Manchester City midfielder Mateo Kovacic has been named in WhoScored.com’s Team of the Week.
The Croatian international scored a brace to help the Premier League champions secure a 3-2 win over Fulham at the weekend.
Kovacic’s team were 1-0 down when the midfielder’s deflected effort from the edge of the box found its way past Cottagers’ no.1 Bernd Leno midway through the first half.
The former Chelsea player then completed the turnaround just after the break, scoring with a neat finish after a great pass from Bernardo Silva.
Kovacic steps up for City in Rodri’s absence once again
There has been a lot of talk about potential replacements for the injured Rodri, after it was confirmed last week that the Spanish international would be sidelined for the rest of the season.
However, it should be pointed out that Kovacic has provided able cover for the majority of the campaign so far, having started 6 of City’s 7 league fixtures.
The 30-year-old is not usually known for his goalscoring but his two goals on Saturday means he now has 3 this season, having also found the back of the net against Chelsea on the opening day.
Who else made it into WhoScored’s Team of the Week?
Everton and England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was chosen in goal after he kept a clean sheet during the 0-0 draw against Newcastle.
In defence, Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is joined by Brentford pair Ethan Pinnock and Nathan Collins.
There are two more players from the Bees in midfield, with Mikkel Damsgaard and Vitaly Janelt selected alongside Kovacic, Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo.
Up front, Arsenal forward Kai Havertz was named after scoring against Southampton. The German is partnered by West Ham’s Michail Antonio, who opened the scoring for the Hammers in their 4-1 win over Ipswich Town.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here