TEAM: CRYSTAL PALACE
In a game week with several good performances, the most unlikely was Palace’s destruction over Villa.
Although Palace has had some good performances recently, they had lost their last two at home. But a combination of slick football, athleticism, and clinical finishing equalled a superb 4-1 victory.
Well done also to Fulham. Man Utd. Newcastle. Tottenham. Brighton. Chelsea. Man City and Liverpool.
GOALKEEPER: EDERSON (Man City)
There were not many stand-out goalkeeper performances this game week. However, the Man City keeper put in a timely reminder of his exceptional credentials.
Admittedly, for their standards, City have struggled. They needed their keeper at Tottenham to break that Spurs duck, as Spurs had more chances but couldn’t get past the City stopper, who earned a good clean sheet and a 1-0 victory.
Shout out also to Brentford’s Flekken and Brighton’s Verbruggen.
DEFENDER: MURILLO (Notts Forest)
To be fair, it was touch and go for this award as the Arsenal defenders were collectively better. However, individually, the Forest man was defensively consistent, as well as combative and all-action.
He seemed to take on the mantel of a leader at the back, orchestrating things, winning the ball, being aggressive when necessary, and then finesse when needed to reduce Arsenal to just one shot on goal.
Well done to his teammate Milenkovic. Arsenal duo Gabriel & Saliba. Liverpool duo Van Dijk & Alexander-Arnold. Chelsea duo Colwill & Cucurella. Man Utd duo de Ligt & Maguire.
Brighton’s Van Hecke. Spurs’s Gray. Palace’s Richards’ and Everton’s O’Brien. Fulham’s Anderson. Man City’s Khusanov and West Ham duo Cresswell & Wan-Bissaka.
MIDFIELDER: PEDRO NETO (Chelsea)
Many will say it was only Southampton, and though I agree, he was still the best midfielder of the week with a goal and an assist.
He took his goal well with a lovely run to create the space and a neat near-post finish. Then followed it up with a lovelyfree kick to put it on a plate for Colwill in a first half where he was an absolute menace.
Shout out to his teammate Fernandez. Liverpool duo Szoboszlai & Mac Allister. Brighton duo Rutter & Minteh. Palace’s Wharton. Fulham’s Sessegnon. Wolves’ Joao Gomez.
Brentford’s Damsgaard. Man Utd’s Bruno Fernandez. Ipswich duo Hutchinson & Jaden. Man City’s Doku and West Ham duo Soucek & Kudus.
FORWARD: ISMAILA SARR (Crystal Palace)
Without a goal this year, it all came together for him against Villa with two, in a surprising route against a Champions League team.
His first came when Richards’ header was saved, and he followed up to tap in. Then after being involved in the second, he got the third with a lovely finish as he swept home from the edge of the box.
Well done also to his teammates Mateta & Nketiah. Chelsea’s Nkunku. Fulham’s Muniz. Brighton’s Joao Pedro. Man City’s Haaland. West Ham’s Bowen. Brentford’s Wissa and Liverpool’s Salah.
MANAGER: OLIVER GLASNER (Crystal Palace)
As stated previously, nobody expected Palace to destroy Villa in that fashion. To add that, he has someone turned Mateta into a top marksman with eight goals and two assists in his last nine games.
He has a young lad in midfield Wharton, who is raising eyebrows and some decent defenders in Guehi, Richards and Lacroix, who are keeping clean sheets. With Sarr bagging two goals, a European push could be a possibility.
Shout out to Fulham’s Silva. Brighton’s Hurzeler. Liverpool’s Slot. Man Utd’s Amorim. Man City’s Guardiola. Chelsea’s Maresca.
UNSUNG HERO: HARRY MAGUIRE (Man Utd)
He is not exactly an unsung hero, but more the unlikely hero. With Man Utd in poor form, especially at home. Then, down to ten men before surrendering a lead to Ipswich.
Many were thinking or even expecting the worst. But his early second-half header restored the lead, then held the forte at the back to earn three valuable points.
Well done to Everton’s O’Brian. Chelsea’s Cucurella. West Ham’s Bowen and Liverpool’s Szoboszlai.
GAME: MAN UTD 3-2 IPSWICH
Ipswich opened the scoring very early from Dorgu & Onana’s mixed up allowing Jaden to tap into an empty net (4). However, Man Utd equalised when Fernandes’ free kick from the left went in off Morsy (22).
United took the lead when De Ligt slid in after Palmer saved to roof it (26). But they then went down to ten men after Dorgu’s horror tackle (43). Ipswich equalised when Jaden’s cross evaded everyone to nestle in the bottom corner (45+2).
In the second half, United took an early lead from Maguire’s pinpoint header (47) and the ten men of United held out for the victory.
GOAL: JUSTIN KLUIVERT (Bournemouth) vs Brighton
Kerkez picked up the ball on the left and played a searching ball down the left channel for Kluivert to run onto.
He collected the ball by the left corner of the box. Cut back inside beyond two defenders, took an extra touch to set himself and curled an unstoppable effort inside the far post.
FOOL: SOUTHAMPTON
Man Utd’s Dorgu was very lucky not to be here. However, Southampton are looking and playing really poorly currently, and Chelsea cruised to an easy 4-0 victory without getting out of second gear. They were 3-0 at halftime and barely broke a sweat.
They have the lowest points per game in the last 10 games as any team in Premier League history and need two more points to avoid finishing on the lowest points and seven more to avoid finishing on the second lowest points in Premier League history. FOOLS!
