Chelsea were in for a tough contest against Liverpool this week and were lucky to get away with a point from Anfield. The loss of two points, however, didn’t harm the league leaders’ title chances as such after Tottenham Hotspur were held to a draw away to Sunderland while Arsenal lost to Watford at the Emirates. The biggest winners of the gameweek, however, were Manchester City as they put four past the Hammers and gained ground in the table.
But the ones who were disappointed the most were Manchester United fans as their team hit a 22-year low after failing to win against relegation-battling side Hull City. In what was essentially a low scoring week, here's a look at Sportskeeda's Team of the Week:
Goalkeeper
Eldin Jakupovic
Keeping a clean sheet at Old Trafford is no mean task, especially when you’re languishing in the drop zone but Eldin Jakupovic showed us how it’s done with six saves against the Red Devils. The Bosnian-born keeper put in a heroic performance for his side making 10 recoveries and earning a crucial point for the Tigers. He saved an effort each from Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Paul Pogba and Juan Mata among others.
Defenders
Bacary Sagna
Pep Guardiola was right to put his faith in Bacary Sagna as the right-back maintained his side’s clean sheet at the Olympic Stadium. The French international did a brilliant job of keeping Manuel Lanzini in check, one of the few Hammers who have been in form this season.
Scott Dann
Crystal Palace defender Scott Dann has eight goals since the beginning of the 2015-16 season, more than any other defender in the Premier League. The English defender continued in a similar vein when he netted his side’s first goal against Bournemouth. Converting from close range, the centre-back headed the ball in from Damien Delaney’s cross. However, even keeping a clean sheet for his side wasn’t good enough to keep the Eagles out of the relegation zone.
David Luiz
David Luiz gave Chelsa the lead in the first half as he caught out Liverpool with a quick free-kick. His goal for Chelsea after 1386 days wasn’t his only contribution of the night as he made 10 clearances and put in a solid defensive performance.
Despite the minor injury he picked up during the game, the Brazilian centre-back played on to keep his side in the game against a determined and dangerous Liverpool attack. In command of his penalty area, the Blues fan-favourite also won six of his seven aerial duels and rarely ventured out of his own half.
Stephen Ward
The fortress that is Turf Moor remained impenetrable thanks to the efforts of Burnley left-back Stephen Ward. Clean sheet aside, Ward was a threat going forward as well. The Irish international created three goalscoring opportunities from open play, more than any other defender in the gameweek. The 31-year-old kept up a frequent supply of crosses from the left that gave the Clarets an edge over the visitors.
Midfielders
N’Golo Kante
N’Golo Kante was in scintillating form at Anfield providing impeccable cover for his backline. The French midfielder was on fire as he kept popping up everywhere in the middle of the park winning nine tackles against the hosts.
In total, he attempted 14 tackles against Liverpool, making it the highest attempted by any player in the league since December 2014. By the end of the 90 minutes, he was the only player in the league to complete 50 passes and 50 interceptions this season.
Jordan Henderson
The Liverpool skipper strung together 90 passes, more than any other player in the match and won every single one of his aerial duels. Three tackles and four interceptions later, Henderson was easily one of the most influential figures on the field.
While he may have been involved in the buildup to Liverpool’s equaliser, his real contribution to the match was his inch-perfect tackle on Pedro to thwart him from attempting to score the winner when he was clear on goal with only Mignolet to beat.
David Silva
A spectacularly efficient performance from David Silva, the Spanish midfielder was the tactical genius behind Manchester City’s resounding success against West Ham United. There was no wastefulness about Silva last night as his cross-accuracy and take-ons were a 100% spot on. The 31-year-old created two goalscoring opportunities and netted one himself in the first half.
Gylfi Sigurdsson
Playing out of position, Swansea’s victory against Southampton can be chalked down to Gylfi Sigurdsson’s crucial involvement. His corner in the first half led to the Swans’ first goal courtesy of Mawson. The Icelandic midfielder then clinched the victory for his side with a cheeky finish that had the Liberty Stadium vibrating with excitement.
Forwards
Gabriel Jesus
Brazilian wonder kid Gabriel Jesus made his first Premier League start for the Citizens and what a performance it was. The 19-year-old not only scored his first goal but also made his first assist in a thumping victory over West Ham United. Impressive on his first full debut, the forward showed off some great technique as he finished his goal with a low strike.
Peter Crouch
The oldest player to score a century of goals in the Premier League, Peter Crouch finally reached the landmark two days after his 36th birthday. His 100th couldn’t have come any easier after some great work by Marko Arnautovic who handed the ball, figuratively speaking, on a silver platter to the English forward who simply had to nudge it in past Joel Robles.
Manager
Pep Guardiola
The former Barcelona manager has attracted his fair share of criticism since moving to Manchester City this season. Last night it seemed like he was headed for another disastrous result after leaving Sergio Aguero on the bench and re-instating John Stones in the starting XI but his tactics worked out well.
Putting together Raheem Sterling, David Silva, Leroy Sane, Kevin de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus was a lovely piece of tactical work that paid rich dividends for the already rich Citizens after a 4-0 victory away from home.
