Premier League Team of the Week: Salah, Mata and Torreira feature

Premier League best XI for matchweek 16, featuring Mohamed Salah, Juan Mata and Lucas Torreira.

Mohamed Salah deservedly headlines the latest team of the week after firing Liverpool to the top of the Premier League table. Salah’s brilliant hat-trick inspired the Reds to a 4-0 win away to Bournemouth on Saturday, a result good enough to usurp Manchester City at the summit.

Three Chelsea players also make the team after inflicting City’s first defeat of the campaign. N’Golo Kante bossed midfield for the Blues, while David Luiz was a rock, yes a rock, at the back.

Chelsea are third while Tottenham stayed fourth after beating Leicester away. The result left Arsenal outside the Champions League places, but the Gunners stretched their unbeaten run to 21 games in all competitions with a narrow home win over Huddersfield.

Burgeoning star Lucas Torreira scored the late winner to cap another fine display at the heart of midfield.

Find out who else makes the team of the week:

Goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, Chelsea

Questions were rightly being asked about the world’s most expensive goalkeeper after his mistakes cost Chelsea during a 2-1 defeat to Wolves on Wednesday.

Fortunately for Chelsea, Kepa Arrizabalaga responded the right way against City. The £71.6 million stopper was smart and strong in one-on-one situations and quick off his line when reading danger.

Although Chelsea were ultimately comfortable 2-0 winners they needed Arrizabalaga when City threatened to run riot during a tense opening half. The former Athletic Bilbao ace answered the call with a big save to deny Leroy Sane from close range.

Not even a mistake, like an errant pass played out from his goal in the second half, could deter Arrizabalaga. City looked sure to profit when substitute Gabriel Jesus collected the ball in the box, but the striker’s shot was clawed away by a diving save.

Chelsea signed Arrizabalaga because of his ability to distribute the ball with precision and intelligence. Ultimately though, he’ll be judged on the saves he makes against the best teams.

Saturday’s superb showing proved Chelsea have the right Keeper for the big occasions.

Defender: Andrew Robertson, Liverpool

Andrew Robertson is back in the team of the week after helping Liverpool’s defense continue its historically stingy streak. The air-tight unit has conceded a mere six goals after 16 matches.

The Reds managed another clean sheet largely because of the way Robertson dealt with the pace and movement of wingers Ryan Fraser and David Brooks. Robertson didn’t let either player get in behind him thanks to good awareness and positional discipline.

Bournemouth also struggled to get much joy out of the quick Scotland international in a footrace. Not even striker Joshua King could stretch Robertson when he worked the channels.

Aside from excelling at the back, Robertson also delivered his now customary threat and end product going forward. The raiding full-back’s energy and supply kept Bournemouth defenders guessing.

Robertson’s most teasing cross was turned into the net by Cherries defender Steve Cook.

There isn’t a left-back in the league as effective at both ends of the pitch as the ex-Hull City man who has become a linchpin for the league leaders.

Defender: David Luiz, Chelsea

Chelsea are reportedly hesitant to give 31-year-old Luiz anything more than a one-year contract extension, per Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph.

Luiz and his agent simply need to reference his performance against City to change hearts and minds at the negotiating table. The oft-maligned Brazilian was a colossus at Stamford Bridge.

No Chelsea defender read the game as astutely as Luiz. He knew where City runners would be off the ball and anticipated the flow of passing.

These instincts allowed Luiz to break up several attacks, either by intercepting the final ball, or blocking off the player it was intended for. Speaking of blocks, Luiz produced the best of the game when he stepped across to divert another close-range effort from Sane in the first half.

This moment of last-ditch brilliance was the signature highlight of an exceptional evening’s work.

His range of passing may have been as important as anything Luiz did defensively. He’s never lacked for flair and vision and showed both with the sweeping long ball to pick out Pedro that bypassed seven City players and led to the first goal.

Luiz’s ability to drop passes over the top and into the channels was key to the way Chelsea exploited width.

While he is still guilty of reckless decisions and can be bullied by a physical target man, Luiz also remains capable of frustrating even the most accomplished pass-and-move teams.

Defender: Jan Vertonghen, Tottenham

How did Tottenham win a difficult away fixture when Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen were on the bench? Simple. Spurs relied on a water-tight defense led by Jan Vertonghen.

The 31-year-old center-back was outstanding against a Leicester forward line built to exploit markers with pace and movement. Foxes boss Claude Puel was without Jamie Vardy so opted for Kelechi Iheanacho, James Maddison and Demarai Gray up top.

This fluid trio had the speed and technique to find joy against Spurs. But no member of the group could find a way past Vertonghen, with the one-time Ajax man making a series of decisive blocks.

Vertonghen’s tackling was often last ditch but always precise. His keen reading of attacks also positioned the Belgium international to make more than a few vital interceptions.

It helped to have the returning Toby Alderweireld alongside him, but it was Vertonghen who did the most to keep the door closed at the back.

Midfielder: Juan Mata, Manchester United

Manchester United playing free-flowing football and scoring four goals with Juan Mata back in the side was the least surprising development from Week 16. The Red Devils are always more enterprising and prolific when the creative little Spaniard starts.

United moved seamlessly through the gears and turned on the style at will with Mata conducting proceedings against bottom-of-the-table Fulham.

Mata treated the pockets of space between the midfield and forward lines as his own private kingdom. His touch, control and eye for a pass left Cottagers defenders chasing shadows.

He also showed off a menacing and perceptive range of movement. The 30-year-old’s best runs involved darting through the middle and beyond center-forward Romelu Lukaku.

End product was sure to follow and so it proved when Mata capped a sweeping move to score United’s second. His encore involved teeing up the mercurial Lukaku for a rare goal at Old Trafford.

The finish and assist put Mata in select company among the pantheon of Spanish schemers who have flourished in England’s top flight during the last decade:

It’s time for Jose Mourinho to face the fact he needs Mata in the lineup every week.

Midfielder: N’Golo Kante, Chelsea

Kante has endured a strange few weeks. He was exploited during a 3-1 defeat by Spurs in a performance that prompted criticism from his manager.

There was a night and day difference between the way Kante performed at Wembley and how he thrived against the champions. The Frenchman was everywhere, harassing players in possession, tracking back to stymie attacks and making runs in behind to overload the City back four.

One such run put Kate in position to slot in Chelsea’s opener. The classy finish hinted at the hidden levels of quality Kante can bring to the final third.

Said quality won’t stay hidden for long if Kante keeps adding to his growing list of decisive contributions in forward areas:

Sarri won’t move Kante deeper in midfield. It looked a stubborn decision to some after the Spurs debacle, but the evidence against City suggested Kante’s new role could yet prove an inspired tactic.

Midfielder: Lucas Torreira, Arsenal

Lucas Torreira isn’t just drawing comparisons to some of the best midfielders in Arsenal’s history. He’s starting to merit them.

The pint-sized Uruguayan maestro was superb against stubborn Huddersfield. His artful passing, admirable industry and unerring defensive awareness made him the game’s chief influence in every area of the pitch.

What stood out most about Torreira wasn’t a crunching tackle or an intuitive run off the ball. Instead, his quality in possession held the attention.

Torreira rarely misplaced a pass while distributing the ball intelligently between the lines. He got Arsenal moving forward quickly because he regularly chose the right option.

It was fitting Torreira scored the winner when his acrobatic overhead kick beat Jonas Lossl in the Terriers’ goal seven minutes from time. The slick piece of improvisation summed up a player who has a natural feel for the creative aspects of the game.

Torreira is also growing in influence with every match:

Arsenal’s success in the post-Arsene Wenger era will hinge on Torreira’s rapid development.

Midfielder: Felipe Anderson, West Ham

Felipe Anderson is becoming a fixture in the weekly best XI thanks to a growing list of match-winning moments. The versatile forward was the catalyst for the Hammers finding three goals to see off a tricky Crystal Palace side at London Stadium.

Anderson helped put West Ham ahead for the first time when his arrowed free-kick was parried by Wayne Hennessey. In-form Javier Hernandez reacted quickest to lift in a deft finish from the inside the box just after the hour mark.

It was 3-1 West Ham three minutes later when Anderson glided onto the ball and slotted in a terrific shot from a tight angle. The bending strike left Hennessey stranded and summed up the immaculate technique defining Anderson’s performances.

The Hammers’ record signing is proving his worth now he has six league goals and an assist to his credit. A forward this gifted playing for a tactician as daring as Manuel Pellegrini can carry West Ham to previously unthinkable heights in the coming years.

Striker: Heung-Min Son, Tottenham

Just as United are a better side whenever Mata is involved, Spurs are a different proposition when Son starts. The South Korean led the line brilliantly in Kane’s absence, tormenting Leicester with pace, a varied range of runs and decisive end product.

Son’s brilliance broke open what had been a dour struggle a minute before the break. He curled in a brilliant strike to easily beat Kasper Schmeichel from distance.

This kind of magic is becoming the norm for Son:

Keeping Son in the starting XI is the easiest way for Tottenham to nail down another top-four finish.

Striker: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool

Salah was in record-setting mode against the Cherries. His first goal saw him become the fastest Liverpool player to reach 40 goals in the division.

He also joined then moved up the club’s top-10 scorers in the top flight when he added his second and third goals. Not a bad afternoon’s work for a player doubted more than once during his second campaign with the Reds:

Salah is defying the doubters because he’s becoming a complete striker. His hat-trick showcased the development in his game.

Salah’s first goal came about when he pounced to turn in after Roberto Firmino’s shot was parried by Asmir Begovic. Although the Egypt international should have been flagged offside, his instincts in the box remain sharp.

Salah’s other goals were solo efforts combining the trickery and pace typical of a player who made his name as a winger. Yet the cool finishes at the end of each run showed why Salah has matured into a focal point up top.

He’s now Liverpool’s best option through the middle and a goalscorer prolific enough to fire the Anfield club to the title.

Striker: Diogo Jota, Wolves

Nuno Espirito Santo admitted to Sky Sports Wolves were “lucky” to snatch all three points in the 94th minute away to Newcastle on Sunday.

In reality the Wolves late show was less about luck and more about the performance of Diogo Jota. The converted winger responded brilliantly after being asked to lead the line while Raul Jimenez sat on the bench.

He opened the scoring early on courtesy of a sweet volley after a nifty bit of control to collect a cross from Helder Costa. It was Jota’s second goal in as many games after he also netted the winner against Chelsea.

Jota continued to cause the Magpies problems after his goal. His pace and angled runs drew defenders out of their comfort zones.

Full-back DeAndre Yedlin looked anything but comfortable when he hauled Jota down as the Portugal U21 international threatened to break into the clear. The clumsy challenge saw Yedlin receive a red card and put momentum back in Wolves’ favor after Ayoze Perez had equalised for the hosts.

Jota wasn’t finished and managed to create the winner when his shot was parried into the path of Matt Doherty. The wing-back didn’t spurn the gift and completed a classic smash-and-grab raid at St James’ Park.

Doherty was the hero, but Jota had made those heroics possible.