Premier League Team of the Week: De Gea, Vardy, Lacazette feature

Premier League best XI for matchweek 24, including goalkeeper David de Gea, Jamie Vardy and Alexandre Lacazette.

David de Gea did what he always does to help Manchester United to another vital away win, while Alexandre Lacazette did something he hasn’t done for a while as Arsenal got back on track in the Premier League.

De Gea kept yet another clean sheet as United beat Burnley at Turf Moor to stay second. Meanwhile, Lacazette ended an epic scoring drought by finding the net to help the Gunners earn a first win of 2018.

The scoring touch may have eluded Lacazette for a while, but Jamie Vardy has never lost sight of the net. He was on the scoresheet again as Leicester moved up to seventh.

Found out who else made the best XI for matchweek 24:

Goalkeeper: David De Gea, Manchester United

United own the league’s stingiest defense because they have the best goalkeeper in the division. The Spaniard was typically stubborn as the Red Devils stood up to Burnley’s physical approach.

De Gea was decisive and intelligent when stepping out to claim crosses and challenge in the box. Spain’s No. 1 also needed a slice of luck when Johann Berg Gudmundsson’s free-kick struck the bar without De Gea twitching a nerve.

The 27-year-old was on the move when he got a hand to a lopping header from Clarets centre-back Ben Mee. No matter how many long balls Burnley launched to test him, De Gea refused to buckle, as did United, who escaped a tricky fixture with all three points thanks to their goalkeeper.

Defender: Ben Davies, Tottenham

You have to think Danny Rose regrets slating Tottenham’s ambition back in the summer. While the England international has sulked and dealt with injuries, Ben Davies has been taking his job.

Rose’s stand-in was superb in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Southampton. His best contribution was to tee up Harry Kane to equalize a Davinson Sanchez own goal.

Davies spent the rest of the match tracking runners and raiding forward at every opportunity. The Welshman was accomplished on the ball and useful as an attacking outlet, teasing in several menacing crosses.

What Davies produced at St Mary’s Stadium is what Spurs would usually expect from Rose.

Defender: Jack Stephens, Southampton

Selling Virgil van Dijk was supposed to weaken the Saints’ defense. It didn’t look like it though, not when Jack Stephens kept Tottenham’s fluid attack under wraps.

Sure, Kane got his now customary goal, but Spurs were blunted in forward areas for the majority of the match. The away side’s frustrations were obvious during the second half, as Kane, Dele Alli and Heung-Min Son routinely found themselves thwarted by Stephens’ strength and anticipation.

One of the standout moments of his performance was the last-ditch block to deny Kane a shooting chance in the 25th minute. Stephens also made several key interceptions as Spurs struggled to get their passing going between the lines.

The Saints are still far from safe, but their faith in young talent is being rewarded by 23-year-old Stephens.

Next: Report: Manchester United, Arsenal agree to Mkhitaryan, Sanchez swap

Defender: Jonny Evans, West Brom

West Brom’s 1-1 draw at Everton was made possible by stout defending from center-back Jonny Evans. The Northern Ireland international held the back line together for the Baggies and also posed a threat of his own whenever he could.

Evans had a lot to deal with since the Toffees mixed the power of Cenk Tosun and the pace of fellow new signing Theo Walcott up top. Yet West Brom rarely let Walcott sprint in behind, nor did they get bullied by Tosun.

Instead, Evans won everything in the air and read and blocked several attempted through passes. His instincts and positional sense made it a difficult day for Everton playmaker Gylfi Sigurdsson.

Evans also made life difficult for the Toffees’ defence by attacking every set-piece situation with gusto.

West Brom’s best defender remains a transfer target of both Arsenal and Manchester City. But the Baggies are going to need Evans to lead them out of the bottom three.

Midfielder: Eden Hazard, Chelsea

As Eden Hazard goes, so go Chelsea, a fact proved after the Belgium international tore through Brighton on Saturday. Hazard scored twice and produced fantastic touches as the champions helped themselves to four goals at the Amex Stadium.

Those contributions put Hazard in select company in Chelsea’s history, per Sky Sports Statto:

Hazard’s performance meant the Blues played an expansive game pleasing on the eye. The classy No. 10’s clever flicks had Brighton defenders snatching at air as Chelsea’s other attackers found space and chances at will.

Chelsea won’t retain the title, but as long as Hazard stays in this sort of form, the club will remain a major threat in three other competitions.

Mesut Ozil, Arsenal

Chelsea and Hazard weren’t the only ones weaving pretty patterns on a Premier League pitch this weekend. The Gunners were also back to their free-flowing best, thanks to the return of gifted schemer Mesut Ozil.

To say Ozil ran the show during Arsenal’s 4-1 demolition of Crystal Palace wouldn’t do his imperious display justice. The Germany international sauntered between the midfield and forward lines to combine with Lacazette, Jack Wilshere, Alex Iwobi and Granit Xhaka.

Ozil always stayed on the move, making him impossible for Palace to track. He received the ball comfortably, with his touch and technique immaculate on the day.

However, Ozil strode above the game thanks to the way he used the ball. So many of his passes released runners behind the visitors’ defence and knitted together wonderfully intricate moves.

The best of those moves led to Arsenal’s fourth goal. It was a sweeping exchange of passes during which Ozil played a one-two with Iwobi then Wilshere, before back-heeling for Lacazette to score.

This was Ozil at his artful best and emphatic evidence for why the Gunners must agree a new contract with their most talented creator.

Jack Wilshere, Arsenal

As good as Ozil was, Wilshere wasn’t far behind him when it came to being Arsenal’s most creative midfielder. The No. 10 was on Ozil’s wavelength from the start, producing deft touches and making perceptive runs.

Wilshere’s ability to combine with Ozil added the flourish to Arsenal’s intuitive approach play. What stood out most was how well Wilshere used the ball. He slid several inch-perfect and ideally weighted passes behind the Eagles’ back four.

One of Wilshere’s best passes went to Ozil, whose back-heel for Lacazette was a true highlight. Wilshere may have had an assist of his own if Lacazette could have finished after receiving a terrifically angled pass in the seocnd half.

On his current form, Wilshere is more than meriting the reduced contract the Gunners are offering, per BBC Sport’s Ian Dennis:

Arsenal are wise to be cautious given Wilshere’s lengthy injury history. But the north London club may regret offering him less, especially since Serie A giants Juventus are now keen, according to Justin Allen of The Sun.

Midfielder: Willian, Chelsea

Hazard wasn’t the only reason Chelsea turned on the style. Combining their No. 10’s mercurial brain with the natural flair of Brazilian forward Willian also helped.

The South American scored the Blues’ second. It was a goal arguably more attractively produced than Arsenal’s fourth.

Willian played at close quarters with Hazard and striker Michy Batshuayi, who each produced impish flicks to let the former Shakhtar Donetsk star slot past Brighton goalkeeper Matthew Ryan.

OptaJoe noted how Willian has been in prolific form since getting back into manager Antonio Conte’s starting XI:

Chelsea are a more dynamic team going forward whenever Willian is involved.

Striker: Jamie Vardy, Leicester

Leicester aren’t the force of two seasons ago, even though Vardy remains one of the deadliest strikers in England’s top flight. The 31-year-old was in the goals again as he scored from the penalty spot to send the Foxes on their way to a win over Watford.

Vardy made no mistake, he rarely does, having developed into a ruthlessly efficient finisher, per BBC Match of the Day:

Vardy’s ability to make the most of fewer chances is perfect for a side still geared to soaking up pressure and striking on the counter. It helps Vardy seems to have lost none of his pace, nor any of his sense of timing.

Leicester are beginning to look more than capable of qualifying for European football next season thanks to Vardy’s enduring cutting edge.

Striker: Alexandre Lacazette, Arsenal

Lacazette didn’t just end a run of eight league matches without a goal. The Frenchman also showcased his increasingly impressive link play.

Many of Arsenal’s best moves against Palace featured a smart touch or stylish flick from the club’s record signing. For a striker who is far from the most imposing physically, Lacazette is surprisingly adept at playing with his back to goal and holding the ball up.

His flair for combining with others is less of a surprise given he spent time as an attacking midfielder during his early days at Lyon. What Lacazette has given the Gunners is a No. 9 who also boasts the creative tendencies of a No. 10.

It means he’s a perfect fit for the elaborate elegance Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger wants his team to produce.

Striker: Sergio Aguero, Manchester City

Manchester City are still 12 points clear at the top because Sergio Aguero can still be relied upon for goals. The Argentinian scored three of them to see off Newcastle on Saturday.

Those goals continued Aguero’s remarkably prolific run in the division, per WhoScored.com:

Aguero’s hat-trick was also notable because one goal came with his left foot, one with his right and one via his head. The spread of the goals was fitting after the 29-year-old delivered a complete performance when his team needed it most.

City needed it because they had been stung by Liverpool a week ago and were under pressure to prove their first loss was merely a blip. Aguero had been a passenger at Anfield, but single-handedly smacked down any talk the would-be champions were headed for a slump.