It was an action-packed weekend in the Premier League and although VAR took front and centre, a number of players managed to catch the eye. Here’s a look at the Team of the Week for matchday seven.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Goalkeeper: José Sá
Wolves picked up a shock victory at home to champions Manchester City, ending the 100% start made by Pep Guardiola’s men in the English top-flight.
Sá was key to that, making a remarkable eight saves in the 2-1 win. The 30-year-old faced shots with an Expected Goals on Target value of 1.42 but conceded just once and that was a a stunning Julián Álvarez free-kick. His performance between the sticks earned him an 8.1 FotMob rating.
Right-Back: Kieran Trippier
Trippier is having a season. The Newcastle United right-back was once again the creative spark for the Magpies as they defeated Burnley 2-0 at St James’ Park. The 33-year-old claimed an assist, created five chances and completed 81% of his passes on the day. He was also fairly solid without the ball too, winning three of his four tackles and nine of his 12 duels as Eddie Howe’s men picked up another clean sheet.
Centre-Back: Cristian Romero
Romero’s showing against Liverpool went a little under the radar due to what happened with VAR but he definitely bounced back from the game last week against Arsenal. The Argentine scored an own goal and gave away a penalty against the Gunners but against the Reds he looked fairly composed and dominant. The 25-year-old completed 95% of the 99 passes he attempted, he won 100% of his tackles, made three interceptions and won 10 of his 13 duels.
Centre-Back: Joachim Andersen
The Crystal Palace centre-back was the match-winner for the Eagles as they picked up all three points against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Andersen scored the only goal of the game with one of his three efforts. He was a little loose in possession, finding a teammate just 65% of the time but he was trying to force passes. He did, however, make 10 clearances while also making six ball recoveries. The former Lyon defender won 100% of his aerial duels and 80% of his ground duels on his way to helping his side keep a clean sheet.
Left-Back: Alfie Doughty
Luton Town picked up their first win of the season on Saturday away to Everton. Doughty was the highest-ranked player of the match with a FotMob rating of 8.4. The 23-year-old had a game to remember. He claimed an assist and created an incredible six chances at Goodison Park. He also won 100% of his tackles, recovered the ball on four occasions, won 100% of his aerial duels and was dribbled past just once. It was an impressive showing by the versatile left-winger.
Midfield: Jarrod Bowen
Another game, another goal for Bowen. The 26-year-old now has five for the season and is just one shy of his tally for the entire 2022/23 Premier League campaign. The West Ham United winger scored the opener and had a total of six shots on the day. He finished with a pass success rate of 91% too while also completing 100% of his dribbles and creating one chance for the Hammers in what was another productive showing.
Midfield: Martin Ødegaard
The Arsenal skipper had a busy day against Bournemouth. He won a penalty, scored a penalty, assisted a goal and created three chances as the Gunners claimed a 3-0 win. Ødegaard finished with an Expected Goals involvement (xG + xA) of 1.17. He was only dispossessed on two occasions while completing 89% of his attempted passes in what was a standout creative showing.
Midfield: Bruno Guimarães
It was another dominant display from the Brazilian midfielder. Guimarães is a key cog in the Newcastle midfield and these sorts of performances are becoming the norm for the 25-year-old. The former Lyon man created five chances for the Magpies and bossed things defensively, winning four of his five tackles and nine of his 13 duels. He also recovered the ball on 12 occasions.
Forward: Bukayo Saka
Saka was again on the scoresheet for Arsenal, opening the scoring in the win over Bournemouth. The England international landed all of his efforts on target, completed 100% of his dribbles, recovered the ball on nine occasions, and involved himself in 11 duels. It was an all-action display from an attacker who is developing at a breakneck speed. He now has six goal involvements in seven starts.
Forward: Miguel Almirón
Almirón opened the scoring for the Magpies with his second goal of the season and he finished the game as the highest-rated Newcastle attacker with a FotMob score of 8.6. The 29-year-old also completed two of his three dribbles and won 88% of his duels to round out a complete performance from the versatile forward. His work rate without the ball makes him an important player in this Howe team and you can understand why he’s a regular for the Toon Army.
Forward: Ollie Watkins
Watkins was the star performer of the week. He ran the show for Aston Villa as they romped to a 6-1 win over Brighton at Villa Park. The 27-year-old scored a hat-trick and claimed an assist in a 9.8 FotMob-rated showing. In total, Watkins had six shots and assisted five efforts as Villa ran riot against the Seagulls. The former Brentford man now has four goals and three assists in the Premier League this term.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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