Premier League Team of the Week: Matchweek 5
Matchweek 5 in the Premier League was once again filled with shock results.
A week full of derby games saw Liverpool denied a late winner against neighbours Everton, Brighton equalise in stoppage time against their rivals Crystal Palace, and West Ham fight back from 3-0 down to earn a point against Spurs.
Following the drama, we have selected our best 11 players from the latest round of fixtures.
Here’s our Premier League Team of the Week…
GK: Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Ever since Bernd Leno got injured last season at Arsenal, Emiliano Martinez has shown the world just what he is capable of between the sticks. Having secured a £20million move to Aston Villa over the summer, he is now their first-choice goalkeeper and putting in top-class displays each week. Matchweek 5 was no different for the Argentine as he kept a third clean sheet in four victories for the Villans. The 28-year-old managed to stop Leicester’s potent attack, despite them having five shots on target throughout the game.
DF: Matty Cash (Aston Villa)
In his first season in the Premier League with Aston Villa after signing from Nottingham Forrest over the summer, Matty Cash has shown why he was one of the most sought after right backs in the EFL. Putting in an impressive well rounded display against Leicester, he showed both his defensive and offensive abilities throughout the 1-0 victory.
DF: Max Kilman (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Away at Leeds United looked at tough game on paper for Wolves, and that it proved to be. However, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side took a grip of the match in the second half and secured a 1-0 win. Defender Max Kilman played a key role in the victory as he put in a solid display to keep out the Whites. As well as that, the 23-year-old also claimed an assist for Raul Jimenez’s winner.
DF: Michael Keane (Everton)
Everton and Michael Keane have experienced a real upturn in form under Carlo Ancelotti. The centre-back is now putting in commanding performances on a consistent basis which has seen him regain his spot in the England squad. On Saturday, the 27-year-old put in another decent display in the Merseyside derby against champions Liverpool. Despite conceding twice in the 2-2 draw, Keane looked to be the leader in the backline and even headed home his side’s first goal from a James Rodriguez corner to keep the Toffees unbeaten and top of the league.
DF: Nathan Ake (Man City)
Nathan Ake moved to Manchester City in the summer from Bournemouth and many expected manager Pep Guardiola to play the Dutchman at centre-half. Instead he has been played more on the left hand side. This unorthodox role for the 25-year-old does not seem to faze him however, as he played a role in his side securing a clean sheet against Arsenal. He helped keep both Willian and Nicolas Pepe quiet as City looked far more solid in this 1-0 win.
MF: Thiago (Liverpool)
Despite being out for the last two weeks after testing positive for Covid-19, Thiago showed no signs of fatigue in this Merseyside derby. In only his second start for Liverpool since his summer move from Bayern Munich, he put on a midfield masterclass. Making key passes all over the pitch throughout the entire game, controlling the course of play whenever he was on the ball and feeding wingers Mane and Salah whenever he could. What a signing!
MF: Ross Barkley (Aston Villa)
Ross Barkley has had a tough career in recent years. After moving to Chelsea from Everton he struggled to break into the first-team on a regular basis and was linked with a move away from Stamford Bridge all summer. He finally found himself at Aston Villa on loan and is now proving what a quality player he can be on his day. The midfielder scored the winner for Villa in the 91st minute against Leicester with a fantastic 25-yard strike. The win saw the Villans keep their 100% record in the Premier League.
MF: Juan Mata (Manchester United)
At 32, Juan Mata is one of the oldest players within the Manchester United squad. However, despite his age, he still has the ability to perform at high levels when required. The Spaniard assisted Harry Maguire for United’s first goal of the game from a looping corner and was fantastic on the ball throughout. Mata’s pass for Marcus Rashford in the lead up to Bruno Fernandes’ match winning goal was a touch of class not many in the Premier League could produce.
FW: Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Marcus Rashford has been at the forefront of the news this week after receiving his MBE and he managed to keep his name on the back pages too after an impressive display against Newcastle. Rashford won a penalty, assisted goals for Bruno Fernandes and Aaron Wan-Bissaka and then got a goal of his own deep into stoppage time to finish a dominant display by Manchester United. After their horrendous display against Spurs last time out, Rashford and his teammates bounced back in style with this 4-1 win.
FW: Timo Werner (Chelsea)
Since moving to Chelsea in the summer as one of Frank Lampard’s new wave of transfers Timo Werner had yet to score in the Premier League. However, against Southampton, he proved why the Blues splashed the cash on him in the summer as he netted two wonderful goals which showed off both his pace and finishing ability. Now he’s netted his first top-flight goals in England, don’t be surprised to see the Germany international go on and get a whole lot more.
FW: Harry Kane (Tottenham Hotspur)
It was another fantastic display from England captain Harry Kane this week against West Ham. The frontman assisted strike partner Son Heung-min within the opening 45 seconds of the game with an outrageous pinpoint pass. However, the Tottenham star didn’t stop there, scoring twice within the opening 16 minutes of the game to see Spurs race into a 3-0 lead. Despite West Ham’s late comeback to snatch a point, you can take nothing away from Kane’s performance in front of goal.