Premier League Team of the Week: Gameweek 9

Liverpool’s Luis Suarez

Liverpool destroyed West Brom at home, thanks to a magical performance from Luis Suarez, who, by virtue of his hat-trick, Luis Suarez is undoubtedly the player of the week. So let us look at who are the players who join him in the Premier League team of the week.

GK: D Marshall (Cardiff)

The 28-year-old Scottish keeper put in a man-of-the-match performance to ensure that Cardiff went back to Wales with at least a point from East Anglia. It was only his second clean sheet in the league and in the process he made a string of saves against his former employers, for whom he had played over 100 games in the Championship.

RB: A Rangel (Swansea City)

Along with center A Williams, the right back A Rangel was arguably the best player on the park for Swansea. Not only did he halt any West Ham attack before it caused any damage, he was also a threat going the other way. Whilst he positioned himself well defensively, it was his attacking instinct that drove Swansea forward, with a lot of their attacks originating from the right side. He was a willing runner throughout the game and was there when his side needed him most, as he made a clearance off the line to ensure that his side kept a clean sheet.

CB: P Jagielka (Everton)

In a game that saw, two well taken goals seal three points for Everton, P Jagielka was a tower of strength at the back. His partnership with S Distin formed the perfect platform for his side to build their attacks. To say that the England international won almost everything in the air wouldn’t have been an exaggeration. Jagielka won seven aerial duels and made five tackles and if he continues his good form, he might just cement his position in the national side before too long.

CB: D Lovren (Southampton)

The Croatian center half has arguably been Southampton’s signing of the season. His partnership with J Fonte is arguably the best in the league right now. And against Fulham, he again showed why he is one of the best defenders in the league. Not only did he win six aerial duels, he made several telling passes and ended with a pass percent of 89. Not only that, he also touched the ball, a whopping 97 times, more than double the touches taken by Fulham’s best player, Bryan Ruiz, who had 46 touches. In the process, he helped his side to their sixth clean sheet in nine games.

LB: P Evra (Manchester United)

Evra has started this season as a man on a mission. Against Stoke on Saturday, his crosses were a major source of attack for Manchester United and one of them resulted in Hernandez scoring the winner with just 10 minutes left to go. His 98 % pass completion rate was the best of any player on the park and also made four key passes. Even on the defensive end, he made his presence felt, with six clearances. All of which meant that his all-round performance helped United claim only their second home victory of the campaign so far.

CDM: G Barry (Everton)

Against his former club, Barry put on a midfield master class as he dominated the midfield in both offense and defense. On the defense side, he blocked a couple of shots and was there to intercept and clear any danger. Whilst he was good defensively, it was his offensive game that set the tempo as he set the attack in motion, either via a quick short pass or a measured long ball. Martinez will be hoping he continues his great start to his toffees career.

RM: R Snodgrass (Norwich City)

In a game that was mostly dominated by both defense, R Snodgrass stood out as sole silver lining in attack. The 26-year-old Scottish international made several telling passes and always looked like he could create a goal out of nothing. In fact, he had the second most touches of any player on the park. If it weren’t for the brilliance of the Cardiff keeper, Snodgrass would have definitely has something to show for in the assists column.

LM: M Arnautovic (Stoke City)

Although he was taken off, just four minutes into the second half, he was arguably the best player on the park on both sides. In the first half, not only did he manage to score his first goal in almost a year, with a sublime free kick, he caused the United defense all sorts of problems with his excellent close control and his eye for a pass. If he hadn’t gone off injured, Stoke might well have come away from Old Trafford with something to show for their efforts.

CAM: J Rodriguez (Southampton)

Although he was substituted with more than 10 minutes to go, J Rodriguez’s amazing attacking play was enough to claim the man-of-the-match award. With a goal and an assist to his name, he certainly put in a performance and a half against a Fulham side who couldn’t quite cope up with his clever movement and intricate passing. Whilst it is true that he attempted the least passes of any of the starting XI, he ensured that each one counted as he helped his side climb above Man City and into fifth place.

ST: L Suarez (Liverpool)

Against West Brom on Saturday, L Suarez had one of those days in which he was virtually unplayable and everything he touched, turned to gold. Not only did he score three goals from eight shots, of which five were on target, he also made three key passes and ended with pass completion rate of 86%. Not only that, the Uruguayan also successfully completed five dribbles to finish off a finishing master class and end the weekend as, undoubtedly the player of the week in England.

ST: F Torres (Chelsea)

With the clock ticking down and the match trickling down to a score draw, it was Torres who chased a lost cause and was justly rewarded with a winning goal against Manchester City. Up until that point, the Spaniard had managed to do everything but score and his goal which arose from a defensive mix-up is the just the kind of thing that might spur bigger and better things in the future for a man who is slowly getting back to his former self.