TEAM: LIVERPOOL
Liverpool sealed the Premier League title emphatically by destroying Spurs at home.
The performance almost typified their run-away league win as they went a goal down, but it kicked them into gear as they scored five answered goals to lift their second league title in six years.
Well done to Brentford. Newcastle. Wolves. Brighton. Fulham and Chelsea.
GOALKEEPER: KEPA ARRIZABALAGA (Bournemouth)
It was a close run thing, but although he did not claim a clean sheet, he was minutes away from it.
Man Utd tried but couldn’t get past him throughout the game, but when Bournemouth went a man down, the pressure increased, but so did his performance. However, they got a reprieve with a last-minute, deflected equaliser.
Shout out to Everton’s Pickford. Wolves’ Sa and Brentford’s Flekken.
DEFENDER: NATHAN COLLINS (Brentford)
I can only describe his performance as a masterclass in defender against a team that has given the top teams all sorts of problems.
From the first whistle, he was organised strong, controlled and exuded confidence, which spread amongst his teammates to earn an impressive away win and a clean sheet.
Well done to his teammate, Van den Berg. Liverpool duo Van Dijk and Konate. Bounemouth’s Zabarnyi. Newcastle duo Burn & Trippier.
Wolves duo Agbadou & Totti. Fulham duo Sessegnon & Andersen. Southampton’s Stephens and Chelsea duo Caicedo & Chalobah.
MIDFIELDER: ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER (Liverpool)
He has almost been an unsung hero of the season. He has been ultra-consistent in midfield. Steady, thoughtful and controlled throughout.
However, just like in this game, he is prone to produce a bit of class with that superb left-footed strike to go 2-1 up and set his team on the way to the title.
Shout out to his teammates Gravenberch, and Szoboszlai. Bournemouth’s Semenyo. Brighton duo Ajari, Hinshelwood and Mitoma. Man Utd’s Fernandez. West Ham’s Soucek.
Newcastle foursome Tonali, Bruno, Willock and Murphy. Fulham’s Smith Rowe. Wolves trio Ait-Nouri, R.Gomez and Andre. Chelsea’s Lavia.
FORWARD: MATHEUS CUNHA (Wolves)
Although this performance was against the already relegated Leicester, you still couldn’t deny the sheer quality he possesses.
He was lively throughout with his link up play, started and finished the opening goal. Then beautifully assisted the second with a defence-splitting ball. He then unselfishly created the third.
Well done to his teammate, Strand Larsen. Liverpool trio Diaz, Gakpo and Salah. Chelsea’s Jackson. Man Utd’s Hojlund. West Ham’s Kudus. Brentford duo Schade & Wissa. Newcastle duo Isak & Oscula, also Spurs’ Solanke.
MANAGER: ARNE SLOT (Liverpool)
Not only did he win the league in his first season, but he walked it with relative ease and with four games to spare.
In addition, he won it with an emphatic 5-1 win at home to Spurs. Not in anyone’s wildest dreams did fans or rivals expect him to achieve such a feat in his first season. All credit to him.
Shout out to Wolves’s Pereira. Brentford’s Frank and Chelsea’s Maresca.
UNSUNG HERO: CARLOS BALEBA (Brighton)
He is hardly unsung, but I could not recognise him this week with a superb performance in an unfamiliar position.
Playing at centre back, although West Ham scored two, he never looked lost or found wanting. Then, with the game locked at 2-2, he produced a moment of brilliance to score the winner.
Well done to Liverpool duo Gravenberch and Gakpo. Chelsea’s Sancho. Brentford’s Wissa.
GAME: BRIGHTON 3-2 WEST HAM
Brighton opened the scoring through a wonder strike from 25 years out from Ayari (13). However, in the second half, West Ham equalised when Bowen squared for Kudus to squeeze home (48).
The game stayed like that until the 83rd minute when Soucek headed in Bowen’s cross. But Brighton equalised when Mitoma nodded in Gruda’s header back across goal (89).
However, there was enough time for Brighton to win it when Baleba let fly and curled one in from 30 yards out to send the Brighton fans into pandemonium (90+2).
GOAL: CARLOS BALEBA (Brighton) vs West Ham.
As the game was deadlocked at 2-2 in stoppage time, Baleba picked the ball, way outside the West Ham box.
He took a touch, looked up and decided to curl an audacious effort around three defenders, starting outside the goal, that curled back in to nestle into the far corner to leave the keeper standing.
There were also good goals by Brighton’s Ayari and Liverpool’s Mac Allister.
FOOL: TOTTENHAM
The bottom three didn’t cover themselves in glory this week, but it says a lot when most fans agreed in unison that Spurs were the perfect opponents to play if you needed a win.
After shocking everyone by going a goal up, it didn’t take long for Liverpool to equalise, then go from strength to strength to score four more with little to no resistance to claim the title. FOOLS!
