Premier League Team of the Week: Hazard, Fabinho and Ings feature

Premier League best XI for matchweek 17, featuring Eden Hazard, Fabinho and Danny Ings.

Fabinho finally looked like the player Liverpool paid £43.7 million for when he powered the Premier League leaders past Manchester United on Sunday.

Liverpool won 3-1 at Anfield thanks largely to the aggression and flair of their big-money midfield workhorse.

The result put the Reds back into top spot one day after Manchester City had returned to the summit. Gabriel Jesus bagged a brace as the champions squashed Everton 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

Jesus impressed, particularly in tandem with Leroy Sane, who keeps his now customary place in the team of the week.

Chelsea are eight points adrift of the leaders but have a three-point lead at the base of the top four. The Blues have Eden Hazard to thank for the advantage after the classy No. 10 dazzled Brighton during a 2-1 win on Sunday.

Hazard’s magic came on a day top-four hopefuls Arsenal were beaten by relegation-threatened Southampton. Danny Ings ran riot against an injury hit Gunners defense, scoring twice to give the Saints just their second win of the campaign.

Find out who else makes the team of the week:

Goalkeeper: Vicente Guaita, Crystal Palace

There’s an easy formula for making the most of your debut. Simply be your team’s best, most important player.

Vicente Guaita was exactly that as Crystal Palace beat Leicester 1-0 at home on Saturday. The Eagles went ahead six minutes before the break thanks to Luka Milivojevic but had to survive heavy pressure the rest of the way.

Guaita took the responsibility for survival personally. He made a series of excellent saves, none better than the 78th minute dive to deny Foxes striker Jamie Vardy.

It was the signature moment of an assured display from the former Getafe stopper. Guaita will likely struggle to keep Wayne Hennessey out of the team for long. He’s still let the Eagles know they have two excellent Keepers to aid the fight against relegation.

Defender: Martin Kelly, Crystal Palace

One reason Guaita flourished was the outstanding performance of Martin Kelly in front of him. The 28-year-old center-back consistently kept Leicester’s fast and lively forwards frustrated.

It was no easy task for Kelly, who had to track the runs of Vardy and handle Kelechi Iheanacho’s pace. He also had to cope with the pressing and underrated aerial menace of Shinji Okazaki.

Kelly stayed disciplined, alert and strong no matter which Leicester striker came his way. He dominated in the air and timed his tackles brilliantly in what was a terrific outing for a defender making just his fourth appearance in the league this season.

Defense is going to be the Eagles’ ticket to survival. Fortunately, few teams near the bottom boast a trio of center-backs as imposing as Kelly, Mamadou Sakho and James Tomkins.

Defender: Fabian Balbuena, West Ham

West Ham’s recent revival owes as much to Fabian Balbuena going from strength to strength as it does to attacking talents like Felipe Anderson and Javier Hernandez.

Balbuena was the best player as the Hammers beat Fulham 2-0 at Craven Cottage on Saturday. It was West Ham’s fourth victory in a row but one only made possible by a stubborn rearguard action led by Balbuena.

The Paraguay international led by example as the Hammers fought to protect a 2-0 lead amid a flurry of Fulham chances. There was no way past Balbuena, though, as he dealt comfortably with the pace and power of Aboubakar Kamara and Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Balbuena refused to be bullied in the air and never got the wrong side of his marking assignment. This was as good as it gets from a top-flight center-back who should have bigger clubs looking his way next summer.

Defender: Fabian Schar, Newcastle

Signing Fabian Schar for just £3 million in the summer already looks like a masterstroke from Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez.

Schar can be inconsistent but at his best the Switzerland international is a cultured center-back who thrives in the air and is comfortable on the deck.

Both qualities were obvious as the Magpies left Huddersfield with a vital 1-0 win on Saturday. It was Schar who led the way as he held a back three together with intelligent reading of the game and quality distribution.

He was rarely caught out of position and broke up more than one attack from the Terriers with a timely interception. Schar’s tackling was also on point whenever he stepped out to meet danger.

While Newcastle didn’t wow anybody going forward, the visitors’ best moves usually started with an astute pass from Schar. He was also a major threat from set-pieces, drawing Jonas Lossl into a superb save deep into the first half.

Having Schar partner Ciaran Clark and Jamaal Lascelles gives Newcastle a platform strong enough to beat the drop.

Midfielder: Eden Hazard, Chelsea

Eden Hazard was playing his own game for 33 minutes at Brighton’s Amex Stadium. Chelsea danced to the mercurial Belgian’s tune as he played in fellow wide forward Pedro to open the scoring.

The contribution cemented Hazard’s status as the undisputed creative fulcrum of Maurizio Sarri’s team:

Fortunately for Chelsea, Hazard also has a goal or two in him. He netted his eighth league goal of the campaign when he raced clear to sweep a Willian pass beyond Mat Ryan.

Hazard had Chelsea hearts fluttering for different reasons when he left the pitch late on after being tackled by Dale Stephens. Blues fans will love how Sarri has played down any injury worries:

Those words are key because Chelsea won’t stay on the edges of the title race, or even in the top-four mix, without Hazard’s brilliant artistry.

Midfielder: Fabinho, Liverpool

Fabinho seized control of Liverpool’s biggest game of the season early on and never let go. The former Monaco standout put the hosts on the front foot with powerful strides forward and neat, quick passes.

His best pass was the delicate chip to pick out Sadio Mane in the box. The pace of the ball gave United goalkeeper David De Gea no time to race off his line and intercept.

Mane would have appreciated the weight of the pass. It was delicate enough for him to control on his chest, bring down and volley in on the turn.

The assist was the highlight of an imperious opening 45 minutes from Fabinho:

He didn’t pull the strings quite as much after the break, but Fabinho was smart enough to leave it to others. He sat deeper and let two-goal substitute Xherdan Shaqiri become the conductor-in-chief.

Fabinho will be the rock Liverpool build a title win on if he continues blending silk and steel this effectively.

Midfielder: Gerard Deulofeu, Watford

Watford likely don’t miss Rciharlison much when Gerard Deulofeu is replicating the Brazilian’s knack for goals and flair. Always a mercurial talent, the former Barcelona and Everton winger was in the mood during Saturday’s 3-2 win over Cardiff.

Deulofeu put the Hornets ahead early when he scooted past a pair of Bluebirds defenders and slotted in. He had already gone close when he curled a shot a whisker past the post in the sixth minute.

Cardiff didn’t have any answers for Deulofeu’s close control, trickery and shooting power. They also struggled to track his pace and perceptive movement off the ball.

Deulofeu also showcased his eye for a pass when he teed up left-back Jose Holebas to add Watford’s second.

The Hornets will be a top-seven team if Javi Gracia is the manager who finally coaxes consistency from Deulofeu.

Midfielder: Leroy Sane, Manchester City

It’s a testament to Leroy Sane’s form he could tally two assists despite being far from his best against Everton. The Germany international created both of Jesus’ goals with deft passes.

City’s opener came from Sane sliding in a perfectly weighted pass for Jesus to prod home.  The lead was doubled five minutes after the break when Sane put enough pace on his chipped cross to help Jesus beat Kurt Zouma to the ball and head in.

Sane’s creative range has become invaluable for the Citizens with Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva dealing with injuries. The 22-year-old is fast becoming the one player City can’t afford to be without.

Striker: Danny Ings, Southampton

Danny Ings is as effective as most center-forwards when he’s fit. He proved as much with a two-goal performance as Southampton ended Arsenal’s 22-match unbeaten run in all competitions with a 3-2 win.

Both goals saw the ex-Burnley and Liverpool striker use subtle movement to escape his markers. Ings routinely gave Laurent Koscielny, who was making a first league start in over nine months, the run around.

The Frenchman lost Ings for Southampton’s first goal when the latter got between Koscielny and Granit Xhaka to head in Matt Targett’s fine cross.

Ings left Koscielny playing Where’s Waldo? again when he got free a minute before the break. This time he met Nathan Redmond’s clipped cross with a deft and looping header.

Clever movement had put Ings in position to score and leave Arsenal defenders confused:

Ings was able to use his experience and muscle to baffle and bully a makeshift Arsenal back line. Midfielder Granit Xhaka and right-back Stephan Lichtsteiner joined Koscielny in an auxiliary three-man defense unable to cope.

Arsenal’s injuries problems don’t detract from Ings’ efforts, though. His brace took his tally to a respectable seven goals in 13 appearances in all competitions so far this season.

Keeping him healthy is the Saints’ best way of avoiding the drop.

Striker: Gabriel Jesus, Manchester City

Jesus was beginning to look ill-equipped to be City’s next man up after Sergio Aguero. Fortunately for the champions, the Brazilian striker offered a timely reminder of his ability against the Toffees.

Two goals were the standout moments of a proactive performance. Jesus led the line brilliantly, keeping Everton on the back foot with his pace and threat to spin in behind.

He also chose the right moments to drop off the front, come short and link well with others. The less-than-imposing 21-year-old even managed to be a force in the air as part of a complete display:

https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/status/1073946924951179264

Finishing is what defines Jesus, though, and Pep Guardiola will have been delighted with the cool accuracy he showed when sweeping in City’s opener.

Having two center-forwards capable of dominating defenses could prove City’s ace in the title scrap with Liverpool.

Striker: Raul Jimenez, Wolves

Raul Jimenez has to be included in any conversation about the best signing of the summer. The striker snapped up on loan from Benfica has given Wolves the creativity and cutting edge to make waves in their first season back in the Premier League since 2012.

Jimenez tied Bournemouth’s defence in knots as he inspired a 2-0 win on Saturday. He showed unerring instincts in the box to turn in Diogo Jota’s inaccurate cross-shot after 12 minutes.

The intuitive finish gave Jimenez a fifth goal of the season. It’s a decent number, but quality passes have been as big a part of the Mexico international’s game.

He slid in a terrific ball to send Jota clear in the first half. The latter couldn’t finish, but Jimenez didn’t stop splitting gaps with his vision and technique.

A striker with four assists and a healthy clutch of goals is why Wolves find themselves just a point shy of dismal Manchester United and a place in the top six.