Another epic week of goal scoring wrapped up in England with GW 3 of the Premier League taking place. There was not a single goalless match and that is a win in any football fan’s book. Liverpool is reigning supreme with 3 wins out of 3 matches. Man City bounced back from their frustrating Tottenham draw with a sizeable win over Bournemouth. Arsenal, Manchester United and Tottenham lost their first matches with respective managers sure to rethink their strategies. Chelsea fought tooth and nail to win their first match. Quite a few games having equal to or more than 4 goals so entertainment levels were satisfied. Some players were responsible for the good things that came to their teams as a result of incredible displays of footballing skill and talent. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the Team of GW3 in the PL.
Formation: 4-3-3 (Attacking)
Goalkeeper: Angus Gunn (Southampton)
Gunn made some good saves to maintain his first clean sheet of the season against Brighton. He saved all 3 of the Brighton shots that were on target. The Englishman also has a total tally of 8 saves across the three games. The 23-year old who helped his team win 2-0 against Brighton in their first win is looking to be one of the better young goalkeepers out there.
RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Liverpool won their game against Arsenal 3-1 so a few Reds are bound to make the team. Alexander-Arnold continued his spectacular form of last season in the most recent match. He was completing the runs and making the key passes towards the attackers. His assist came in the form of a superb cross from the corner. Matip’s towering frame and aptitude did the rest. He even completed one tackle and took 3 shots.
CB: Joel Matip (Liverpool)
Whoever thought the next time we’d talk about a defender for Liverpool, it wouldn’t be Virgil Van Dijk? Matip was as sharp as a tack in his game against Arsenal. Despite Arsenal having a strong attack, he was able to thwart most of the problems hurled his way. He won the most headers (4), one of which led to a goal and completed 3 tackles against the Gunners. While a clean sheet was not maintained, he was sharp on both offense and defence.
CB: Fabian Schar (Newcastle United)
Newcastle surprised a lot of people, defeating a Pochettino-led Tottenham Hotspur. He was fantastic with partners-in-crime, Lascelles and Dummett. They held back the deadly Tottenham attack with Harry Kane at the helm. He managed 4 crucial tackles and won the ball twice in the air. He knew when to press and when to hold back and came out with a clean sheet victory as a result.
LB: Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)
Liverpool’s full-back duo remained as strong as ever in the 3-1 game against Arsenal. The Scotsman looked very sharp in the game with his runs and passes. He had among the highest pass count in the game with 69. His pass accuracy was just as brilliant with 93%. He completed 3 tackles and 2 dribbles showing that he is adept on both ends of the field.
CM: David Silva (Manchester City)
David Silva was critical in Man City’s 3-1 victory against Bournemouth. He was spectacular in the attack. He had a passing accuracy of 92% with 54 accurate passes. He had the most completed dribbles in the game with 3 and even had 2 tackles. Of course, the highlight of his performance was his assists. His first one was a clever one to Raheem Sterling, with his second one going to Aguero. A fantastic match from a certified Man City legend.
CM: John McGinn ( Aston Villa)
McGinn was arguably AVL’s most important player in the game against Everton. He completed 2 dribbles and 3 showing deftness in both attack and defence. Most importantly, he racked up an assist with EL Ghazi as the goal scorer crushing any fears AVL had of Everton scoring a late equalizer.
CAM: Nathan Redmond (Southampton)
25-year-old Redmond was key in Southampton’s victory this weekend. He was exceptional in the attack. He completed 3 dribbles (most in the game) and even completed 2 tackles. He won the ball once in the air. He shot the ball 3 times and it was on target twice showing how much of a hungry attacker he was. He also scored the late Southampton goal where he synced up with Boufal’s run towards goal perfectly and tapped the ball in.
LW: Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Both of Chelsea’s youngsters, Mason Mount, and Tammy Abraham were incredibly strong on the attack. A very slight edge to Mason Mount because his playing seemed refined. He was always there when the attack went underway, vying for the ball trying to get his name on the goalscorers column and Chelsea’s on the Victory column. He had 5 shots in the game, 2 of which were on target. He completed 2 dribbles showing his quick-footedness as well as 2 tackles. The 20-year-old managed 2 key passes and most importantly, he scored Chelsea’s second goal with a scorching catapulted shot to the top-right corner, showcasing his finishing skills.
RW: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Salah continues his goal scoring prowess in the PL by scoring a brace against Arsenal. This shows, that he’s going for the three-peat after winning the Golden Boot (PL) twice in a row. He had 3 dribbles and 5 shots, both of which were among the highest in the game. His passing accuracy was high (86%). The Egyptian scored the 2nd goal of the game via penalty and Liverpool’s last goal in the 59th minute with a calm grounded finish as he was charging from the right wing. Another week, another terrific performance from one of the best attackers in the world.
ST: Sebastian Haller (West Ham United)
The French forward was West Ham’s most key player in their 3-1 victory over Watford. Haller was brilliant in almost every facet of attack. He won 7 aerial battles, shot the ball 4 times with 3 on target, completed 1 dribble and even 1 tackle. His positioning was fantastic and as a result, he scored his first goal with an assist from Anderson putting WHU in the lead again. He eventually doubled double with the final goal of the game ball was hanging in the Watford penalty after a corner. An important brace from the Frenchman, delivering West Ham their first victory in the PL so far.
Substitutes:
Tom Heaton (AVL), Mark Noble (West Ham), Raheem Sterling (Man City), Tammy Abraham (Chelsea), Jannik Vestergaard (Southampton), Patrick Van Aanholt ( Crystal Palace), Sergio Aguero ( Man City)
