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The Premier League provides the best entertainment in all of Europe, and we're in the business stage of the season already. Players are eager to put on their best performances to help their teams achieve their goals at this stage of the season.
Gameweek 28 was also filled with some great matches, brilliant goals and huge potential ramifications. At the time of writing, Tottenham Hotspur are yet to play Everton this gameweek, which is also a potentially important game.
The Premier League had a number of match-ups with huge ramifications at both ends of the table
Manchester City took a step closer to securing successive league titles after a dominant 4-1 win over neighbors Manchester United. This result has pit the Red Devils one point outside the top four places despite having played three more matches. Arsenal took fourth position after a 3-2 win over Watford.
Norwich City, on the other hand, moved closer to the Championship with a 1-3 defeat to Brentford.
Without further ado, here is a list of the best performing XI from the weekend's Premier League action in a 4-3-3 formation.
Goalkeeper: Vicente Guaita
A huge part of the success enjoyed by Crystal Palace under Patrick Vieira has been due to the heroics of goalkeeper Vicente Guaita. The Spaniard has been influential for the Eagles since his arrival in 2021, and helped them claim an important 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Guaita made five saves for Crystal Palace, including three from inside the box. He also made a terrific stop in the second half to preserve his clean sheet and help his side see out a 2-0 win away from home.
Right-Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold
After losing to West Ham United in the first leg in November, Liverpool were unwilling to allow the Hammers to dent their title hopes once more.
It was English defender Trent Alexander-Arnold that provided the spark that gave his side the win at home. He provided the assist for forward Sadio Mane to score the lone goal of the game.
Alexander-Arnold is at the top of the assists chart in the league this season with 11 assists.
Centre-Back: Thiago Silva
Premier League fans and analysts must be running out of superlatives to describe Thiago Silva. The 37-year-old Brazilian was excellent once more as he helped Chelsea keep a clean sheet in their 0-4 win over Burnley.
Silva looks like he's making goal-line clearances his modus operandi this season. He made another goal-saving intervention to keep the scores level at 0-0. He managed to keep Jay Rodriguez and Wout Weghorst quiet and escape with a clean sheet.
Centre-Back: Marc Guehi
Having seen his quality and level of performance this season, it is no surprise that Marc Guehi has already captained Crystal Palace thrice at 21. The defender only moved to the club in the summer.
The young Englishman was handed the captain's armband in the match against Wolves and helped his side claim three precious points. He also helped his side keep a clean sheet at Molineux.
Left-Back: Reece James
Chelsea have been without first-choice right-wing back Reece James for the past 10 weeks after he suffered a hamstring tear. The defender returned to make his first start since then and was phenomenal for his side.
James showed his side what they missed with a well-taken goal and assist against Burnley to help Chelsea. The defender will have a key role to play in the latter stages of the season for the European champions.
Defensive Midfield: Douglas Luiz
Douglas Luiz and Aston Villa delivered a masterful performance to blow Southampton away with a 4-0 scoreline. Luiz was impressive in midfield for Aston Villa in a dominant performance.
Luiz chipped in with a close range finish, his first goal since 2020, to help his side claim maximum points in the game. The all-action midfielder looks like he's back to his best under Steven Gerrard.
Central Midfield: Kevin De Bruyne
Kevin De Bruyne delivered a timely reminder of his qualities for Manchester City in their 4-1 trouncing of neighbors Manchester United. The Belgian midfielder was the best player on the pitch for the champions.
De Bruyne scored two well-taken goals in the first half before providing an assist for Riyad Mahrez in the second half. He led by example as the Cityzens claimed a brilliant win at home.
Central Midfield: Philippe Coutinho
Philippe Coutinho has enjoyed a revival since returning to the Premier League in January with Aston Villa. He has contributed six goals in six starts for Aston Villa since his January switch from FC Barcelona on loan.
Coutinho scored one goal and made an assist for Aston Villa in their 4-0 win over Southampton, who had not lost in six games. The Brazilian looks to be back to his best at Villa Park.
Left Winger: Luis Diaz
Liverpool's scouting and recruitment unit deserves a lot of praise for spotting Luis Diaz. The Colombian winger looks like a natural fit at Anfield under Jurgen Klopp since his signing in January from FC Porto.
Despite not finding the net for the Reds in their clash against West Ham United, Diaz was a constant threat throughout the match. The winger has settled in nicely and kept Diogo Jota on the bench in the game.
Right Winger: Riyad Mahrez
Riyad Mahrez is one of the best wingers in the Premier League. He showed just why with another terrific performance in the Manchester derby. The Algerian delivered a five-star performance to help the champions defeat their city rivals.
Mahrez scored two brilliant goals, the first of which was a controlled volley directly from a corner kick. The Manchester City man added a late fourth for his side as they cruised to victory against Manchester United. Mahrez is City's top scorer in all competitions this season with 21 goals.
Striker: Ivan Toney
Brentford needed a big performance against Norwich City to dispel their relegation fears after their recent struggles. Ivan Toney provided just that for the Bees. The Englishman scored his first hat-trick in the Premier League as Brentford defeated Norwich 3-1 to compound their woes.
Toney now has six goals in his last four starts for Brentford in all competitions. The striker is also the first Brentford player to score a top-flight hat-trick since 1937.
