Premier League Team of the Week: Alli, Sane and Aubameyang feature

Premier League best XI for matchweek 13, featuring Dele Alli, Leroy Sane and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal were among the Premier League teams who flexed their considerable attacking muscle in matchweek 13.

Leaders City hit four away to West Ham on Saturday thanks in no-small part to Leroy Sane. The Germany international had a hand in three goals to cap his best performance of the campaign so far.

As good as Sane was, few attacking midfielders matched the artistry and tenacity Dele Alli displayed against Chelsea. Alli was the inspiration as Tottenham thumped the Blues at Wembley in a game not as close as the 3-1 scoreline might suggest.

Arsenal needed an answer to their north London rivals stealing the limelight. It came in Bournemouth on Sunday as Aubameyang slid in to net the winner and condemn the enterprising Cherries to a third-straight defeat.

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

Goalkeeper: Neil Etheridge, Cardiff

Neil Etheridge didn’t deserve to be on the losing end when Cardiff slipped to a 1-0 defeat at Everton on Saturday. The Toffees would have run away with the match had it not been for Etheridge’s stellar form between the sticks.

Cardiff’s stopper produced fine saves to deny Richarlison, Theo Walcott and substitute Ademola Lookman. It took a rebound from close range for Gylfi Sigurdsson to finally beat Etheridge after the Philippines international had got down brilliantly to thwart Walcott again.

While he couldn’t keep the rebound out, Etheridge had done his bit to keep Cardiff within touching distance of a result. The visitors should have pinched a point when Callum Paterson headed over from close range in the penultimate minute.

On another day Etheridge will get his rewards for a performance this impressive. His form gives the Bluebirds hope they can still grind out enough results to beat the drop.

Defender: Sead Kolasinac, Arsenal

Sead Kolasinac looked like a bargain when Arsene Wenger snapped him up on a free transfer from Schalke last summer. Sadly, the man who had been the Bundesliga’s most dynamic full-back proceeded to struggle so much the Gunners must have been tempted to throw the lackluster freebie back into the bargain bin.

Things have been looking up for Kolasinac in his second season at Arsenal, though. He’s taken advantage of Nacho Monreal’s injury to show what he can do with the tactics favored by head coach Unai Emery.

Kolasinac was terrific during the 2-1 win at Bournemouth. He menaced the Cherries with relentless running, direct movement and deadly end product.

Kolasinac’s first smart pull-back on the overlap created the opening goal when Jefferson Lerma smashed the ball into his own net. The own goal came about because Kolasinac, who operated as a wing-back in a 3-4-3 formation, had the freedom to operate higher up the pitch and pose a constant threat in behind.

It was fitting that Kolasinac created the winner when another smart run on the overlap put him in space. He received Alex Iwobi’s pinpoint through pass and teed up Aubameyang for a tap in.

Emery is getting more from his full-backs than Wenger did. Although Monreal is close to returning, the Arsenal chief should give the more forward-thinking Kolasinac extra chances to make the position his own.

Defender: James Tomkins, Crystal Palace

In all honesty, Crystal Palace’s goalless draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford on Saturday wasn’t exactly a rearguard action. In fact, the Eagles spurned enough chances to win the match twice over.

Even so, the visitors still needed to stay strong at the back as United upped the pressure late on. Fortunately, James Tomkins was solid as a rock at the heart of a stubborn back four.

The 29-year-old center-back produced a brilliant block to rebuff a Marcus Rashford shot. He also bullied United striker Romelu Lukaku in the air.

Palace have been surprisingly stingy at the back for a team just a point off the bottom three. The Eagles have shipped a mere eight goal in 13 matches, with Tomkins’ form a big reason for the miserly run.

His partnership with Mamadou Sakho is a platform strong enough to ensure Palace eventually escape the scrap against relegation unscathed.

Defender: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool

If Liverpool have one edge in the title race it might be the quality of their youth development. In particular the emergence of academy products such as Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The 20-year-old England international exuded quality at both ends of the pitch during Saturday’s 3-0 win away to Watford. He provided a steadying presence from his right-back berth as part of a defense fast-becoming the meanest in the land.

Alexander-Arnold stayed alert for runners off the ball and worked hard to keep pace in front of him. Neither was an easy task against a Watford attack designed to combine pace and movement with aerial power as winger Gerard Deulofeu partnered battering ram Troy Deeney up top.

While he carried out his defensive duties near-flawlessly, Alexander-Arnold saved his best for the other end of the pitch. Not only did he carry plenty of threat whenever he broke on the flanks, the youngster also whipped a truly memorable free-kick beyond Ben Foster to make the points safe on 76 minutes.

Spectacular set-piece deliveries are becoming a niche for a gifted defender worthy of the meteoric rise he’s enjoyed since last season:

Strong defending and rapid breaks are the formula for Liverpool’s title bid. Few players are as important in both phases as Alexander-Arnold.

Midfielder: Leroy Sane, Manchester City

It says everything about City’s awesome strength in depth that a player as gifted as Sane has often found himself on the bench this season. Pep Guardiola may have to re-think his selection habits after the way Sane seized a rare start ahead of Riyad Mahrez with both hands.

Sane was turbo-charged from the off against the Hammers. His slalom runs, gliding pace and immaculate close control helped create numerous chances.

There was an impish delight about the way the 22-year-old winger glided past ex-City full-back Pablo Zabaleta to tee up Sterling on 19 minutes. It was Sane’s turn to find the net 15 minutes later when yet more bravado put him in.

The magic dummy he sold Fabian Balbuena was a thing of sleight-of-hand beauty. It left Sane to slot in with a typically cool finish.

His second goal, City’s fourth, came deep into stoppage time, but there was enough left for one more bit of wizardry. A clean first touch and a moment’s hesitation teased West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski into declaring early, leaving Sane with the simplest of tasks.

It’s an ominous sign for City’s title rivals to see Sane clicking into high gear:

There’s no limit to how far his talent can take both player and club in the coming years.

Midfielder: Christian Eriksen, Tottenham

It shouldn’t be a surprise Christian Eriksen’s return to full fitness prompted Spurs’ best performance of the campaign. There was a fluency and fluidity to the way the Lilywhites played through Chelsea at will with their creative fulcrum dictating things.

Eriksen was free to be conductor because of the intelligent way he identified and used space. He routinely ghosted into pockets of space in behind Chelsea’s deep-lying playmaker Jorginho.

Unlike Jorginho, Eriksen didn’t waste his opportunities in possession. He used them to the full.

It was a typically devilish Eriksen free-kick which put Alli in place to open the scoring. The contribution allowed Eriksen to out-supply one of his chief rivals:

Not content with simply setting a record, Eriksen was determined to add to it. His vision and technique also combined to create two excellent chances for Heung-Min Son, along with a great opportunity for Juan Fotyh before the break.

By the time the sound of the full-time whistle was echoing through chilly November air at Wembley, Eriksen had produced a masterclass in creative verve.

Midfielder: Dele Alli, Tottenham

Eriksen’s artistry had the perfect complement thanks to Alli’s industry. The latter rarely stopped running as he used perceptive movement to leave Jorginho chasing shadows.

Alli getting into the grey areas between the midfield and defense so often gave Chelsea’s back four a nightmare choice. Either they could come out to Alli and risk leaving room in behind for Harry Kane and Son or they could sit deep and let the buccaneering midfielder run beyond a static line.

It was a riddle the Blues never solved as Alli ran riot. His timing and anticipation were flawless when he headed in the opener to maintain a sequence of punishing familiar opposition:

Alli continued to plunder into the pockets open at the base of the Chelsea midfield. While he couldn’t add a second goal to his tally, the Three Lions star did send Son clear for Tottenham’s special third goal to cap a memorable performance for player and club.

Midfielder: Gylfi Sigurdsson, Everton

Everton added a plethora of midfield talent this summer when they broke the club record to sign Richarlison and secured deals for Bernard and Barcelona loanee Andre Gomes.

Ironically though it’s an attacking midfielder already on the books who has responded best to Marco Silva’s arrival as manager. Sigurdsson scored his seventh goal in all competitions to down Cardiff and keep alive a prolific recent run of form.

The Iceland international schemer has become the goalscoring and creative heartbeat of Silva’s team. He’s got the freedom to break from the tip of midfield and run beyond the front, one reason why he’s in such a purple patch in front of goal.

Sigurdsson is also scoring for fun because he’s finally surrounded by like-minded technicians. Bernard and Richarlison have the flair to dovetail with a player of his creative talents, while the pace of Walcott is giving Sigurdsson an obvious target for his own worthy passing range.

Few natural No. 10s in the division are playing as well as the revitalized 29-year-old.

Midfielder: Raheem Sterling, Manchester City

The Premier League should just go ahead and hand Sterling the Player of the Year Award at this point. Nobody is matching the fleet-footed forward’s end product.

Sterling was downright diabolical against the Hammers as he put on a clinic in well-timed and intelligent movement. The cerebral side of his game was allied with the growing ruthless streak the former Liverpool ace has been developing since Guardiola took over in 2016.

Coolness in front of goal is defining Sterling’s incredible campaign as he netted his eighth of the season after meeting Sane’s cross. The collective brilliance underpinning City’s dominance was underlined when Sterling returned the favor to notch his sixth assist in the league.

Sterling has replaced striker Sergio Aguero as the man City’s opponents must plan for and fear.

Striker: Heung-min Son, Tottenham

Eriksen and Alli running midfield would have counted for little had Heung-Min Son not provided ample cutting edge up front. Like Alli, the South Korea international baffled Chelsea with his movement.

Ostensibly starting on the left, Son frequently drifted off the flank into central areas. Whether he was working the inside left channel or simply replacing Kane at the tip of the attack, Son had too much guile and pace for the Blues.

Playing on the last shoulders of defenders, Son angled his runs superbly to put himself into positions offering the maximum threat. His passes to full-backs on the overlap or to meet Alli’s runs from deep revealed the technical excellence that’s long-defined his game.

A flair for the spectacular has also been a signature of Son’s time with Spurs. He cut it loose to score one of the truly great Premier League goals when he rolled the hapless David Luiz before curling in a sensational finish to bring up a scoring landmark:

Son is not always Mauricio Pochettino’s first choice, but the Tottenham boss needs his magic if Spurs are ever going to go from nearly men to winners.

Striker: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal

Some strikers just have the undefinable knack for scoring. Thankfully for Arsenal, Aubameyang is one such striker.

It’s close-to impossible to accurately define what makes the former Borussia Dortmund star so successful. While he has pace, the 29-year-old rarely wins many straight foot-races anymore. Nor does he have the strength to hold off defenders and bully them in the air.

What Aubameyang does have are the keenest instincts in England’s top flight for sniffing out chances. If the ball is played into the box or becomes loose in a melee, put your house on Aubameyang finding it and putting it away.

His penchant for coming alive in the area that matters most showed up when he slid in to turn Kolasinac’s low cross over the line and see off Bournemouth.

The goal kept up the remarkable start Aubameyang has made to his Arsenal career since joining the club at the end of January:

Aubameyang now has eight league goals to his credit, the joint-most in the division. Yet you get the impression the Gunners still haven’t perfectly tuned their game to him.

When they do Aubameyang’s path to the Golden Boot will be clear.