TEAM: ARSENAL
This was probably the hardest team decision this season, with several teams having superb performances that were good enough to be up here.
However, I went for the league leaders who have now fully established themselves as deserving to be top of the pile and showed their title potential with a confident and professional performance.
It was not a great game, with limited chances, but even more, that swayed my decision as in the past, in games like this, they would have lost or at least drawn. But Arsenal has a newfound steal and aura about them where in truth, they never looked like losing, or drawing. Well done also to Newcastle. Liverpool. Aston Villa. Man City. Leeds. Leicester and Brighton.
GOALKEEPER: RAYA (Brentford)
On a weekend where 37 goals were scored. It was always going to be hard to pick out a keeper. In the end, and almost by default, I went for the Brentford man who was beaten once but was really unlucky to concede a second in stoppage time.
Before that, Forest peppered his goal and he was equal to everything, which should have led to his team claiming three points, but their hearts were broken in the last seconds with an own goal.
Shout out also to Spurs’ Lloris. Liverpool’s Alisson. Everton’s Pickford and Wolves’ Sa.
DEFENDER: GABRIEL (Arsenal)
This was another category that had several candidates. But scoring the only goal of the game, to move your team back to the top of the table, while contributing to your team being solid and strong at the back.
Which reduced Chelsea to just one shot on goal in their home stadium, is more than enough to take it for me.
Well done also to his teammates Saliba & White. Liverpool’s Konate. Villa duo Mings & Digne. Man City trio Stones, Akanji & Ake. Newcastle’s Trippier. Chelsea’s Thiago Silva. Brighton’s Gross and Leicester’s Faes.
MIDFIELDER: JACOB RAMSEY (Aston Villa)
He put in a performance well beyond his tender years. Against the likes of Ronaldo, Casimero, Eriksen and Rashford.
It was the 21-year-old who stood head and shoulders above the rest. He contributed two assists as Villa raced into an early two goal lead. When he was unlucky to see the ball deflect off him for United’s goal.
He sealed the victory with a beautiful finish for an impressive and morale-boosting win for Villa.
Shout out also to Arsenal duo Partey & Xhaka. Newcastle trio Longstaff, Guimaraes & Willock. West Ham’s Benrahma. Palace’s Olise. Leeds’ Greenwood. Fulham’s Andreas. Bournemouth duo Billing & Tavernier. Man City’s De Bruyne. Forest’s Gibbs-White. Wolves’ Neves. Brighton Lallana & Mitoma also Leicester trio Tielemans, Maddison and Barnes.
FORWARD: MO SALAH (Liverpool)
He is bang in form with eight goals in his last eight games and took both goals at Spurs confidently with clinical finishes, but something we have come to expect.
Playing more centrally in the first half, he was involved in everything Liverpool did well. He started the move that he ended by scoring the first goal and showed his awareness and anticipation for the second.
Both goals showed two different but equally cold as ice finishing. Well done also to Villa’s Bailey. Newcastle duo Almiron & Wood. Palace’s Zaha. Spurs’ Kane. Leeds duo Summerville & Rodrigo. Bournemouth’s Solanke. Man City duo Alvarez & Haaland. Brentford duo Wissa & Mbeumo and Wolves’ Guedes.
MANAGER: UNAI EMERY (Aston Villa)
Another tough decision with several managers worthy of this, however, I opted for the new boy who announced his return with a blistering performance.
Villa have had a torrid time this season but had a mini revival when Gerrard left but was knocked back down to earth with a crushing 4-0 defeat last week. So, it was a daunted visit of Man Utd for his first game in charge.
But to his credit, Emery changed formation, with Bailey up front with Watkins and two sitting midfielders, which worked a treat to brush united aside. Shout out also to Leeds’s Marsch. Newcastle’s Howe. Arsenal’s Arteta. Leicester’s Rodgers and Man City’s Guardiola.
UNSUNG HERO: CRYSENCIO SUMMERVILLE (Leeds Utd)
Just like last week, he is obviously not unsung but deserved to be recognised for following up his late winner at Anfield to cap a superb come-from-behind victory for his team, when they looked down and out at 3-1.
He won the penalty for the opening goal. Showed predatory instincts and a knack for the dramatic with another cool finish to win it.
But more importantly, he was a threat throughout and never stopped running. Deserved his reward after scoring his third goal in as many games. Well done also to Brighton duo Lallana & Mitoma, Leicester’s Maddison also Newcastle’s Trippier.
GAME: LEEDS UTD 4-3 BOURNEMOUTH
Leeds got off to a blistering start when Summerville was fouled after he latched onto a lobbed ball into the box by Aaronson. Rodrigo then coolly scored from the spot (3).
Bournemouth equalised when Billing turned and put a left-footed cross into the box, which was headed up rather than out. As the ball dropped, Tavernier struck a side-footed volley home (7).
Bournemouth then took the lead when Billing thundered in a left-footed effort into the top corner from Tavernier’s roll across the box (19). In the second half, Bournemouth made it three when Solanke flicked in Tavernier’s low cross from the left (48).
Leeds got a goal back when Greenwood curled in a lovely effort from the edge of the box (60). It was then level when Cooper headed in Greenwood’s corner from the left, low at the far post (68).
The comeback was complete with a slick breakaway as Gnonto travelled with the ball from his own half and slipped Summerville in to lash home (84).
GOAL: YOURI TIELEMANS (Leicester) v Everton
Leicester attacked down the left with Barnes, who slipped a low cross in the Daka. His first-time shot was blocked, and as the ball bounced.
Maddison latched onto the loose ball and touched it back to Tielemans, lurking just outside the box. As the ball bounced, he took a touch off his thigh, then hit it on the volley, cutting across the bail to see it arrow into the top far corner giving the keeper absolutely no chance.
There was also a good goal from Leeds’s Greenwood, Brighton’s Lallana, Southampton’s Perraud. Villa’s Digne and West Ham’s Benrahma.
FOOL: RALPH HASSENHUTTL (Southampton)
No surprise there were plenty of candidates for this, and if it weren’t for the early morning announcement, I would have given it to Tottenham’s Dier for his horrendous mistake that ultimately cost Spurs the game.
But I went for the Southampton manager, who to be fair, over the last three or four years, has been teetering on losing his job with some terrible results and performances. But I guess this was just one bad spell too many.
Southampton had slipped into the relegation zone, and after being rolled over at home by a rejuvenated Newcastle team, after being on a run of one win in ten games, many will say he had more than enough chances and gave the board no choice. FOOL!
