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Matchday 15 comes to an end, and this has turned out to be one of the best game-weeks this season, if not the best! There were plenty of upsets and brilliance throughout the week, right from Brighton's incredible victory over Arsenal at the Emirates to Jose's first defeat as Spurs manager at the hands of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
On the other side of the country, Liverpool registered a comprehensive 5-2 victory over Everton, as goals from Divock Origi, Sadio Mane and Xherdan Shaqiri got Marco Silva the sack. While Manchester City eased past Burnley at Turf Moor in an attempt to reduce the gap between them and Liverpool, Leicester City struggled a bit but eventually bagged a 2-0 win over Watford at the King Power to consolidate second spot in the standings, three points above the Cityzens.
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Chelsea, Wolves and Manchester United won their home games quite comfortably, but Arsenal were rinsed by the visitors as Graham Potter's men stole 3 points from the Gunners, dragging them down to 10th on the league table, five points above the relegation zone.
So, who do you think were the top performers of this game week?
5. Tammy Abraham - Chelsea
The inclusion of Tammy Abraham came as a surprise for many, as the 21-year-old suffered a worrying back injury against Valencia last week. However, the fans were delighted to see him back on the pitch and the youngster yet again came up big for the Blues, showing exactly what they lacked against West Ham in their previous league encounter.
Olivier Giroud and Michy Batshuayi are decent strikers in their own right, but the qualities Chelsea's first choice striker brings to the table is immense, as he opened the scoring with a brilliant header. But Aston Villa were back on level terms before HT. Soon in the second half, Abraham was yet again involved in the goal as he laid it on plate to Mason Mount, who stroke the ball home.
With a goal and an assist, Abraham took his tally to 11 goals in 14 games; the second highest in the league, as well as bagging 4 assists. He has thrived under Frank Lampard and is showing no signs of stopping.
Also check out: Premier League Premier League Table Champions League table
4. Aaron Mooy - Brighton & Hove Albion
The Australian midfielder had one of his best games in the Premier League last night, as he hammered Arsenal at the Emirates, adding more pain to their misery. The Gunners were awful at the back, and Brighton's forwards made sure they took home all three points.
The visitors were fearless, confident and showed immense belief in their style. Coming to the Emirates, they were not afraid to press Arsenal high and keep possession, and Graham Potter must be proud of how his team has over-performed a Premier League giant away from home.
Mooy recorded the most dribbles, crosses, tackles and passes for Brighton last night. He was a constant threat down the left wing and Hector Bellerin must be thinking of how drastically his game has dropped. The Huddersfield player, who is on loan with Brighton for the current season, created the winner for Neal Maupay as Brighton eased past Arsenal and was arguably one of the best performers of the weekend.
3. Gabriel Jesus - Manchester City
After a torrid game against Newcastle United, Gabriel Jesus made sure he answered his critics in utmost style. The 22-year-old scored a screamer to open the scoring at Turf Moor in the 24th minute, followed by another in the second half.
Jesus came away with two goals and led the line brilliantly, dropping deep, linking up play and being in the right place at the right time almost every single time. He gave James Tarkowski and Ben Mee a tough time throughout the game, and this was one of his better performances this season.
Pep Guardiola will be delighted with Jesus' performance against a defensively resolute Burnley side and he'll be hoping for the Brazilian to continue his rich vein of form, as the Cityzens look to sustain their title challenge in Sergio Aguero's absence.
2. Marcus Rashford - Manchester United
It has been goals galore for Manchester United's Marcus Rashford this season. The 22-year-old has arguably been one of the best wingers in the Premier League and after years of heavy criticism, Rashford looks like he is about to force his critics into hiding.
The winger once again came up big for Solskjaer's side, as he scored a brilliant goal to open the scoring at Old Trafford against Tottenham, followed by a composed penalty to seal the game in favour of the home side. In 15 games played, Rashford is the 4th highest scorer in the league with 9 goals to his name, as well as bagging 4 assists in the process.
It's not even New Year and Rashford is about to reach reach his best tally ever of 10 goals in 33 games for Man United, which came last season. Safe to say, the Englishman has significantly improved and should he keep this form intact, he might compete with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Jamie Vardy and Sadio Mane for the Golden Boot this term.
1. Sadio Mane - Liverpool
Sadio Mane, the man who often bails Liverpool out, was on fire again last night this time, he did it in the Merseyside Derby to secure a huge win for the Reds. With 9 goals and 4 assists in 15 games, Mane is in red-hot form at the moment and Jurgen Klopp deserves all the credit in the world for mentoring the winger into one of the great attackers of the game.
A 5-2 victory over Everton at Anfield means Liverpool have an 8-point lead at the top of the table, and Mane has been one of their most consistent performers this season, if not the most. He is yet to miss a single league or Champions League game this season, and as much as we admire him for his technical ability, the fact that he manages to stay fit through out the season despite playing more games than any other player often goes unnoticed.
4th highest scorer in the league and on-par with Rashford, Mane will hope to continue his blistering run of form, as Liverpool look to compete on all fronts this season.
