Premier League: Team of the Week - Gameweek 5
Leighton Baines (Center) is the star man of the weekend
We entered into the fifth round of matches of the Premier League with a host of exciting matches lined up. Some produced fantastic performances while others’ lack of it made the headlines.
So, the biggest match was undoubtedly the Manchester Derby. The blue side came out with a thumping 4-1 victory, a scoreline both managers wouldn’t have expected. Manchester City players produced a brilliant performance and likewise, feature the most in this week’s Premier League Team of the Week.
Aston Villa’s defense was highly impressive after shutting out Norwich City. Not to forget a surprise win for Southampton at Anfield, a game which Liverpool were hugely expected to win and as a result, stay in the top three.
With several first-class performances on display, who made it into the Team of the Week?
Goalkeeper: Brad Guzan, Aston Villa
The competition was tough as Simon Mignolet, Artur Boruc and David Marshall, all performed well for their teams, but in the end it was Brad Guzan who made the most waves.
The American international saved a penalty in the sixth minute of Aston Villa’s 1-0 win over Norwich City, and later, pulled off an unbelievable save to deny Gary Hooper late in the game.
His ability to keep a clean sheet is what keeps him ahead of David Marshall but Paulinho’s late, late goal for Tottenham against Cardiff justified his exclusion.
Left Back: Leighton Baines, Everton
Leighton Baines captured the hearts of the Everton fans once again, firing two free-kicks into the top corners of Jussi Jaaskelainen’s net against West Ham.
His gutsy defending, relentless running and brilliant delivery has made him one of the top left backs in England right now. Even though a summer move to a bigger club seemed inevitable, Baines stayed put at Everton and as a result, seems to have peaked this season.
Centre Back: Vincent Kompany, Manchester City
A true captain’s performance from the Belgian as he proved dominant in the thumping derby win against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.
He was a pillar of confidence and strength in defense. The Belgian was able to follow Wayne Rooney in deep areas and cover him comprehensively throughout the match.
He was also a major factor in the fourth goal, winning the ball in his own box and distracting Manchester United’s centre-backs to allow Samir Nasri to net home.
Centre Back: Dejan Lovren, Southampton
Dejan Lovren continued his brilliant start to the Premier League season, shutting out Liverpool’s advances throughout the match.
The ex-Lyon man single-handedly took attention of Liverpool’s attacks for long periods during the 1-0 win, and scored the all-important goal- the header from a corner.
Right Back: Leandro Bacuna, Aston Villa
As mentioned, it was Aston Villa’s neat defense which impressed the most. Leandro Bacuna, playing out of position at right-back following an injury to Matthew Lowton, locked up the advances of Norwich City main man Nathan Redmond.
Bacuna defended proficiently and delivered a stream of dangerous crosses and also had his part to play in the set-pieces.