Sports Mole picks its Premier League Team of the Week, including Kevin De Bruyne, Kai Havertz and Kobbie Mainoo.
The destiny of the Premier League title has changed hands once again following gameweek 31’s results, as the crown is now Arsenal‘s to lose thanks to their 3-0 beating of Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Gunners currently lead the way over Liverpool on goal difference owing to the Reds’ thrilling 2-2 draw with Manchester United, while Manchester City continue to breathe down both teams’ necks, coming from behind to sink Crystal Palace 4-2 on Saturday.
Tottenham Hotspur have also assumed control of the race for fourth with their 3-1 win over Nottingham Forest, capitalising on Aston Villa‘s collapse in a 3-3 draw with Brentford.
West Ham United and Newcastle United also enhanced their continental credentials, the Irons overcoming Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 while Eddie Howe‘s men edged out Fulham by a goal to nil.
Chelsea flattered to deceive once again, though, giving up a late goal in a 2-2 draw with Sheffield United, whose relegation rivals Burnley and Luton Town posted contrasting results; the Clarets were beaten 1-0 at Everton while the Hatters dramatically left it late to sink Bournemouth 2-1.
Here, Sports Mole selects its Premier League Team of the Week for the latest batch of fixtures.
DEFENCE
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A handful of Bournemouth outfielders may have let the side down with their profligacy in the loss to Luton, but goalkeeper Neto could not shoulder much of the blame, making seven saves and two high claims in a strong individual showing; there was little he could have done about either goal too.
Tottenham right-back Pedro Porro had been threatening a goal for a while in the Premier League, only for his account to still be unopened by the time Forest arrived in North London. However, the Spaniard finally broke his duck with a fine half-volley across goal to rubber-stamp Spurs’ success, while also completing 91% of his passes on the afternoon.
Porro was one of two defenders to finish emphatically during another rejuvenated second-half showing from Ange Postecoglou‘s side, as Micky van de Ven – who is arguably in the signing of the season conversation – restored Spurs’ lead with a ferocious strike into the top corner, and his five tackles were also crucial to Spurs’ ascent into the top four of the rankings.
In contrast, Newcastle’s European ambitions are not as lofty this season, but the Magpies are still in the continental conversation thanks to their narrow beating of Fulham. Amid Howe’s defensive injury crisis, Fabian Schar was steadfast at Craven Cottage, winning all five of his aerial duels and making a staggering 13 clearances, and he could count himself unlucky to have a goal controversially chalked off.
The third Tottenham-owned defender to earn an inclusion in our backline, on-loan Brentford man Sergio Reguilon terrorised Aston Villa down the left-hand side throughout their six-goal spectacular. After providing the cross which led to Zanka‘s strike, a carbon copy allowed Bryan Mbeumo to draw the Bees level, before Yoane Wissa benefitted from his second assist of the afternoon.
MIDFIELD
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Only elevating his wonderkid status further, Kobbie Mainoo made history in Man United’s pulsating draw with Liverpool, becoming the youngest player to score for the Red Devils against the Reds in the Premier League with his fabulous curler into the top corner. Also the first 18-year-old to score a top-flight goal versus Liverpool since Cesc Fabregas 19 years ago, Mainoo more than chipped in defensively too, winning eight of his nine ground duels in another highly promising performance.
Mainoo’s recent promotion into the senior England squad spells bad news for James Ward-Prowse, but the West Ham skipper should certainly have caught Gareth Southgate‘s eye at Molineux. Already boasting unparalleled dead-ball skills, Ward-Prowse took his set-piece game up a notch at Wolves – scoring the winning goal directly from a corner – in addition to making four tackles and completing 95% of his passes in the West Midlands.
Newcastle fans had more than one reason to sing Bruno Guimaraes‘s praises over the weekend. As well as confirming that he plans to stay with the Magpies for the long-term, the ex-Lyon man’s 100th appearance for Eddie Howe’s side at Craven Cottage saw him play the role of match-winner with a thunderous low strike, in addition to creating four chances to celebrate his landmark match in style.
Speaking of midfield centurions, Man City’s irrepressible playmaker Kevin De Bruyne hit his own personal milestone against Crystal Palace, where an astounding curler and sweetly-struck second saw the Belgian reach the 100-goal mark for the treble winners in all tournaments. The customary assist arrived too, as the 32-year-old teed up Erling Haaland for his 14th helper of an injury-hit season, achieving that tally in a mere 16 matches.
ATTACK
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Aston Villa’s feared marksman Ollie Watkins made some striking post-game comments about the Lions’ “maturity” and “game intelligence” but the England international could pat himself on the back for even salvaging a point for the hosts, firstly seeing his header just bounce over the line before Leon Bailey made sure, and then towering over Mark Flekken for his 18th strike of the top-flight campaign.
Watkins’s tally may be double that of Arsenal’s £65m signing Kai Havertz, but the erstwhile Chelsea man continues to enjoy a prolonged purple patch as the Gunners’ main striker, having a direct hand in two of his side’s three versus Brighton. Before helping to seal Arsenal’s triumph by releasing Leandro Trossard, Havertz’s sublime piece of movement enabled him to free himself from Lewis Dunk‘s shackles and tap in for his ninth PL goal of the season, representing a best-ever personal tally for the red-hot German.
Sports Mole’s Premier League Team of the Week (4-3-1-2): Neto; Porro, Schar, Van de Ven, Reguilon; Mainoo, Ward-Prowse, Guimaraes; De Bruyne; Havertz, Watkins
