend. He was simply terrific. His passes and through balls were crisp. He was faster than usual and his vision was operating at a pristine level. He made 2 key passes in the game along with an assist, which was a smooth assist to the aforementioned Raheem Sterling. Most importantly he scored 2 fantastic goals showcasing his powerful shooting ability and his brilliant sense for finishing, especially in his second goal.
CM: John Fleck (Sheffield United)
Sheffield United inched even closer to the top 6 with only a Goal Difference of one separating Sheffield and Man United. Arthur Fleck proved to be even stronger in this game(as compared to the earlier Man United game), scoring both of the game’s goals. He completed 3 dribbles in the game scoring on both of the shots he took in the game. Fleck utilized a brilliant ball from Lundstram for the first goal. He utilized his pace to full effect in the second goal where he netted the ball as a result of a swift dash towards the right.
RM: Lucas Moura (Tottenham Hotspur)
Moura proved to be quite a capable attacker against Wolves. His pace and dribbling was fantastic throughout the game. Of course the highlight was the first goal of the game, where he dribbled from near the edge of the half towards the left of the penalty box and belted the ball into the back of the net. Terrific finishing to occupy the fantastic run in what was surely the goal of the week. Throughout the match, he completed 2 dribbles and managed 2 shots along with 4 key passes, proving that the goal was not the only positive take-away from his game.
LW: David McGoldrick (Sheffield United)
Another key figure for Sheffield United not just for this game but for the unexpectedly impressive season as a whole. His attacking awareness, read and intensity were strong in the 2-0 win against Aston Villa. He was extremely impressive in the air with 9 aerial battles won. McGoldrick managed 3 shots in the game, 1 of which was on target. He also played a great overhead ball to Fleck for the final goal of the game. A terrific assist from an impressive player to cap off a crucial victory.
RW: Adama Traore (Wolves)
Adama Traore has been one of the highlights for Wolves this season. He proves to be a capable attacker in every game and while his performance against Manchester City will be tough to eclipse, it’s evident that he’s still just as hungry and capable as he was at that game. Traore was strong throughout the game with his dribbling staying strong. He completed 5 dribbles in the game along with 1 key pass and 3 shots. Of course his goal was fantastic. He simply crackled the ball towards the top corner of the goal. The goalkeeper had no chance and it put Wolves at level with Tottenham for almost the entire game.
ST: Mohamed Salah ( Liverpool)
With his performance against Watford, Salah put himself back in the running for the top scorers in the league. His first goal came as a result of a superb run followed by an equally impressive finish. He might have had a little bit of luck for the second but even then, his finishing was exquisite. Salah yet again proved why he’s one of the best forwards in the world. He managed 7 shots throughout the game along with 1 dribble.
