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There were more action in the Premier League this weekend, at both the top and bottom of the table.
Leaders Liverpool were not in action in the league, as they were tasting success in the Club World Cup over in Qatar. In their absence, Manchester City reduced their gap with the Reds after coming from a goal behind to beat Leicester City at the Etihad.
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Elsewhere, Chelsea picked up the result of the weekend with a 2-0 win at Tottenham; although the result was marred by racist abuse aimed at Antonio Rudiger. Sheffield United continued their fine form with a victory over Brighton, as they held on to fifth place.
Watford won at home in the league for the first time all season, beating Manchester United 2-0 as the visitors inconsistent run continued. Southampton also collected three vital points, winning 3-1 away at Aston Villa, who dropped into the relegation zone.
There were some fine individual performances in the Premier League this weekend, and with that in mind, here is the team of the week for matchday 18.
Rui Patricio (Wolves)
There weren’t many classic goalkeeping performances in the Premier League this weekend, but this one made a huge difference. Wolves were poor in the first half of their game with Norwich, and were fortunate to go in only one goal down. Had it not been for Patricio, they almost certainly would have conceded more. The Portuguese stopper made six saves in all, and gave Wolves a crucial platform to build on in the second half.
James Tarkowski (Burnley)
There wasn’t too much notable about Burnley’s late victory over Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium. It was a game that was dominated by the two defences for much of the 90 minutes, with just one shot on target in the whole game, that being Jay Rodriguez’s late winner. The one defender who really stood out was Burnley’s James Tarkowski, who dealt with everything Bournemouth threw at him, and put in another display that could help earn him a spot in England’s team for next summer’s European Championships.
Kurt Zouma (Chelsea)
At times it felt as if Harry Kane wasn’t playing for Tottenham in their 2-0 defeat to Chelsea on Sunday as the Englishman was marked out of the game by Chelsea’s back three, and in particular, Kurt Zouma. He stifled all the threats offered by the England captain, and set the platform for Chelsea’s impressive win. Much credit must go to Frank Lampard, who deployed the perfect tactics to outrun Tottenham in the centre of the park, and starve all supply to the front three.
John Egan (Sheffield United)
Sheffield United have been a revelation in the Premier League since their promotion in the summer. They have kept with the same style of attractive, pragmatic football with helped them go up, and manager Chris Wilder deserves a lot of praise for this. One of their star performers this season has been defender John Egan, who has played at the centre of one of the league’s top defences, and put in yet another dominant display against Brighton at the weekend.
Willian (Chelsea)
There have been a few casting doubts over Willian’s spot in the Chelsea team this season, given the presence of the likes of Callum Hudson-Odoi and Christian Pulisic. However, very few could have doubts after the winger’s superb showing against Tottenham on Sunday. The Brazilian scored twice, one superb curling effort, and once from the spot, as well as being a constant threat down Chelsea’s left side throughout the 90 minutes.
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
For the second week in a row, Kevin de Bruyne was in imperious form as Manchester City attempt to chase down Liverpool at the top of the Premier League table. The Belgian ran the show in the centre of the park against Leicester City, and once again proved why he is one of the best players in the country right now. He was involved in all the good things City did, and set up Gabriel Jesus for his side’s third goal.
Mason Mount (Chelsea)
One thing that has been a constant throughout this season is the impressive performances of Chelsea’s academy players. There were three in the Blues’ side for their memorable win over Tottenham, with Mason Mount starting alongside Fikayo Tomori and Tammy Abraham. The 20-year-old was at his creative best against Spurs, and linked up superbly with Abraham throughout the game. He has had a brilliant breakthrough season, and could be a vital player for Chelsea for a long time.
Ismaila Sarr (Watford)
Watford have been pretty poor in the present campaign; they have been leaky at the back, and toothless going forward. Sunday’s much-deserved victory over Manchester United was without a doubt their best performance of the season so far. Senegalese winger Ismaila Sarr scored his first Premier League goal to open the scoring, with the helping hand of David de Gea, before winning the penalty from which Troy Deeney added a second.
Danny Ings (Southampton)
It may sound strange, but losing 9-0 to Leicester City has proved a bit of a blessing in disguise for Southampton. Since that shattering defeat, the Saints have been stronger as a unit, and have picked up some vital points over their relegation rivals. They still owe much to Danny Ings, whose goals have now helped them out of the relegation zone, as he took his season tally to 11 after netting a brace against Aston Villa.
Troy Deeney (Watford)
At times this season, Watford have lacked Deeney’s fight and desire, with the striker missing much of the early months of the season with injury. He was back at his best against Manchester United on Sunday, bullying the likes of Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof, and showing that he really is up for this relegation battle. He capped off his fine display with a goal from the spot.
Oli McBurnie (Sheffield United)
Sheffield United spent a lot of money on striker Oli McBurnie last summer, paying a club record £20 million fee to sign the Scot from Swansea City. He has found chances limited though, with Chris Wilder often opting for a strike partnership of David McGoldrick and Lys Mousset. However, McBurnie has taken his chances when it has come his way, and he did once again on Saturday, scoring the winner against Brighton.
