TEAM: HULL CITY
Although Man City and Watford, who in particular can feel hard done by for not winning this. Were the only two teams to win both of their games this week. I felt Hull, with a draw and a win and two clean sheets against Man Utd and Liverpool really deserved this. Nobody expected them to come away from those games with 4 points, unbeaten, with two clean sheets. Massive achievement. Well done also to Everton, Sunderland and Chelsea.
GOALKEEPER: VITO MANNONE (Sunderland)
You never would have expected Sunderland to keep two clean sheets but that’s exactly what they did. This was in no small part to Mannone who put on a man of the match performance against Spurs. Then even though Sunderland trounced Palace. Mannone still had to pull off some superb saves to earn his second clean sheet. Shout out also to Watford’s Gomes. Burnley’s Heaton. Everton’s Joel and Hull’s Jakupovic who was close to winning this.
DEFENDER: HARRY MAGUIRE (Hull City)
If you keep clean sheets against Man Utd and Liverpool in the space of four days, then the defence has to play exceptionally well. The keeper did his part but Maguire led by example, stayed strong and solid throughout both games and put in a huge contribution to help his team to gain two shut outs in the four days. Well done also to Chelsea’s Luiz. Sunderland’s Kone. Spurs’s Alderweireld. Watford’s Kaboul. Man City’s Stones. WBA Nyom and Burnley’s Keane.
MIDFIELDER: N’GOLO KANTE (Chelsea)
For someone, in such a short space of time, put in two tireless performances is nothing short of a miracle. No matter how many good individual midfield performances there were this week. None was collectively as effective as his. An amazing stat is in a season and a half, he has made more tackles than anyone else in the last 3 seasons in the Premier League. Shout out also to his team-mate Hazard who was close to winning this. Burnley’s Barton. Man City duo Silva & Sane. Man Utd’s Mkhitaryan. Swansea’s Sigurdsson. Watford duo Capoue & Cleverley. Hull’s N’Dyaie West Ham’s Obiang. Boro’s Traore. Palace’s Zaha and WBA duo Livermore & Morrison.
FORWARD ROMALU LUKAKU (Everton)
No matter what any other striker did this week it wouldn’t have topped Lukaku’s four goals against Bournemouth. It was a devastating example of his pace, power, athleticism, movement and most of all finishing. Well done also to WBA Rondon. Watford duo Niang & Deeney. Sunderland’s Defoe. Hull’s Niasse. Bournemouth’s King. Southampton’s Gabbiadini. West Ham’s Carroll and Man City’s Jesus who was close to winning this.
MANAGER: MARCO SILVA (Hull City)
This is self explanatory really, languishing at the bottom of the table. Ridiculed by critics before even given a chance. Not even into double figures of games and already pulls off two clean sheets and takes four points from Man Utd and Liverpool. Though they are still in the relegation zone, they are off the bottom and only one point from safety.
UNSUNG HERO: MARCOS ALONSO (Chelsea)
It’s amazing to think he had a handful of games for a struggling Sunderland team in 2014 before being shipped back to Fiorentina. Then made the move to Chelsea this season as cover, but now has fully established himself as the left WB and is looking solid. Credit to the manager for changing the formation to which Alonso has benefited from, but he still had to put in the performances and has been reliable as ever. Also chipping in with a few goals. The opener against Arsenal demonstrated all his commitment and desire to win.
GAME1: ARSENAL 1-2 WATFORD
Watford opened the scoring when Kaboul fired in a long ranged free kick that took a deflection off Ramsey to wrong foot Cech and in (10). Watford then took a shock two goal lead when Capoue picked up the ball midway through the Arsenal half, ran towards goal unchallgned into the box and his left footed shot was saved, only for the ball to fall to Deeney to side foot home (13). Arsenal huffed and puffed in the second half and Lucas even hit the bar before Arsenal pulled a goal back when Sanchez tricked his way along the byline and chipped a ball into the box for Iwobi to coolly side foot home (58).
GAME2: EVERTON 6-3 BOURNEMOUTH
Everton took the lead early when Lukaku played a one, two with McCarthy just outside the box. Then cut inside on his left and lashed the ball home (1). Everton went two up when Lukaku tricked his way past two on the right, then played a ball in for McCarthy to score with the aid of a double ricochet off the keeper and himself (24). A terrible back pass by Francis fell to Lukaku in the box who dinked over the keeper to make it three (29). Bournemouth pulled a goal back in the second half when Wilshere clipped the ball up for King to control on his chest, then touch past the on rushing keeper in the box (60). King then made it 3-2 when he got a boot to Fraser’s cross to guide home (70). Lukaku then made it 4-2 when he expertly volleyed in Coleman’s cross for his hat trick (83). Lukaku then scored his fourth when he was played in by Barkley’s back heel and showed pace and power to beat two defenders to control and tuck home (84). Bournemouth pulled another goal back through Arter (90) before Barkley ran onto the clearance to round the keeper and celebrate before passing the ball into an empty net (90+4).
GOAL1: DAVID LUIZ (Chelsea) v Liverpool
Although the keeper was out-of-place and effectively it was his mistake. Luiz still executed a superb free kick. Over 25 yards out, he did well to spot the keeper going walk about. He quickly stepped up and with no back lift, delivered an accurate side footed free kick, with pace and a bit of swerve that flew into the net just off the inside of the post.
GOAL2: EDEN HAZARD (Chelsea) v Arsenal
Inside the semi-circle of Chelsea’s half, Costa nodded the ball down to Hazard who controlled then cut inside one defender and ventured forward into Arsenal’s half. As he ran towards goal, he out muscled Coquelin snapping at his heels, leaving him on the floor. Hazard then sized up Kosciely one on one, as he got inside the box, he turned him inside out, before hitting the ball into the floor and over the advancing Cech.
FOOL: LEICESTER CITY
I could have easily given this to Arsenal for their two defeats in week and again showing a soft center. But even though they are again choking. They are still in fourth place and can still qualify for the champions league. Leicester on the other hand, are really proving to be chumps. This week it was two defeats with no goals scored. They are now two places above the relegation zone and worryingly, only one point away from the bottom three. For all the records they broke in the miracle of last season. They are now in a real dog fight to avoid breaking more records all for the wrong reasons this term. Oh how the mighty have fallen. FOOLS!
