And with the end of game week 13, we're over with a third of this season's Premier League. A lot of expectations have been subverted so far with the lesser teams giving the heavyweights a run for their money. Leicester City is continuing to show shades of it's championship season a few years ago while newly-promoted Sheffield United is currently occupying the no.6 position. Liverpool is still at no.1 and undefeated thanks an inspirational amount of talent and consistency. Every week of the Premier League has provided great bits of entertainment and this weekend was no different. Whether it was Man United's 3-3 draw with Sheffield or Man City's win against an in-form Chelsea squad, this week had something for every football fan. Of course, a game is only as good as the players involved and naturally there were some star performances in GW13. Let's take a look at this the Team of the Week for GW 13.
Formation : 4-3-3 Attacking
GK: Nick Pope (Burnley FC)
Burnley were solid against Watford and perhaps no other player exemplified that defensively quite like Nick Pope. He’s a large part of why Burnley is walking away with +1 in the W column. His reflexes, positioning were top notch. His stopping power was put to the test and he passed with flying colours. A brilliant clean sheet courtesy of 4 adept saves.
LB: Andrew Robertson ( Liverpool FC)
With every game week, this fullback reminds you of how far one can go even if you start somewhere modest. His speed and pace was top notch as usual and his crossing was accurate and strong. The first goal came thanks to a cheeky cross from the Scottsman (with a little bit of luck). He was strong throughout the game, with clean long balls and linking up brilliantly with Liverpool’s frontline.
CB: James Tarkowski (Burnley FC)
Burnley had the biggest win of the week so it’s natural that the team would have some players here. Tarkowski was not only a strong wall but also the opportunistic goalscorer for his team. He was strong in thwarting attackers and was practically invincible in the air which led him to win 7 battles. The cherry on top was his goal that he smashed into the back of the net towards the end of the game.
CB: Fernandinho (Manchester City)
It’s nice to see how well Fernandinho has adjusted to being Centre Back. He’s arguably just as impressive in that position compared to when his was in midfield. He’s one of those players who’s reliable and can hold the fort down, which is exactly what he did against Chelsea. One goal was the limit thanks to Fernandinho. He was strong both in the air and on the ground not only evidence by simply watching the game but also but the nos. He had 4 aerial wins and 4 successful tackles.
RB: Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City)
Ricardo Pereira is one of the reasons why Portugal’s World Cup 2022 and Euro 2020 campaigns are highly anticipated. He’s slowly becoming one of the best fullbacks the world has to offer. Most importantly, he’s an incredibly balanced fullback able to attack and defend. He managed to maintain all of that in Leicester’s game against Brighton. He was nice in the air with 1 aerial battle won. Pereira’s tackling was fantastic and he managed 4 tackles in the game, aside from 2 completed dribbles in the offensive spectrum
CM: N’golo Kante’ (Chelsea FC)
His 150th club appearance for Chelsea was a little bittersweet. A fantastic individual effort was ultimately overshadowed by the fact that Chelsea registered a loss. Then again it was a fine performance. N’golo Kante proves to incredibly versatile and very sharp despite a break from football on account of injury. His goal proved just how good he can be when it comes to finishing and pressure situations. He managed 2 dribbles, tackles and key passes.
CM: James Maddison (Leicester City)
Yet another fine game for James Maddison. The entirety of Leicester City is in terrific form and Maddison is one of the ones leading the charge. He is an incredibly strong attacker with fantastic vision and awareness. Not to mention that he’s quick on his feet. A lot of Leicester City’s attacks were orchestrated by Maddison while also maintaining defence. He completed an astounding 5 tackles throughout the game along with 3 shots and 4 key passes.
CAM: Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
Mesut Ozil was one of the key factors in Arsenal’s offensive success against Southampton. He was the orchestrator for a lot of important plays, providing the front line with a lot of opportunities to score. Simply said, he was critical to all things good for Arsenal in their most recent game. His dribbling and passing seemed very sharp as did his awareness. He managed 4 key passes in the game along with 3 dribbles and even 2 tackles.
LW: Danny Ings (Southampton)
Probably the dark horse of the team but nevertheless, he was effective when duty called. His early goal gave Southampton the extra bit of edge and even though the match ended in a draw, things might’ve been catastrophic for the Saints if he wasn’t there on the left. Ings was quick when it came to offense and it put the Arsenal players on edge. He managed 3 shots and even 1 key pass throughout the game.
RW: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
Mane’ is continuing his brilliant form and Liverpool is certainly very thankful. This run of form just goes to show that the Senegalese player is simply one of the best attackers in football right now. His goal might not have been something jaw-dropping but his consistency even throughout the course of just 90 minutes of a game certainly is. He was relentless in his attack, trying to exploit (and succeeding in it) his opponent in every way he could. The fact that he had 3 shots in the match just shows the level of tenacity he possesses.
ST: Raul Jimenez ( Wolves)
Simply put, Raul Jimenez is one of the most opportunistic and adept strikers in the Premier League. He simply exudes a level of hunger that is necessary to achieve greatness as an attacker. He was unrelenting in the recent game against Bournemouth. His goal might have seemed simple but his sense of position and the timing of his run made is seem easier than it was. Even aside from the goal, he was simply hungry throughout the match, which is why he managed a total of 7 shots and 4 on target. Raul Jimenez proved just how much of an effective and quintessential striker he can be.
