Premier League best XI for matchweek 16, including David Silva, Riyad Mahrez and Harry Kane.
David Silva helped Manchester City pass Premier League title rivals Manchester United off the Old Trafford pitch in the crunch derby on Sunday. Silva had to make the team of the week, as did Tottenham’s Harry Kane, after he continued his free-scoring ways during a demolition of Stoke.
Meanwhile, Leicester’s revival owes as much to Riyad Mahrez returning to his best as to Claude Puel’s introduction as manager. Mahrez makes the best XI after helping the Foxes beat Newcastle 3-2.
Find out who else makes the team of the week:
Goalkeeper: Ederson, Manchester City
Saves don’t come much bigger or better than the double stop Ederson made to preserve City’s 2-1 lead in the red half of Manchester. The Brazilian stopper first rebuffed a point-blank effort from Romelu Lukaku, before making an even better save to deny Juan Mata on the rebound.
It was the kind of highlight-reel athleticism City felt worthy of paying £34.9 million for in the summer. Another reason City invested so heavily in Ederson is the 24-year-old’s comfort on the ball.
On numerous occasions against United, Ederson showed off the kind of close control, vision and technique any midfield playmaker would be proud of. Most of all, he thrived in both areas of the game during the decisive moments when the pressure was on.
A post-match dressing room spat with United boss Jose Mourinho may have soured Ederson’s day, or made him a cult hero, depending on if you’re a City fan or not.
Either way, there is no denying how much the former Benfica ace impressed during the biggest game of the season.
Defender: Arthur Masuaku, West Ham
West Ham’s surprising 1-0 win over Chelsea owed everything to a physical approach, defensive resolve and pace on the counter. Left-back Arthur Masuaku embodied all of those qualities at the London Stadium on Saturday.
The swift-footed defender snapped into tackles and stayed strong in the air. Masuaku made sure Chelsea’s right wing-back Davide Zappacosta looked out of his depth in England’s top flight.
He also never missed a chance to sprint beyond the Italian and get a West Ham break started on the flank.
Performances like this one have been rare since Masuaku signed from Olympiakos in 2016. Yet on this evidence, David Moyes may have a fixture at full-back.
Defender: Nicolas Otamendi, Manchester City
Scoring the winner in the crunch game of the season so far would be enough by itself to land Otamendi in the team of the week. But just for good measure, the oft-maligned Argentinian centre-back also delivered perhaps his most commanding performance in a City shirt.
Otamendi kept Lukaku worryingly quiet from a United perspective. He also flat-out bullied United’s attackers in the air.
For a player often guilty of rash challenges, Otamendi was also near-flawless on the deck. His involvement in the game’s flashpoint, the tackle on Ander Herrera Mourinho called a “clear penalty,” per Sky Sports (h/t Goal’s Joe Wright) was a prime example.
It was nowhere close to a penalty. Instead, it was an inch-perfect tackle to thwart a rare foray forward from a member of the Red Devils’ midfield.
Then there was his goal. It was as smartly taken a finish as a defender is ever likely to produce, as Otamendi volleyed past David Dea Gea on the turn in the box.
In the process, he matched the goalscoring exploits of some of the league’s most-lauded attackers, according to WhoScored.com:
Otamendi is fast becoming the lone central defender City can count on for a solid performance. Who’d have thought it?
Defender: Jonjoe Kenny, Everton
Jonjoe Kenny belied his tender years by handling the pressure cooker of a Merseyside derby and helping Everton pinch a point against Liverpool. The Reds entered the game having scored for fun in recent matches, but the Toffees thwarted them for most of the afternoon, with Kenny a big reason why.
Still just 20, Kenny was exceptional in keeping Sadio Mane quiet, as well as stopping Liverpool’s combination passing through the middle. The youngster appeared to have a natural instinct for where to be to ward off danger, no matter where it occurred.
Kenny blocking a shot or making a last-ditch tackle became the most common sight of the derby. His assured display showed Everton have the resources at the back to grind out results in the way manager Sam Allardyce has made his forte.
Midfielder: Riyad Mahrez, Leicester
One of the best things Puel has done since arriving at Leicester has been to give Mahrez more license to play centrally. Sure, the Algeria international is one of the most gifted wingers around, but his flair also has a home in a No. 10 role.
Mahrez was everywhere against the Magpies, scoring the first goal via a trademark long-range shot after having drifted centrally. Shooting power was replaced by vision when Mahrez played a key role in helping create Leicester’s second.
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His angled ball over the top to find Marc Albrighton was a thing of beauty and allowed the ex-Aston Villa winger to pick out Demarai Gray to score.
Gray’s inclusion in the starting XI has made it possible Mahrez to take up central positions more often. It’s making Leicester’s best player tougher to track.
Midfielder: David Silva, Manchester City
Words almost fail me when it comes to describing Silva’s masterclass against United. Artful seems the most appropriate.
Indeed, there was a craftsman’s flourish about the way Silva effortlessly glided across the Old Trafford pitch, playing incisive passes at will. United just never got near the 31-year-old.
No matter if Herrera or Nemanja Matic tried to mark him, the pint-sized pass-master simply wriggled free to find another dangerous pocket of space to create chances from.
Scoring City’s first goal was a fitting way for Silva to leave an indelible mark on a match he bossed.
Midfielder: Mark Noble, West Ham
The Hammers were solid at the back, but they were also tough and resourceful in midfield. No player showed those attributes more than Mark Noble.
A West Ham lifer, Noble was busy in every area of the pitch against Chelsea. The 30-year-old was a nuisance off the ball, constantly harassing the Blues into mistakes.
Noble was also his team’s most forward-thinking player in possession. He was never afraid to get on the ball and look to release runners when the opportunities presented themselves.
Sky Sports Statto detailed a fine afternoon’s work:
Noble has always been underrated on a technical level. He can be the hub the Hammers’ midfield works around during their fight to avoid relegation.
Midfielder: Dusan Tadic, Southampton
Dusan Tadic is another underrated technician in midfield, but the Southampton ace made Arsenal take notice with a superb performance during the 1-1 draw on Sunday. Tadic was the creative heartbeat for the Saints, and his combination with striker Charlie Austin tormented the Gunners all afternoon.
A smart reverse pass from Tadic sent Austin clear to open the scoring. The playmaker would have had another couple of assists if Austin and Ryan Bertrand’s finishing had been better.
Like Silva, Tadic always found the avenues of space to exploit gaps in the opposition defence. His vision, timing and movement were all first rate.
The more he’s trusted to play between the midfield and forward lines, the more goals and assists Tadic will deliver.
Striker: Heung-Min Son, Tottenham
Tottenham are a better, more exciting team whenever Heung-Min Son starts. He did against Stoke and five goals were the result.
Son was directly involved in three of them, scoring the second himself after his cross had earlier forced Potters skipper Ryan Shawcross to turn into his own net. Son also laid on Christian Eriksen to complete the scoring.
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The dominant display was a testament to Son’s pace, trickery and intuition. He is a dynamic attacker who adds true flair to Tottenham’s forward line.
Spurs are often too-reliant on Kane, but they shouldn’t be when there is another match-winner of Son’s quality in the squad.
Striker: Harry Kane, Tottenham
Son took most of the plaudits from the thrashing of Stoke at Wembley Stadium, but Kane simply took more goals. Two to be exact, as Tottenham’s No. 10 reached a scoring milestone for this calendar year:
Kane remains the most dangerous frontman in the division. His movement, eye for goal and decisiveness when presented with a chance make him a cut above most strikers, both domestically and in the Champions League.
Striker: Jermain Defoe, Bournemouth
Two well-taken goals against Crystal Palace proved evergreen striker Jermain Defoe has still got it. They also begged the question why hasn’t Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe given the free-scoring marksman more than nine starts?
Maybe Defoe’s age makes Howe wary about taxing the 35-year-old too much on a physical level. If so, it’s a thought Howe must rid from his mind and fast.
Defoe still has the ability to score in bunches. He also makes the kind of quick and deft runs between the lines a passing team like the Cherries need for their stylish possession count.
Saturday’s 2-2 draw proved Defoe must have a bigger role to play for Bournemouth during the second half of the season.