After a dominant display away to Bournemouth, it is no surprise to see four Liverpool players in the Matchday 21 FotMob Team of the Week. But who else joins the quartet? After all, a number of individuals had standout performances across this staggered round of fixtures.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Goalkeeper: David Raya
Arsenal shot-stopper David Raya may not have been the busiest during the 5-0 win over Crystal Palace, but everything he did, he did well. The 28-year-old Spaniard finished the game with a 100% save percentage having faced five shots in total. These efforts had an Expected Goals value of 0.62. He also completed 71% of the 28 passes he attempted. All in all, it was a strong showing and one he needed after a few questionable moments recently.
Right-Back: Pedro Porro
Porro really caught the eye in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford. The in-form right-back created five chances and claimed an assist. He also completed 100% of his dribbles, found a teammate 80% of the time and won eight of his 13 duels on the day. It was a solid, all-round showing by the 24-year-old.
Centre-Back: Ibrahima Konaté
The French centre-back played a pivotal role in Liverpool keeping yet another clean sheet, this time against Bournemouth. Konaté finished the game having won 100% of his tackles and 80% of his duels. He also completed 100% of his dribbles and found a teammate with 86% of his attempted passes. The 24-year-old has been a colossus for the table toppers this season.
Centre-Back: Ben Mee
Mee rolled back the years to dominate for Brentford in their 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest. The 34-year-old scored, created a chance, completed 100% of his dribbles and 78% of his passes. The centre-back recovered the ball on seven occasions while also winning five of the six aerial duels he was involved in. The focus was on Ivan Toney’s comeback but Mee’s return to form was just as key to the Bees recording their first three points in six matches.
Left-Back: Levi Colwill
Colwill claimed the highest FotMob rating in Chelsea’s 1-0 win over Fulham. The versatile defender was deployed as a left-back in the game and he finished with a rating of 8.4. He was fine in possession, finding a teammate with 75% of his attempted passes, and he created one chance. Defensively, he was busy. He made three interceptions, 10 recoveries and won 10 of his 18 duels. He more than played his part in the clean sheet for the Blues.
Midfield: Rodri
All of the talk after Manchester City’s comeback victory over Newcastle United centred around Kevin De Bruyne. But Rodri bossed things for the reigning Premier League champions. He finished the game with a FotMob rating of 8.6 having completed 93% of the 144 passes he attempted. The Spanish playmaker also created three chances, assisted a goal and completed 100% of his dribbles. Defensively, he was as robust as ever, making seven ball recoveries, winning 60% of his ground duels and 50% of his aerial duels.
Midfield: Alexis Mac Allister
Mac Allister dominated the game for Liverpool. The World Cup winner was brilliant in possession and destructive without the ball. The Liverpool No. 10 completed 88% of his passes while also creating four chances. He attempted nine tackles and made 15 ball recoveries. He was particularly strong in duels on Sunday afternoon though, winning 14 of the 20 he was involved in. This showing no doubt silenced a few of those who have doubted his ability to play as the anchor in this Liverpool midfield.
Midfield: James Ward Prowse
Ward-Prowse was on it against Sheffield United. The West Ham midfield scored from the penalty spot but he caught the eye away from that goal. He created four chances and found a teammate with 75% of his crosses. In fact, he finished the game with a remarkable 98% pass success rate. Everything the Hammers did went through the former Southampton man and he’s thriving with the responsibility.
Attack: Diogo Jota
This was a quintessential Diogo Jota performance. He was practically non-existent in the first half when deployed as the centre-forward. After the break, manager Jürgen Klopp moved him to the right side of the attack and he burst into life, assisting the opener before scoring two quickfire goals to ensure the Reds returned to Merseyside with all three points. It really was a transformative showing after the break and really highlighted his value to this Liverpool team.
Attack: Gabriel Martinelli
Martinelli was only on the pitch for 21 minutes but he managed to do more than enough in that time to claim the highest FotMob rating (8.9) of the game. The Arsenal winger scored twice to add an exclamation point to the win over Crystal Palace. What really caught the eye though was his shot placement, he turned efforts with an Expected Goals value of just 0.74 into goals with an Expected Goals on Target value of 1.79. He was clinical and composed, the perfect combo.
Attack: Darwin Núñez
Darwin Núñez is now the first Premier League player to hit double figures in goals and assists across all competitions this season. The Liverpool No. 9 took his tally in the top flight to seven with two goals at the Vitality Stadium in the 4-0 win over Bournemouth. Darwin wasn’t at his chaotic best but instead showed a different side to his game with two perfectly executed finishes. His Expected Goals Contribution of 1.2 was the highest of the game, showing his value as a creator and as a goal threat.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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