Premier League Team of the Week: Fabregas, Fernandinho and Sterling included

Premier League best XI for matchweek 36, including Cesc Fabregas, Fernandinho and Raheem Sterling.

Chelsea are making the race for the Premier League’s top four interesting again. The Blues won 1-0 at Swansea on Saturday to close the gap on Tottenham to just two points.

Cesc Fabregas was the creative star and match-winner for last season’s champions. As for this season’s big winners, Manchester City still have several records in sight after hitting four past West Ham, with Raheem Sterling in fine form.

For all their stars going forward, the Citizens can also be thankful for the brilliance of Fernandinho. The best holding midfielder in England’s top flight got a rare goal to cap a masterful display of discipline and control.

Find out who else makes the latest team of the week:

Goalkeeper: Mathew Ryan, Brighton

The Seagulls battled to a creditable 0-0 draw away to Burnley, thanks largely to Mathew Ryan’s quality in goal. He was Brighton’s best player at Turf Moor, making a number of key saves.

Ryan’s best stop rebuffed in-form Ashley Barnes in the first half. The Australian stopper spent the remainder of the match commanding his box against a typically relentless aerial bombardment from the hosts.

Frustrating the Clarets demands dealing with crosses, something Ryan did decisively. He never shied away from battles in the air, competing with Barnes, Chris Wood and Sam Vokes.

Ryan’s stubborn resilience earned Brighton a valuable point to all-but seal their Premier League status for another season.

Defender: Kurt Zouma, Stoke

The Potters also banked a useful point in their own battle to beat the drop. Stoke’s goalless draw was more impressive because it came at Anfield against a Liverpool side featuring Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool’s star forwards couldn’t find a way past Kurt Zouma, though. The Frenchman who hasn’t been given enough chances by parent club Chelsea, was a colossus on Merseyside.

Zouma used his pace, anticipation, timing and muscle to deny the Reds spaces between the lines. The typically angled runs Salah has thrived off were blocked by Zouma’s formidable presence.

He also denied Firmino the quick touches he produces in and around the box. Zouma tracked runners expertly, while also never letting himself be overpowered when in a footrace or battling in the air.

Consistency eludes Zouma, but when he plays like this Stoke are a world apart from the owners of the division’s leakiest defense.

Defender: Antonio Rudiger, Chelsea

He hasn’t always been convincing since moving from Roma to west London in the summer, but Antonio Rudiger is steadily starting to justify the £34 million Chelsea paid for him.

After Fabregas, the Germany international was the Blues’ best player at the Liberty Stadium. He was quick and combative at the back, denying Jordan Ayew the chance to stretch the visitors’ back three with his pace. Rudiger also made sure Andre Ayew’s threat in the air barely showed itself.

Aside from his defensive work, Rudiger passed the ball with patience and class whenever Chelsea built from the back. His astute distribution helped Fabregas and Co. be creative and forward-thinking through midfield.

Rudiger has taken time to get going, but he’s quietly becoming someone beleaguered manager Antonio Conte can rely on.

Defender: Shane Duffy, Brighton

As impressive as Ryan was at Turf Moor, he also benefited from a superb showing from those in front of him. In particular, center-back Shane Duffy stood out, with the 26-year-old a barrier against Burley’s attempts to get in behind.

Duffy’s best moment came when he launched himself to make a desperate, last-ditch block and deny Kevin Long. The full-back had been played in thanks to a deft back-heel from fellow defender James Tarkowski, but Duffy was there to rebuff the resulting shot on the line.

Like Ryan, Duffy also dealt well with Burnley’s considerable aerial threat. He welcomed the physical tussles with Barnes, Wood and Vokes, while attacking crosses with aggression.

Alongside Lewis Dunk, Duffy has given the Seagulls the resolve and platform at the back to stay up.

Next: 5 dark horse candidates to replace Arsene Wenger

Midfielder: Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace

When Wilfried Zaha is at his best, few teams in the division have an answer for his trickery and end product. Unfortunately for Leicester, Zaha was in top form on Saturday to inspire Crystal Palace to an impressive 5-0 triumph.

It was Zaha who began the goal glut when he turned onto his right foot before slamming a shot into the top corner. The goal was just the start of the 25-year-old wing wizard’s productive afternoon.

Zaha was also at the heart of Palace’s second, picking out midfield man James McArthur with a perfectly weighted, slide-rule pass.

Leicester’s inability to cope with the mercurial wide forward was summed up when Marc Albrighton was sent off for chopping Zaha down on 56 minutes.

Not many players combine pace, with an eye for a pass, perceptive movement and natural flair the way Zaha can. His talent is the reason Palace won’t face the drop.

Midfielder: Dusan Tadic, Southampton

Stoke weren’t the only relegation-threatened side to keep survival hopes alive on Saturday. Southampton managed to do the same after a 2-1 home win over Bournemouth inspired by Dusan Tadic.

The creative wide man bagged a brace to underline his value as the one Saints player with the guile and technique to add a flourish in the final third.

Tadic’s first moment of magic came when he arrowed a fine shot into the bottom corner to give Southampton the lead. His quality in front of goal was needed again nine minutes after the break when he placed another terrific finish into the bottom corner, this time via the outside of his foot.

The goals meant Serbia international Tadic joined a select group of his countrymen in the annals of Premier League history, per the division’s official Twitter account:

Tadic doesn’t always show his quality, but the cerebral playmaker has the ability to still save Southampton’s top-flight status.

Midfielder: Fernandinho, Manchester City

Fernandinho was a pass-machine for the possession-hogging champions at West Ham’s London Stadium. From his position at the base of midfield, the Brazilian rarely wasted a pass as he routinely got City moving forward.

Fernandinho’s display was devoid of indecisiveness as he quickly got the ball to City’s more creative types. Kevin De Bruyne and Ilkay Gundogan were rarely without the ball at their feet for long thanks to their deep-lying playmaker.

Of course, Fernandinho’s game is also defined by more destructive attributes. Those qualities, including discipline, physicality and anticipation, made life hard for Hammers’ No. 10 Manuel Lanzini, who was denied the space to thread passes for Marko Arnautovic.

Yet for all his fine defensive work, it was fitting one of Fernandinho’s most progressive performances of the season featured a goal. The South American swept in City’s fourth 19 minutes after the restart.

City have sauntered to the title because they own the division’s best midfield. The star-studded unit only functions effectively when Fernandinho is its anchor.

Midfielder: Cesc Fabregas, Chelsea

Fabregas was class personified against the Swans, strolling around the pitch to create chances and release runners. Vision and intelligence were the typical hallmarks of the way the Spaniard went about unlocking the Swansea back line.

Ironically though, it was Fabregas who was on the end of the type of through pass he made his career trademark when he scored what proved to be the winner after just four minutes.

The finish summed up the quality of Fabregas’ game. He arched a lovely curling effort into the top corner past former Arsenal goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

It was a pass into the net from distance every bit as good as any of the defense-splitting balls Fabregas played during the rest of the match.

By the end, the 30-year-old schemer had delivered a complete performance, as numbers from Whoscored.com revealed:

On this form, Fabregas is irreplaceable at Chelsea.

Midfielder: Raheem Sterling, Manchester City

Most of the debate surrounding Sterling focuses on his inconsistency in front of goal. Not enough time and credit is given to the England winger’s role as a creator for the champions.

Sterling the supplier was in generous mood against the Hammers. He assisted three of City’s four goals as part of an exquisite display during which he gave left-back Aaron Cresswell a torrid time.

Once again, the timing of Sterling’s runs combined with his awesome natural pace to make him impossible to track. The 23-year-old didn’t waste the space he found, teeing up Leroy Sane, Fernandinho and Gabriel Jesus to score.

Those contributions were the highlights of a devastating performance detailed by Sky Sports Statto:

Sterling is getting better every minute he spends in this free-flowing City squad.

Striker: Cenk Tosun, Everton

He’s been overlooked too often by manager Sam Allardyce, but Cenk Tosun has delivered when given chances. The Turkey international scored his fifth goal for Everton, fourth away from home, to send the Toffees en route to a 2-0 win in Huddersfield.

Tosun finished brilliantly to score the game’s opener. He held off his marker, took a smart touch and placed a shot on the turn into the corner of the net.

This kind of composure and class in front of goal is why Everton paid £27 million to sign the striker in January. The 26-year-old is a natural at leading the line, a talent the Toffees must make greater use of next season.

Striker: Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City

Sergio Aguero is City’s all-time leading goalscorer, but Gabriel Jesus is the team’s best option at striker when he’s fit. The Brazil international attacker offers a greater range of movement than Aguero, a quality helping liberate Sterling and Sane out wide.

As much as his runs off the ball influence the way City attack, Jesus is also a deadly finisher in front of goal. He showcased the latter quality when he finished with the minimum amount of fuss to put the Citizens 3-1 ahead in London.

OptaJoe pointed out how prolific the 21-year-old has been during this campaign:

The fact he’s still so young should scare the rest of the league because Jesus is a player who defines the champions’ quality going forward.