TEAM: MANCHESTER CITY
It is always difficult in a double week where one good performance can be overshadowed by a bad or mediocre one. Or your one very good game might go unrewarded due to another team having two decent wins.
But Man City’s one game this week just happened to be a dominant victory over league leaders Arsenal, in a game that was billed as a “title decider”. However, City were the only team who turned up as they brushed Arsenal aside with ease. It far outdid what any other team could have done in two games this week.
Well done also to Liverpool. Leicester. Villa. Brentford & Newcastle, who were very close.
GOALKEEPER: DANIEL IVERSEN (Leicester)
This is another category that the double week didn’t help and made it hard. However, the Leicester keeper, getting a run in the side, is now starting to settle, and performing admirably.
He helped his team to four points in two games, was only beaten once and made some important saves to contribute to his team’s survival charge. Shout out also to Brentford’s Raya. Wolves’ Sa. Newcastle’s Pope and Villa’s Martinez.
DEFENDER: TYRONE MINGS (Aston Villa)
He played a very important role in both games this week, to put his team in real contention for European football.
After going a goal down at Brentford, he helped to steady the ship and stop Brentford from getting another which allowed them to get a late equaliser to earn a point. Then scored the winner against Fulham and helped to keep a clean sheet for a good home win.
Well done also to his teammate Konsa. Newcastle’s’ Schar. Man City duo Stones and Akanji. Liverpool duo Matip & Alexander-Arnold. Brentford’s Mee. Wolves’ duo Bueno & Dawson. Leicester duo Castagne & Soyuncu also Forest’s N.Williams.
MIDFIELDER: KEVIN DE BRUYNE (Man City)
In probably the biggest game of the season so far, big-game players step up and prove their worth. He absolutely ran the show against a lacklustre Arsenal, who just couldn’t get near him.
He set the tone with a brilliant opening goal, created the second and sealed the game with the third to cap an inspiring performance.
Shout out also to his teammate Rodri. Villa duo Luiz & McGinn. West Ham duo Paqueta & Fornels. Wolves’ Neves. Fulham duo Wilson & Andreas. Bournemouth’s Tavenier. Forest duo Gibbs-White & Danilo. Brighton’s Buonanotte. Man Utd’s Sancho. Newcastle duo Willock & Murphy, who was close to winning this.
FORWARD: ERLING HAALAND (Man City)
Much like the midfielder award, in the proverbial title decider, it was cometh the man, cometh the hour.
He showed he can not only score goals, but make them, as he assisted two of the first three. Then not to be denied, he smashed home the fourth to break the Premier League goal-scoring record with seven league games still to go.
Well done also to Liverpool trio Jota, Salah & Gakpo. Southampton duo Alcaraz and Walcott. Leicester duo Iheanacho & Vardy. Wolves’ Cunha. Brentford duo Toney & Mbeumo. Man Utd’s Rashford. West Ham’s Antonio. Leeds’s Sinisterra, also Newcastle trio Wilson, Joelinton & Isak.
MANAGER: EDDIE HOWE (Newcastle)
It was really hard on Newcastle not to win the team award this week. But they deserved something, and the way Howe has got them playing, the Newcastle fans must be in dreamland.
A 6-1 drubbing against Spurs. Then went to Everton and cruised past them with ease. They are scoring and not conceding, a recipe for success. Shout out also to Man City’s Guardiola. Liverpool’s Klopp. Villa’s Emery and Brentford’s Frank.
UNSUNG HERO: CALLUM WILSON (Newcastle)
He really did deserve the forward award and was hard done by not to get it. So, he deserved to be recognised.
Newcastle are firing on all cylinders and bringing in new players, who are performing. He always reminds everyone how good a sticker he is. Whether he is coming off the bench or starting, he always seems to score.
One at the weekend, a minute after coming off the bench, then two in midweek, his second was a peach as they brushed Everton aside. Well done also to his teammates Joelinton & Murphy. Man City’s Stones. Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold and Forest’s Gibbs-White.
GAME1: ARSENAL 3-3 SOUTHAMPTON
Southampton stunned Arsenal in the first minute as Alcaraz pounced on a sloppy pass out by Ramsdale to curl the ball into the far corner (1).
It got even better for Arsenal when Elyounoussi picked up Odegaard’s loose ball in midfield and fed Alcaraz, who threaded a lovely through ball for Walcott to run onto and slide home first time (14).
Arsenal pulled a goal back when Saka galloped to the byline on the right, to cross for Martinelli to volley home (28). In the second half, Southampton got a third from a corner when substitute Caleta-Car stole in at the back post to nod in Bella-Kotchap’s near post flick on (66).
Arsenal then pulled another goal back late when Odegaard on the right, exchanged passes with White on the edge of the box and lashed in the far bottom corner (88). Arsenal then earned a late point. Nelson’s deflected shot from just inside the box was parried by the keeper, and Saka was on hand to side-foot home (90).
GAME2: TOTTENHAM 2-2 MANCHESTER UNITED
Man Utd scored early when Rashford evaded two challenges in midfield and played it left for Sancho, who cut inside and lashed a shot inside the far post (7).
It was two just before halftime when Fernandes played a lovely, angled ball from inside his half for Rashford to run onto. He ran at Dier into the box, shifted the ball onto his left and fired the ball inside the near post (44).
In the second half, Spurs got a lifeline when Perisic’s ball in from the right caused havoc, Kane’s shot was then blocked, and as the ball came out to Porro, he lashed into the top corner (56).
Spurs then got the equaliser when Kane ran through the midfield with the ball and played a lovely ball to the right for Son to run onto the slide the ball over De Gea into the far corner (79).
GOAL1: PABLO FORNALS (West Ham) v Bournemouth
Rice picked up a loose ball in midfield and played forward for Bowen to run onto down the right.
He stood his marker up, jinxed to go outside, then cut back onto his right and put a cross in. As Fornals was running in, the ball was slightly behind him.
However, he adjusted his body to execute a scorpion-like kick where the ball connected off his right foot, which was behind him and head height. Which bounced off the ground and nested into the near post. There were also good goals from Newcastle’s Murphy and Liverpool’s Jota.
GOAL2: CALLUM WILSON (Newcastle) v Everton
Joelinton received the ball in midfield and drove forward towards the Everton goal. As he got to just outside the box, he played it to his left to Wilson, just to the left to the semi-circle.
He took one touch with his left to control, then with the second, he curled a lovely effort, from just outside the box into the top far corner. There were good goals from Man City’s De Bruyne. West Ham’s Paqueta and Tottenham’s Porro.
FOOL: CHELSEA FC
To be fair it was hard to choose between the two London clubs and Everton. But both Spurs and Everton are very lucky Chelsea have been so bad.
But it does not even begin to explain how bad they have been. To think they spent over £350m in January, and since then, they have played twenty games and won just three.
Since Lampard was appointed, they have lost all five games he has taken charge. Words just cannot explain how much of a mess they are in, and they have proved that having money is not always everything. FOOLS!
