At the end of every Premier League round of fixtures, BBC football pundit Garth Crooks is on hand to give you his Team of the Week.
But who has he picked this time? Take a look and then pick your own team below. As ever, Garth also has his say on the game’s big talking points in the Crooks of the Matter.
Vicente Guaita (Crystal Palace)
Crystal Palace players need to give Guaita half of their bonus money at the end of this month after their goalkeeper’s performance against Brighton.
Palace were poor and it still took a wonder goal by Solly March to finally beat him. Two saves from Alexis Mac Allister were fairly routine for a keeper of Guaita’s class but the one-handed save from Kaoru Mitoma, pushing the ball wide of the post, was straight out of the top drawer.
Brighton would and should have won this game had it not been for an error by Robert Sanchez in their goal. I keep saying it – goalkeepers who win you points are worth their weight in gold.
Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
I’m beginning to think Shaw looks more comfortable in central defence than he does at full-back. The England left-back deputised at centre-back for Lisandro Martinez when he was recovering from his World Cup exploits and made my team of the week on a couple of occasions to prove the point.
He then got a roasting by Bukayo Saka at Arsenal but has since recovered. He played for an unblemished 60 minutes in the middle against Leeds at Elland Road before returning to his more familiar full-back position for the final 30 minutes and provided the assist for Marcus Rashford to score.
Shaw has become a valued member of Erik ten Hag’s team in a way he wasn’t under Jose Mourinho. I wonder what Mourinho makes of Luke Shaw and United now.
Wout Faes (Leicester City)
The tackle by Faes on Harry Kane during Leicester’s win over Tottenham was as emphatic as it was brilliant. Kane knew that if he had attempted to try to win the ball, he would have been nursing a sore ankle for some time.
In the days of yesteryear, strikers such as Chelsea’s Ian Hutchinson or the great Peter Osgood, and a good many others, sacrificed themselves on the altar of hubris, vendettas and chasing lost causes. They have been replaced by those who work by the motto: Pick your battles – you’ll play longer.
This was a tackle of such precision by and magnitude by Faes that it not only won Leicester the ball but created a goal out of nothing. Best tackle I’ve seen in years.
Craig Dawson (Wolves)
For the second consecutive week, I find myself singing the praises of Dawson and selecting him in my team. The former West Ham defender seems to have taken total responsibility for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ defending.
Why Julen Lopetegui, the former Spain manager now in charge at Wolves, would go for such a typical no nonsense English defender like Dawson is of real interest.
Meanwhile, Southampton sacked Nathan Jones immediately after the defeat against Wolves after just three months in charge. I’ve no doubt the defeat against Brentford, where he openly criticised his players in his post-match interview, was ill advised. When a team loses four of their first five matches, it can’t just be the players at fault.
James Maddison (Leicester City)
After such an impressive result against Manchester City last week, Tottenham lost comprehensively to a Leicester side who up until recently were struggling to find some form themselves. That result is the biggest indication that Antonio Conte does not have a proper grip of this Spurs team.
Conte’s side fell apart in a matter of minutes. The architect of Leicester’s superb attacking performance was James Maddison. If he wasn’t supplying wonderful opportunities for Kelechi Iheanacho to score, he was laying on chances for Harvey Barnes – and if all else failed, he would just score himself. A devastating display by Maddison.
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
His manager had the audacity to leave De Bruyne out against Spurs and paid the price. The service to Erling Haaland, the best goalscorer in the league, from the best provider in the league was suddenly non-existent.
De Bruyne’s return against Aston Villa was an absolute must particularly amid one of the most turbulent weeks in Manchester City’s history. The victory over Villa moves them back into second place with a trip to Arsenal on Wednesday that could, should they win, take them top of the table.
If City need a tonic to lift them from the weight of the accusations surrounding the club, then a win next Wednesday will be it. Read more about Manchester City’s greatest challenge in the Crooks of the Matter below.
Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)
If a club spends £600m on 17 players, then I expect that team to look a bit special. I would also expect that team to have some of the best players in the world with a manager of similar status.
Currently Chelsea possess neither. In fact the Blues looked ordinary against West Ham. I will concede, particularly on this performance, Enzo Fernandez looks like a player that might really shine in the Premier League. However, I would like to ask Todd Boehly how could he spend all that money and not buy one genuine world-class striker?
I assume the Chelsea owner knows what he’s doing. If not, he should get a very good technical director that does – and quickly. Brighton, Fulham and Brentford currently sit above them with a fraction of the money Chelsea have spent.
Willian (Fulham)
This player was always capable of scoring a goal of immense quality because he is a player of immense equality. His spells at Arsenal and Corinthians are best forgotten – but since he arrived at Fulham, the Brazilian has looked like the player he was at Chelsea during their glory days.
Marco Silva has got Craven Cottage buzzing again; this latest win halted Nottingham Forest’s unbeaten run. It was only a matter of time before it came to an end – however, Steve Cooper’s side have done extremely well. Three months ago, I gave them no chance of surviving in the Premier League – now they have a chance.
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Rashford always looked menacing against Leeds – and got his reward when he latched on to the most exquisite cross from Shaw to dispatch a bullet header past a stranded Illan Meslier.
I think it is very telling that United’s results have continually improved since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and so has Rashford’s presence in the team.
The England striker no longer has to play second fiddle to a player desperate to hang on to former glories who has far more interest in himself than the team. The problem has been removed and United look like a proper football team again.
Ivan Toney (Brentford)
He should have had a hat-trick but the performance in itself was good enough to make my selection. Ivan Toney is looking like the player who won an England call-up prior to the World Cup.
Arsenal might have won this fixture had the official running VAR not fallen asleep. I find it particularly interesting that Mikel Arteta has only made 14 changes to his league leaders this season and kept an unchanged side for his sixth consecutive match against Brentford.
Perhaps the emphasis on rotation by the sports scientists might have been overplayed in some quarters.
Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City)
A few weeks ago, Leicester were struggling but they weren’t panicking. I was particularly struck by the relaxed nature of manager Brendan Rodgers in his post-match interviews, which is always a good sign that managers are in control of the situation.
Rodgers is a good coach and there is no doubt he seems to have got Iheanacho back to his best again. We know the Nigeria international can score goals but he is at his best when his touch is good, he sees the pass and is generally wreaking havoc in opposition defences.
And that is precisely what he did against Tottenham. If Conte were to leave Spurs at the end of the season, they could do much worse than installing Rodgers at the helm in his place.
The Crooks of the Matter
When the news broke that Manchester City had been charged with more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules, it was clear there would be repercussions.
When it became apparent that these alleged contraventions were between 2009 and 2018, fans around the country were outraged.
City’s accusers have alleged systematic wrongdoing over a long period of time. Should City lose this case, the punishment must be severe.
In a recent press conference, manager Pep Guardiola struggled to contain his contempt for the decision by the Premier League to charge his club – stating, indignantly, that they had already been sentenced.
The quality of football produced by City under the guidance of Guardiola has been breathtaking at times – but this is not about football. It is about the way the game is governed. City cannot afford to lose this battle because everything they have is riding on this fixture.
Pick your XI from our list and share with your friends.
