Another week filled to the brim with drama and excitement, and well, it certainly didn’t run short of surprises. We had Manchester City’s 2-0 loss at the hands of Wolves and it was even worse for Tottenham in their own 3-0. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s fate at the club has become even more dubious after they lost 1-0 to Newcastle United. There was also Liverpool’s 2-1 victory against Leicester which pushed them even further towards PL glory. A lot of great performances made all this possible and without further ado, let’s take a look at the team of the week.
Formation : 4-3-3
GK: Bernd Leno (Arsenal)
Leno has always had the disadvantage of Arsenal’s weaker defence. As a result, he may not have been able to keep too many clean sheets. He has been mostly sharp and this week was no different. He showcased his reflexes and stopping power with 2 saves, aside from finally keeping a clean sheet.
LB: Jetro Willems (Newcastle)
Manchester United incurred another loss, this time, at the hands of Newcastle. Jetro Willems was brilliant in the game, not letting players get past him. In general, he was giving United players a difficult time across the left flank, preventing them to put in the crosses. He was quick as well and as a result of his brilliant dribbling on the left, leading to his pass, Matthew Longstaff scored a great goal.
CB: Lewis Dunk ( Brighton)
The man was connected to having a big transfer to one of the top clubs and while that didn’t happen over the transfer window, he definitely showed why big numbers were being thrown around in connection to his name. He not only maintained a clean sheet, but he was also strong in defence locking down Tottenham’s players, not giving them any breathing room. He also managed an assist in the game that led to the 3rd and final goal.
CB: Dejan Lovren (Liverpool)
While it didn’t look good for Liverpool for a while, Lovren played well, keeping the opposition at bay with extreme prejudice. His tackling was sharp, as was his aggression. He managed 2 tackles and was also strong in the air. There was also the matter of his last-man-tackle that practically saved Liverpool. Surely he was one of the reasons, Liverpool has held on their victory in a streak in the PL.
RB: Ryan Fredericks (West Ham United)
They might’ve lost but this fullback put in 110%. He was playing almost at heightened sensibilities, contributing immensely to both attack and defence. He won 3 aerial balls and 3 tackles and proved to be a diabolical force in defence. He was just as excellent in attack, reading fellow teammates carefully. He was largely responsible for Sebastian Haller’s goal when he passed the ball to him in the midst of the opposition defence. It was like finding a needle in a haystack but Fredericks proved to be more than up to the challenge with his assist.
CM: James Milner (Liverpool)
It’s kind of a surprise it took so long for James Milner to make the Team of the Week. He’s been playing very consistently, always putting the team and his responsibilities as a veteran player first. Like most of his games, his passing was sharp and his awareness was strong. He even completed a few good tackles. He contributed to both Liverpool goals, the first Mane’ goal via assist and he netted the winner with a calm penalty. Easily one of the best players of GW 8.
CM: N’golo Kante (Chelsea)
Lampard and Co. had a good weekend with a 4-1 victory. N’golo Kante is arguably Chelsea best player, especially since Hazard’s departure and he’s been proving that in almost every single game he’s played. He’s proven to be even more versatile and adaptive, being ever-present somehow even more so than before. He is one of the big reasons as to why the London club has climbed to 5th. Kante managed 2 tackles and a goal, via a deflection.
CAM: Mason Mount (Chelsea)
With the big win margin, some Chelsea players were bound to make the team. Mason Mount continued his stellar form. He was strong on the attack with clever position and his ability to pick out weak spots along with his fellow teammates was on full throttle. The youngster completed 2 key passes and 3 shots. Most importantly he scored the 2nd goal for Chelsea with a thundering finish, leaving the keeper with no chance.
LW: Jack Grealish (Aston Villa)
The Aston Villa forward had to make this list, seeing as how his team had a gargantuan 5-1 victory. He was extremely impressive in attacking, with the right amount of aggression, clever thinking and general attacking intelligence. Not only did he complete 1 dribble, 2 tackles but also 2 key passes. There’s also the matter of his goal made the victory almost sure. It was a clinical finish with the left foot, displaying a brilliant read of his fellow attackers.
RW: Adama Traore’ (Wolves)
The man responsible for an upset no one is going to forget was bound to make a list like this. Manchester City is a domineering team and it’s not even easy to avoid a 4-0 loss, let alone coming out as a winner. But Wolves were able to frustrate them while also not falling prey to frustration themselves and Adama Traore was leading the charge, making full use of the handful of counter-attacks with his darting runs. Both of the goals came from him and his brilliant level of composure. He was able to take advantage of the little mistakes made by City’s backline and put the ball past a very level-headed Ederson. A spectacular performance in a memorable upset.
CF: Raul Jimenez (Wolves)
Back to the 2-0 upset yet again. Traore was a brilliant gun and Jiminez had a great trigger finger. He knew how to exploit Man CIty’s weaknesses and the opponent being Man City, there weren’t many. He was clever throughout the game and his vision showcased his game-sense. His dribbling was sharp and proved to be necessary when he orchestrated both of the goals with his 2 assists when picking out Traore’.
