It’ll be no surprise to discover four Arsenal players made the FotMob Team of the Week following their 6-0 demolition of West Ham on Sunday, but who else made the XI and why? Here’s your Matchday 24 Team of the Week.
By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert
Goalkeeper: André Onana
Onana played a pivotal part in Manchester United claiming all three points at Villa Park. The former Inter shot-stopper made eight saves and faced shots worth an Expected Goals value of 2.56 in the 2-1 win for the Red Devils. What makes this even more impressive is the fact five of the shots he saved were efforts from inside of the penalty area.
This showing between the sticks earned him an 8.8 rating.
Right-Back: Malo Gusto
Filling in for your injured skipper can be too much pressure for some but Malo Gusto looks right at home for Chelsea in place of Reece James. The French full-back played his role in the 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on Monday night. He completed 93% of the 94 passes he attempted. Gusto created two chances and claimed an assist too. The former Lyon man also attempted five dribbles, won three of his four tackles, made seven ball recoveries and came out on top in eight of his 12 ground duels.
Centre-Back: William Saliba
Saliba was at his brilliant best in Arsenal’s 6-0 win over West Ham. The French centre-back claimed an 8.4 rating and it is easy to understand why. He scored a goal, completed 97% of his passes, found a teammate with 100% of his long passes and won 100% of his aerial duels. This sort of showing is becoming the norm for the 22-year-old.
Centre-Back: Harry Maguire
Maguire continues to divide opinion but he put in a dominant showing at Villa Park in Man United’s 2-1 win. The 30-year-old claimed an assist but that was just a nice little bonus. He really caught the eye with his defensive showing. The England international won three of his four tackles, made five clearances, had a 100% success rate with aerial duels and came out on top in 80% of his ground duels. The United defender also found a teammate with 80% of his attempted passes to round off this 8.4 rated display.
Left-Back: Antonee Robinson
Few would’ve had Fulham beating Bournemouth this weekend but Marco Silva’s men swept the Cherries aside in a 3-1 win. Key to their success was Antonee Robinson. The left-back created one chance and had a 100% success rate with dribbles. Defensively, he was phenomenal, winning 100% of his tackles, making five interceptions and winning 10 of his 12 duels.
Midfield: Martin Ødegaard
The Arsenal skipper ran the show against West Ham. Ødegaard claimed two assists having created a match-high seven chances. The Norway international attempted 115 passes on Sunday afternoon and found a teammate with 95%. He also won 100% of his ground duels, showcasing his duality as a player. He doesn’t shirk the defensive side of things and will do the dirty work to benefit his team. He’s almost unplayable when going forward though.
Midfield: Bruno Guimarães
The Brazilian midfielder was the match-winner for Newcastle United against Nottingham Forest. The No. 39 scored two goals in the 3-2 win. A goal for Guimarães is rare, prior to Saturday he had just one all season. He was also successful with 88% of his passes and he managed to complete 100% of his dribbles, while also winning six of his nine ground duels. It was a solid showing from the Samba star.
Midfield: Declan Rice
Rice haunted his former side on Sunday. Returning to West Ham for the first time since his big-money move to Arsenal, the £105m-rated midfielder racked up a FotMob rating of 9.1. He chipped in with two assists as well as a goal in the 6-0 win. Rice also completed 93% of the 71 passes he attempted while also creating four chances on the day. He was ruthless and relentless, exactly what Arsenal need to maintain their title push.
Attack: Bukayo Saka
Saka claimed the highest rating of any player in the Team of the Week with a 9.5. He scored twice against West Ham and had a total of eight shots. The right-winger carved out three chances for teammates, he attempted four dribbles, won six of his 10 duels and completed 92% of his passes. He now has four goals and an assist in his last four Premier League matches.
Attack: Cole Palmer
Chelsea managed to turn the game around against Crystal Palace having trailed 1-0 at one stage. The Blues ran out 3-1 winners thanks to two stoppage-time goals and Cole Palmer played a key role in both. The former Manchester City youngster claimed two assists having created three chances against the Eagles. He also made four recoveries while completing 100% of his dribbles. He’s easily been the signing of the season for Chelsea.
Attack: Erling Haaland
Back in the Manchester City team and back amongst the goals, Erling Haaland was the match-winner against Everton as Pep Guardiola’s side briefly claimed top spot. The prolific Noway international scored both goals in the 2-0 win. He also created two chances and attempted three dribbles to show how rounded he is becoming as a centre-forward. His FotMob rating of 9.0 was more than warranted.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
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