There are some new faces in the Team of the Week for matchday three. Here’s a breakdown of exactly why these players made the cut.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Goalkeeper: José Sá
For the second time in three weeks, Everton have been thwarted by a goalkeeper putting in a Man of the Match performance. During matchday one, Bernd Leno made nine saves for Fulham as Marco Silva’s side nicked 1-0 win.
This time it was Sá between the sticks for Wolves as Gary O’Neil got his first win in charge of the club. The 30-year-old made seven saves and faced shots with an Expected Goals on target total of 1.53. Remarkably, six of these saves arrived from shots in the penalty area as he was really put to work at Goodison Park on his way to a 9.0 FotMob rating.
Right-Back: Matty Cash
The Aston Villa right-back put on a finishing clinic in the 3-1 win over Burnley. Cash scored twice having taken six efforts from his new wing-back position. The 26-year-old also completed 100% of his dribbles, came out on top in 100% of his tackles and won seven of his 10 duels on the day. Unai Emery might’ve found a new role for the Poland international and he could well be tempted to stick with this system.
Centre-Back: Willy Boly
Boly may have been on the losing side as Manchester United came from 2-0 down to claim a 3-2 victory, but the 32-year-old certainly put in a shift at Old Trafford. He scored the second goal but that was just a bonus. He put in an eye-catching performance defensively. The versatile centre-back won three of his four tackles, made eight clearances, six-headed clearances, and won half of his aerial duels and 62% of his ground duels.
Centre-Back: Joachim Andersen
The 27-year-old put in quite the performance in Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw with Brentford. Andersen, somehow, managed to make the most tackles (3) while also creating the most chances (4). He also completed 100% of his dribbles and was successful with 100% of his crosses. The Palace centre-back won all of his ground duels and involved himself in an incredible 11 aerial battles. To top things off, he netted the equaliser.
Left-Back: Emerson
West Ham United put on a counter-attacking masterclass in their 3-1 win over Brighton on Saturday. In order to execute this plan, they needed their defensive unit to be resilient and Emerson carried out his role perfectly. The 29-year-old left-back won 88% of his ground duels, made two interceptions and five clearances. Going forward, he got involved too. He hit the woodwork with his only effort of the game while also creating a big chance.
Centre-Midfield: Raheem Sterling
Mauricio Pochettino opted to use Sterling behind the striker for the visit of Luton Town. He was given more of a central role and it paid off. The new No.7 scored twice, had five shots and created two chances as Chelsea ran out 3-0 winners. The former Manchester City winger attempted five dribbles and involved himself in 13 ground duels. His performance earned him a 9.0 FotMob rating.
Centre-Midfield: Rodri
No Kevin De Bruyne? No problem for Manchester City. For the second time in three weeks, Rodri makes an appearance in our TOTW. He netted the winner against Sheffield United, lashing home a left-footed half-volley late on just as it looked as though the hosts had salvaged a point.
Rodri attempted 116 passes and found a teammate with 98%. He had five shots, completed 67% of his dribbles, recovered the ball on 12 occasions and won 100% of his tackles and aerial duels. He is a one-man midfield for the champions.
Centre-Midfield: Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes netted the winner from the penalty spot to complete a remarkable turnaround at Old Trafford. The hosts had trailed 2-0 before the Red Devils fought back to claim maximum points. The skipper scored and assisted, playing a key role in the three points being claimed. He also created three chances on the day and had a total of five shots. Fernandes was determined to take something from this game and he ensured his team did just that.
Centre-Forward: Bukayo Saka
Arsenal’s 100% record came to an abrupt end at home to Fulham with the away side snatching an unlikely draw with a late strike despite being down to 10 men. The star of the show for the hosts was Saka as the No.7 found the back of the net yet again. He also created four chances at the Emirates – the most of any player in the match – while also completing six of his nine attempted dribbles – another high for the game. Saka continues to thrive under the pressure of turning out for a team tipped for a title challenge.
Centre-Forward: Nicolas Jackson
Jackson is finally off the mark for Chelsea. The summer signing finished with more tackles (3) than shots (2) in the defeat to West Ham last weekend but he looked much more of a threat against Luton this time around. The 22-year-old created two chances and had five efforts on goal, testing the goalkeeper on three occasions. His goal was a straightforward one but one he definitely needed to kickstart his Chelsea career.
Centre-Forward: Darwin Núñez
Liverpool looked down and out against Newcastle United. They were a goal down and a man down having lost captain Virgil van Dijk to a red card after just 28 minutes. The Reds kept themselves in the game though, with Alisson making an unbelievable save, before Jurgen Klopp unleashed Darwin Núñez off the bench with 13 minutes to play. The Liverpool No.9 found the back of the net with both of his efforts to complete a stunning turnaround and Klopp’s men returned to Merseyside with all three points.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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