TEAM: LEEDS UNITED
On any other week, there would be several contenders for this award and many of this weeks performances could have possibly won a team of the week award in any other week this season. However, Leeds’ away win at Man City with 10 men, could quite possibly be the performance of the season. They did great to take the lead, but after going down to 10 men in the first half, then being pegged back by City in the second, you thought there was only going to be one winner. But Leeds’ surprised one and all to get a late second for one of the most unlikely wins of the season. Well done also to WBA, West Ham, Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle.
GOALKEEPER: SAM JOHNSTONE (West Bromwich Albon)
This week there were not many, if any, real outstanding goalkeeper performances, so almost by default the WBA man takes it. However, he did have to do something to get this award. Not only did he stand strong to the few decent Southampton attempts on goal, he topped off a very good team performance with a superb penalty save to preserve a clean sheet. Shout out also to Leeds’ Meslier, Brighton’s Sanchez, Wolves’ Patricio, Newcastle’s Dubravka, Villa’s Martinez and West Ham’s Fabianski.
DEFENDER: TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD (Liverpool)
This again was another where nobody really outshone, so again, really by default, it was awarded to the Liverpool man for a second week in a row, after he showed his character and strength. Last week he was brilliant, but in midweek he made a terrible mistake, however, he picked himself up again to not only put in another decent performance, but to pop up when his team desperately needed, to win the game in the dying seconds. Well done also to Fulham’s Anderson, Wolves’ duo Coady & Saiss, Man Utd’s Wan-Bissaka, Chelsea duo Zouma & Azpilicueta, Leeds foursome Alioski, Ayling, Llorente & Struijk, Arsenal’s Xhaka, West Ham’s Dawson, Everton’s Coleman, Brighton’s Veltman and Newcastle’s Murphy who was close to winning this.
MIDFIELDER: STUART DALLAS (Leeds Utd)
Although there were an abundance of very good midfielder performances this week, there was only going to be one winner. The Leeds midfielder not only opened the scoring at Man City with a lovely strike, but after his team want down to 10 men, he was full of running and battling for his team all game. His energy up and down the pitch was commendable and it paid dividends as he raced through late, to keep a cool head and show some quality to slot home a memorable winner. Shout out also to his team mates Raphinha, Costa & Philipps, Wolves’ Traore, Chelsea trio Mount, Pulisic & Kovacic, Liverpool’s Fabinho, Arsenal’s Ceballos, Arsenal’s Partay, Man Utd’s Pogba, Brighton’s Bissouma, West Ham’s Lingard and West Brom foursome Pereira, Maitland-Niles, Robinson and Phillips.
FORWARD: EDINSON CAVANI (Man Utd)
I must say, although I have always acknowledged him as a top striker, I have never been his biggest fan. However, seeing him up close at the ripe old age of 34, I am impressed. Mostly because of his intelligence and movement, which was demonstrated against Spurs, whose defenders were bamboozled by him all game. Had an early goal chalked off for a dubious foul, then had a hand in United’s equaliser as his shot was saved, then took his goal superbly with again, a lovely bit of movement, then a diving header to put his team ahead and on the way to another away win. Well done also to his team mate Greenwood, Arsenal’s Lacazette, West Ham’s Bowen, Chelsea’s Havertz, Leicester’s Iheanacho, Newcastle’s Saint-Maximin, Villa’s Watkins, Burnley’s Vydra, Palace’s Benteke and WBA’s Diagne.
MANAGER: MARCELO BIELSA (Leeds)
There was only going to be one winner for this. It’s hard enough for teams to contain Man City with 11 men, let alone going down to 10 in the first half. He acted swiftly to remove Bamford which seriously reduced their goals and when city equalised, you were expecting City to go on and get the win. But Leeds dug deep and stayed strong. but more importantly still tried to play football and even had a great chance to win it with Raphinha, before Dallas got an unlikely winner.
UNSUNG HERO: ALLAN SAINT-MAXIMIN (Newcastle)
Obviously not unsung, but he definitely deserved to be acknowledged. Newcastle have really missed him, He came on after 57 minutes with his team losing 1-0, but after 64 minutes, his team were 2-1 up and it was all down to him. His explosive and direct running was just too much for the Burnley defenders as his run down the right created the equaliser for Murphy. Then just a few minutes later, he picked up the ball and ran straight at the Burnley defenders, twisted, turned and rifled in a left footed winner. Shout out also to West Ham duo Lingard & Bowen.
GAME: MAN CITY 1-2 LEEDS UNITED
Slightly against the run of play, Leeds took an unlikely lead when a ball was played long for Costa on the left, which was missed by Cancelo, Costa then played it inside to Bamford, who rolled the ball across for Dallas to hit a first time effort in off the near post (42). However, just a few minutes later saw an incident we all thought that changed the game. Cooper dived in on Jesus, won the ball but clattered the player high. The ref gave a yellow but on advise of VAR consulted the video and upgraded it to a red (45). In the second half City huffed and puffed and eventually got a breakthrough. Fernandinho played a ball into B.Silva just inside the box, he controlled instantly and rolled a ball square for Torres to sweep home first time (76). Just when you thought City were due for a winner, Alioski played a lovely ball between two players, with the outside of his boot for Dallas to run onto, keep his cool and slide home past Ederson (45+1).
GOAL: ALEXANDER LACAZETTE (Arsenal) v Sheff Utd
Chambers on the right played a ball inside to Partey, just outside the Sheff Utd box. He then fed a ball into Lacazette, who touched it first time into Saka, who played a first time ball back inside to Ceballos, just on the edge of the box. With Lacazette running in behind him, Ceballos showed his vision and skill to execute a first time flick into the path of Lacazette, who took one touch to take the ball in his stride, then finish with his second, low into the far corner.
FOOL: ENGLISH VAR OFFICIALS
I really hate talking about officials and always try to give this to a player, team or manager but this week it just couldn’t be helped. After loads of terrible weeks for the VAR officials this could have been one of the worse, and that is saying something. From the disallowed goal at West Brom where they drew the line from the wrong player and came out to say they could not draw a definitive line from the player in question. To the Liverpool disallowed goal where you can see from the shadow of the players, Jota is behind the defender. To the Wolves offside goal where I am still scratching my head and squinting my eyes to see where the hell is the offside. Just abysmal. Bin the lot of them. FOOLS!
