Premier League best XI for matchweek 33, with Paul Pogba, Christian Eriksen and Danny Welbeck involved.
Paul Pogba and Christian Eriksen proved the decisive influence for their teams as Manchester United and Tottenham both earned crucial wins in the Premier League on Saturday.
Pogba scored a brace as United came back to spoil Manchester City’s premature title party. Earlier in the day Eriksen had also found the net twice to help Spurs strengthen their grip on a top-four finish at the expense of all-but doomed Stoke.
Sunday saw Arsenal win a five-goal thriller against another relegation candidate, Southampton. Danny Welbeck was the hero, scoring twice, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang continued to impress.
The week finished with West Ham snatching a point off Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Goalkeeper Joe Hart led a stubborn rearguard for the Hammers, who have as good as ended Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
Find out who else makes the team of the week:
Goalkeeper: Joe Hart, West Ham
Joe Hart’s career has hit the skids since Pep Guardiola jettisoned him from Manchester. Yet the 30-year-old still knows few equals as a goalkeeper on England’s international stage.
Hart proved his enduring worth with a string of exceptional saves to frustrate Chelsea at the Bridge. He capped a steady first-half display by blocking a shot from Willian, moments before Cesar Azpilicueta scored for the Blues.
Not deterred by the setback, Hart maintained his focus after the break. He also showed his reflexes and athleticism have not diminished by denying both Marcos Alonso and Olivier Giroud.
Hart refused to be beaten again on a day when the Hammers seemed to wreck Chelsea’s top-four hopes for good.
Defender: Florian Lejeune, Newcastle
When Newcastle snapped up Florian Lejeune from Eibar for just £8.7 million the signing was greeted with little fanfare. It has since proved to be one of the bargains of last summer’s transfer market.
Frenchman Lejeune has established himself as a linchpin at the back for the Magpies. Tough and resourceful, Lejeune has been combative and composed alongside rising star Jamaal Lascelles.
Aggressive in the air and quick across the deck, Lejeune was outstanding during Saturday’s 2-1 win away to Leicester. The impressive result was built on Lejeune’s ability to track Jamie Vardy’s runs and stand up to the bustling energy of Shinji Okazaki.
Lejeune is growing in confidence and importance, with his defensive nous decisive in helping Newcastle beat the drop.
Defender: Phil Jagielka, Everton
Even at 35, Phil Jagielka remains Everton’s best central defender. He offered a reminder of his ongoing class by helping the Toffees keep a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw against derby rivals Liverpool.
Injury meant Jagielka earned a reprieve from dealing with deadly Mohamed Salah. Yet the veteran was still posed challenges presented by the pace of and physicality of Danny Ings and Dominic Solanke.
Add in Sadio Mane’s directness and athleticism, and Jagielka was sure to be in for a busy afternoon at Goodison Park.
So it proved, but the Everton linchpin handled every difficulty. He never allowed himself to be drawn out of position, nor did he get too close and let Liverpool’s forwards spin in behind.
When it came to tackling, Jagielka was precise and unforgiving.
This was throwback stuff from the man who has been part of the furniture on the blue half of Merseyside since 2007.
Defender: Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea
Chelsea’s season has rotted on the vine for quite a while, but there has been no decline in Cesar Azpilicueta’s performances. The versatile Spaniard has been as industrious and creative going forward as he’s been formidable at the back.
Azpilicueta scored his third goal of the season to help earn a point against the Hammers. Those goals go alongside a respectable six assists as proof the former Osasuna man has made strides as an attacking outlet.
Fortunately for the Blues, he’s still as good as ever defensively. Surprisingly good in the air and tenacious in one-on-one duels, the physical side of England’s top flight has never been a problem.
In terms of positional sense, recovery pace and anticipation, Azpilicueta may be the best defender in the division.
Midfielder: Christian Eriksen, Tottenham
Like Azpilicueta, Eriksen has cultivated a more assured scoring touch this season. For Tottenham’s creative hub, it’s meant 14 goals across all competitions, his most prolific campaign since moving to north London in 2013.
The Denmark international netted two of those goals against the Potters at the bet365 Stadium on Saturday. His opener on 52 minutes showed the progression in Eriksen’s game as he finished coolly after being picked out by Dele Alli.
Eriksen’s timing was impeccable, while the late dart into the box showed off his increased willingness to run beyond the striker this season.
Those runs have been a surprise, but there’s no shock anymore about Eriksen’s quality from set-pieces. His whipped free-kick which eluded everybody, including Stoke goalkeeper Jack Butland, was just the latest entry in a catalogue bulging with spectacular strikes.
Midfielder: Paul Pogba, United
Dropped, criticized and written off in recent months, Pogba had a point to prove at the Etihad Stadium. He proved it emphatically with a pair of goals to bring the Red Devils back from 2-0 down.
Both finishes showcased Pogba at his best. His first came when he made a late surge into the box to meet Ander Herrera’s delightful touch off his chest.
Pogba’s first instinct is to get forward, something he hasn’t always been given the freedom to do on manager Jose Mourinho’s watch. The appetite for getting forward was impossible to satiate against the Citizens, though, as Pogba again sauntered into the box for his second.
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Despite covering all of 40 yards, Pogba barely looked as though he had broken sweat. His long stride made covering the distance an effortless task, while the header to meet Alexis Sanchez’s cross was magnificently placed into the bottom corner.
The goal was the perfect example of Pogba’s enviable blend of pace, power and flair. Those qualities mean he can still justify the £89 million he cost United in 2016, provided the Reds let him do what he does best.
Midfielder: Georginio Wijnaldum, Liverpool
Like Pogba, Georginio Wijnaldum is a midfielder who isn’t always allowed to indulge his natural instincts. Those instincts are to get forward, but the ex-PSV Eindhoven star has steadily matured into a more solid defensive presence.
He was tenacious and intelligent at Goodison Park, never shying from his responsibility to break up play. The 27-year-old was also stylish and efficient when in possession.
Sky Sports Statto detailed Wijnaldum’s busy afternoon. The number of passes he completed showcased the technical excellence at the heart of his game.
It’s a quality sometimes wasted in defensive areas, but Wijnaldum’s ability to become what Liverpool need him to be is invaluable.
Midfielder: Alex Iwobi, Arsenal
End product has too often eluded Alex Iwobi as he’s attempted to make the step up from academy graduate to regular first-teamer for Arsenal.
Blessed with quick feet, maverick skill and innate vision, the young Nigerian has been under pressure to deliver more goals and assists. Fortunately for the Gunners, the 21-year-old answered the call during the 3-2 win over Southampton.
With Mesut Ozil and Jack Wilshere on the bench, Aaron Ramsey rested and Henrikh Mkhitaryan injured, the onus was on Iwobi to be Arsenal’s creative hub.
He answered the call by being at the heart of the Gunners’ opener. His brilliantly angled, reverse pass though a crowd found Welbeck in the box. The latter’s improvised flick set Aubameyang free to score.
Iwobi was the creative catalyst again as Arsenal took a 2-1 lead. His slide-rule pass through the lines found Welbeck, who cut in and powered a deflected shot into the top corner.
The game was far from comfortable, though, affording Iwobi one more chance to make his mark. His power and shuffling feet took him beyond Duasn Tadic, allowing him to lift a cross onto Welbeck’s head for the winner.
Iwobi has his critics among Arsenal’s fanbase, but he’s a burgeoning talent still young and gifted enough to develop into something special.
Striker: Alexis Sanchez, Manchester United
Speaking of having his detractors, Alexis Sanchez has had plenty since his generally uninspiring start to life at United. Slowly but surely though, the Chilean’s undeniable talent is beginning to shine through.
Sanchez was magnificent in last week’s 2-0 win over Swansea. He was even better in the comeback against City.
United needed a spark and their January arrival provided it. His aptitude as a passer was obvious as everything the Reds did going forward was prompted by their No. 7.
He split the lines to thread through for Romelu Lukaku early in the second half, but United couldn’t make the most of it. Next time Sanchez got the ball he relied on pace and trickery to tie Nicolas Otamendi in knots before finding Herrera with a precise chip.
Herrera’s next touch set up Pogba’s first, but it was Sanchez who turned provider for the second. His deftly floated cross found the France international in space to head in.
Sanchez was at it again as he curled a teasing free-kick beyond City’s high defensive line for Chris Smalling to turn in the winner.
Two assists showed off the artful wizardry Sanchez is capable of at any moment against any opposition. Goals will eventually define his United career, but the Red Devils will come to value his passing just as much.
Striker: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal
It’s impossible for Arsenal fans not to be excited about Aubameyang’s fast start to life in the Premier League. The Gabon international found the net for the fourth game in a row when he prodded home to open the scoring against the Saints.
It was a goal highlighting Aubameyang’s razor-sharp instincts in the box. He comes alive in the area that matters most and is usually quickest to react.
The goal meant the former Borussia Dortmund star has set a club record with six goals and an assist from his first seven league games, per OptaJoe.
More than the numbers, Aubameyang has enlivened a team gone stale since Sanchez swapped north London for Old Trafford. Aubameyang’s impact goes beyond simply generating greater enthusiasm from an apathetic fanbase.
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He can also offer Arsenal increased tactical flexibility thanks to being able to play wide as well as through the middle. A potential partnership with Alexandre Lacazette is particularly enticing.
More than anything else, Aubameyang has brought genuine star power back to the Emirates Stadium.
Striker: Danny Welbeck, Arsenal
Nowhere near as accomplished as Aubameyang, Welbeck can still deliver when it counts. He did so when he headed in Arsenal’s winner in the 81st minute.
It was his second goal, to go with an assist, sufficient proof Welbeck can be counted on for end product. Believing in his ability to deliver isn’t always easy, especially given his knack for inexplicable misses.
Barely minutes before scoring the winner, Welbeck had fluffed his lines in front of an open goal. Both the miss and the resulting determination to bounce back summed up Welbeck.
He’s a player defined more by endeavour than natural ability. His hard work is a commendable trait, one every squad should covet.