TEAM: MANCHESTER CITY
A month ago, Man City trailed Arsenal by ten points, and it could have been as big as thirteen. Just a few weeks ago, it was nine points.
However, City has done what only City can do and reeled off four wins, then two draws, now back-to-back wins, including beating Arsenal in a good battle to trail but just three points with a game in hand and are looking menacing.
Well done to Man Utd. Liverpool. Notts Forest. Bournemouth. Leeds and Aston Villa.
GOALKEEPER: BERND LENO (Fulham)
I didn’t have much to choose from this week, although there were some decent performers. However, it was not just because he was one of the few keepers to earn a clean sheet.
But, Brentford were much the better team, and with Fulham not even having a shot on goal, so they were only going to get a point out of the game at best, which was due to their keeper’s performance.
Shout out to Liverpool’s Mamardashvili. Man Utd’s Lammens. Palace’s Henderson and Leeds’ Darlow.
DEFENDER: VIRGIL VAN DIJK (Liverpool)
There were several candidates in the running for this, but reports of Virgil’s demise have been wildly exaggerated. He was the match-winner in a vital derby win.
He had to be at his best to help thwart an Everton team that some made the favourites to win. However, Van Dijk marshalled his defence well, and when his team needed a hero, Captain Fantastic stepped up at the death to head home the winner.
Well done to His teammates Konate & Jones. Man City duo O’Reilly & Nunez. Forest duo Murillo & Williams. Man Utd duo Mazraoui & Heaven. Bournemouth duo Hill & Truffert.
Leeds duo Justin & Struijk. Brighton’s Van Hecke. Spurs’ Porro. Brentford duo Kayode & Van den Berg. Fulham’s Anderson. Palace’s Canvot. West Ham duo Diouf & Disasi, Sunderland’s Hume.
MIDFIELDER: MORGAN GIBBS-WHITE (Notts Forest)
After his team went a goal down at halftime in the game, they just had to and were expected to win to ease the relegation nerves.
He grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck to score a superb hat-trick that could see his team to safety. A touch and finish for the first, a low volley for the second and a superb header to seal his first professional hat-trick.
Shout out to his teammate Anderson. Man City duo Cherki & B.Silva, Spurs’ Simons. Villa duo McGinn & Rogers. Man Utd’s Fernandes. Bournemouth’s Tavernier. West Sunderland’s Rigg. Everton’s Dewsbury-Hall. West Ham’s Fernandes
FORWARD: OLIVER WATKINS (Aston Villa)
He was the only striker to bag a brace this week, and in doing so, he notched his 11th and 12th goals of the season.
This made it his sixth consecutive season of scoring over 10 league goals, moving him 15th in that list. Both goals were taken in a typical predatory fashion and added an assist for Villa’s third in a thriliing game.
Well done to his teammate, Abrahams. Man City’s Haaland. Liverpool’s Salah. Brighton duo Mitoma & Rutter. Man Utd’s Cunha. Leeds duo Okafor and Calvert-Lewin.
Arsenal’s Havertz. Burnley’s Flemming. Forest’s. Jesus. Newcastle’s Osula and Sunderland’s Isidor.
MANAGER: PEP GUARDIOLA (Man City)
There are not many more plaudits you can give him. Of course, he has been aided by his board’s big cheque book; however, he still has to get the best out of the players,
And for some reason, no matter how the season has gone, his city teams seem to time the end of the season perfectly; this is no coincidence. The win over Arsenal puts them in pole position to snatch first place that just six weeks ago seemed unlikely.
Shout out to Liverpool’s Slot. Villa’s Emery. Man Utd’s Carrick. Bournemouth’s Iraola, Forest’s Pereira and Leeds’ Farke.
UNSUNG HERO: AYDEN HEAVEN (Man Utd)
With United missing no less than five first-team defenders, they had to call on their teenager to form a makeshift back four.
Although Chelsea have not been playing well, with a Champions League place up for grabs, they couldn’t have had a better chance. However, the teenager put in a man-of-the-match performance to earn a clean sheet and three valuable points.
Well done to Man City’s Cherki. Bournemouth’s Truffert. Spurs’s Simons and Leeds’ Okafor.
GAME: ASTON VILLA 4-3 SUNDERLAND
Watkins scored very early to give Villa a lead (2), then put Villa ahead again (36) after Sunderland’s Rigg equalised (9) early in the first half.
Early in the second half, Rogers stretched Villa’s lead (46), with the points looking sealed. However, Sunderland fought back, scoring two in two minutes, with Hume (86) and Isidor (87). However, Abrahams broke Sunderland’s hearts to win it in stoppage time (90+3).
There were also good games at Man City, who beat Arsenal 2-1 at the Etihad and at Tottenham, who conceded a late goal to draw 2-2 at home to Brighton.
GOAL: RAYAN CHERKI (Man City) vs Arsenal
After a cross into Arsenal’s box that was headed out, Nunez chested the ball down for Cherki to collect just outside the box.
He moved into a crowded box with several defenders in front of him. He jinxed past one, hurdled another, then cut inside another and in the same motion, stroked the ball home with his right foot into the far bottom corner.
There were also some good goals from Brighton’s Mitoma and Spurs’ Simons.
FOOL: CHELSEA FC
The blue billion-pound bottle jobs were at it again. Chelsea came into this game having lost their last three league games without scoring.
However, Man Utd were missing five key defenders and had to play a makeshift back four. But Chelsea were again toothless, making it four league defeats without scoring and Champions League football slipping away. FOOLS!
