Top 5 players to watch in GW 5 of the Premier League
The fourth matchday of the 2021-22 English Premier League season witnessed some great individual performances. Cristiano Ronaldo returned to his old club, Manchester United, in their match against Newcastle United and scored a brace. His compatriot Bruno Fernandes was also at his best in the middle of the pitch, dictating the tempo of the game.
Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku scored once on either side of half-time to lead the Blues to a 3-0 win against Aston Villa. New signing Odsonne Edouard scored twice in the dying minutes against Tottenham Hotspur to help Crystal Palace to a shock 3-0 win. Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane were also on target as Liverpool returned to winning ways in style with a 3-0 victory at Leeds United.
Matchday five of the English Premier League promises engaging football and compelling individual performances. Picking five from a sea of talented individuals is hardly a straightforward job, but we are surely going to try. Here are five players to look out for in the fifth gameweek of Premier League 2021-22.
#5 Nicolas Pepe - Arsenal
Under Mikel Arteta, Arsenal endured their worst start to a league campaign in the Premier League era this season. They went their first three Premier League games without scoring a single goal, losing all three of those fixtures. Last week, they finally ended their Premier League drought, winning their game against Norwich.
Nicolas Pépé created the most chances (7) and completed the most dribbles (3) of any Arsenal player vs Norwich.
The hate he receives is incredibly forced, he’s a main reason why we won today.
The 1-0 win was not extraordinary by any means, but it was surely a lot more encouraging than their first three matches. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the only goal of the match, but it was Nicolas Pepe who made the Gunners tick. He created seven chances over 90 minutes and dispatched the shot that ultimately led to Arsenal's goal.
This week at Burnley, Arsenal will need Pepe to be at his best. Without him firing on all cylinders, it could turn out to be another grim encounter for Arteta’s men.
#4 Ferran Torres - Manchester City
Defending champions Manchester City are on a roll in the Premier League this season. After enduring a shock 1-0 defeat in their opening game of the season, City have scored 10 goals in their next three matches, conceding none. This weekend they will welcome a struggling Southampton side and will fancy themselves to secure maximum points once again.
Ferran Torres, who has become the unlikely focal point of City’s attack, has been in excellent form since the start of the season. His performance against Arsenal on matchday three gave us a glimpse of his offensive acumen. He scored two goals and provided an assist, giving Pep Guardiola the confidence to stick to his false-9 system.
Ferran Torres is the first player to score 6 or more goals for Spain in a calendar year since David Silva in 2017 (7). (Opta)
Against Southampton, Torres is likely to get plenty of chances to make himself useful and we do not see him squandering them.