What a weekend of football it has been yet again! After an onslaught of goals on Saturday, where at least one side from each of the fixtures scored three goals, Sunday was defined by some mean defensive work.
Leicester City and Jamie Vardy displayed some of their lost magic from last season to inflict a heavy and shocking defeat on Manchester City while Chelsea reclaimed top spot through an inspirational goal from Diego Costa. Liverpool lost out on points yet again as Arsenal stayed on course and Manchester United managed a long-awaited victory.
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With more league games coming up in midweek, here are the standout performers who make it to Sportskeeda’s Team of the Week:
Goalkeeper
David de Gea
Manchester United’s most reliable player, David de Gea, was true to form as he protected his team’s goal well. He was called into action on quite a few occasions but managed to keep a clean sheet nonetheless.
The Spaniard managed to make four saves, his best save being a low free kick from Christian Eriksen which he deftly palmed away from harm’s way.
Defenders
Matteo Darmian
Mourinho tried really hard to get by without the Italian right back but has finally capitulated to reason. Darmian proved that he is an integral cog in the left-back position and was effective at dealing with the threat of Sissoko in the second half and also won four of his five aerial duels.
Gary Cahill
Cahill seems to have regained his confidence under Antonio Conte after last season’s debacle. Even though Chelsea wasn’t at their best, the Englishman did his defensive job well and made one especially crucial tackle inside his own box that could have easily been a penalty had it not been perfectly timed.
In spite of looking edgy in the final minutes of the game, he kept his clean sheet and lead intact.
Jordi Amat
The Swans attackers made short work of Sunderland’s defence but the defenders did their bit too, none more than Jordi Amat. The Spaniard made his fair share of blocks that kept Swansea in the game until they could get a confident foothold in the match.
The central defender displayed some great positioning skills that allowed his side to get away with a clean sheet at home.
Sam McQueen
The Southampton academy graduate showed some impressive defensive ability against a threatening Middlesbrough. The 21-year-old displayed some great potential as he made 11 recoveries and two blocks for his team and went away with three points and a clean sheet.
Midfielders
Andy King
Andy King doubled Leicester’s lead within five minutes of kick-off when he fired a well-placed shot to beat Claudio Bravo. Apart from his goal, King was quite impressive in central midfield.
Even though Manchester City commanded the pace of the game and dominated possession, he was quick to move ball along when his team did regain their hold on the game, making three interceptions and two blocks.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The Armenian midfielder has had a huge impact on Manchester United ever since Jose Mourinho re-introduced him into the team. After his impressive performance in the Europa League, he starred for the Red Devils yet again as he scored the side’s only goal, giving them a much-deserved win against a dangerous opponent.
Mkhitaryan made life difficult for Spurs and the only way they could deal with him was by fouling him repeatedly. He was quick, pragmatic and skilful with the ball in a way that deserves a starting position in the team.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
The Icelandic midfielder had a good night as his team did a solid job of leaving Sunderland behind in last place for the time being. He scored his side’s first goal from the spot and made the assist for Llorente’s first goal in the second half.
He was heavily involved in the game, creating a total of six chances. He also got in nine crosses in and around the penalty area.
Forwards
Stefano Okaka
Okaka helped his side get into the game after Lukaku’s goal in the 17th minute. The Italian scored with a sweet backheel making it his first goal for Watford. He followed up his first goal for the Hornets with yet another in the second half, almost assuring his side of a home victory against Everton.
The forward was also quite good at winning the ball back from his opponents and made three successful tackles.
Jamie Vardy
Jamie Vardy has not been anywhere near as effective for Leicester City as last season but he showed signs of his previous form with a stunning hat-trick at the expense of Manchester City. Considering his explosive run last year, this was his first hat-trick in the Premier League.
He managed to find the net from all three of his shots on target and made Claudio Bravo and the rest of his team look sub-standard.
Fernando Llorente
Swansea clawed their way up from bottom place thanks to a brace by Fernando Llorente. The Swans forward’s first goal came in the second half when he finished from close range from a Gylfi Sigurdsson corner. His second goal came 10 minutes before time as he headed in his team’s third and final goal from a cross.
Substitutes
Fraizer Campbell
Campbell rescued Crystal Palace after they squandered away their lead in the second half. He scored Palace’s equalising third goal just two short minutes before the final whistle to assure his side of at least one point from a hard-fought game.
Cesc Fabregas
Fabregas combined with Diego Costa yet again to make a goal for the Blues. The former Arsenal player made a sublime assist for Costa after coming off the bench to replace Victor Moses. His assist against West Bromwich Albion was his second since last week when he actually started.
Moussa Sissoko
The French midfielder came off the bench at Old Trafford and immediately infused new life into Spurs’ attack. He was relentless along the right flank and crossed in a couple of great deliveries that could have easily rescued his team from a defeat. Sissoko might not be good enough to start a game under Pochettino but he showed some deft skills and creativity that the London side could use.
Manager
Claudio Ranieri
Ranieri hasn’t been quite as brilliant as he was last season, but some of his previous genius was in evidence against Pep Guardiola’s side. His method to counteract City’s passing style was shockingly effective as Leicester beat them on the counter attack every time. The Italian surely taught Guardiola well about the ways of the Premier League if he hadn’t caught onto it yet.
