Premier League Team of the Week: Sterling, Vardy and Perez feature

Premier League best XI for matchweek 30, featuring Raheem Sterling, Jamie Vardy and Ayoze Perez.

Raheem Sterling boosted his credentials for every meaningful Player of the Year award by taking Manchester City clear at the top of the Premier League.

Sterling netted a hat-trick as the Citizens swept aside Watford 3-1 at home on Saturday. It was enough to ensure a cushion for the champions and render Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Burnley on Sunday not enough to take the Reds top.

Sterling wasn’t the only attacker on form. Jamie Vardy helped himself to his 100th goal for Leicester as Brendan Rodgers enjoyed his first win as Foxes manager at Fulham’s expense.

The Cottagers already look certain for the drop, but Newcastle are as good as safe after a thrilling comeback against Everton. Despite falling 2-0 down, the Magpies hit back with three goals, including a brace from Ayoze Perez, who was in exceptional form.

Sunday saw big changes in the race for Champions League qualification. Arsenal regained fourth spot by leapfrogging Manchester United after beating the Red Devils 2-0 at home.

Chelsea still have a game in hand on both, but the Blues will rue lost points after drawing 1-1 with Wolves at Stamford Bridge.

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

Goalkeeper: Bernd Leno, Arsenal

Bernd Leno is the main reason why Arsenal became the first team to hold United scoreless away from home this season. The agile goalkeeper barely played a wrong note during his best display between the sticks for the Gunners.

Leno twice made last-ditch saves to brilliantly deny misfiring United striker Romelu Lukaku. The German also showed his comfort on the ball and willingness to leave his line when he swept up to thwart late-breaking forward runners more than once.

A performance this accomplished makes the £19.3 million Arsenal paid to sign him last summer look like a particularly shrewd investment. Leno has grown into his status as the club’s No. 1 and is becoming integral after adding this super show to last week’s standout display against Tottenham.

Defender: Sead Kolasinac, Arsenal

Sead Kolasinac continues to offer living proof of the benefits of Unai Emery’s coaching. The Arsenal boss has turned last season’s inconsistent free transfer into a true bargain.

Kolasinac was relentless against United. He was the Gunners’ most effective attacking outlet, raiding forward at will to create chances.

Those runs helped nullify the threat posed by United youngster Diogo Dalot. While he’s not always lauded for his defensive chops, Kolasinac also broke up play often to stymie several United attacks.

This was a complete performance from a modern wing-back whose efforts justified Emery’s decision to switch to a back three.

Defender: Conor Coady, Wolves

Wolves kept Chelsea beyond irritated in front of home support thanks to a stubborn rearguard action. It was led by a well-drilled back three with skipper Conor Coady acting as the focal point.

He stayed tight to Gonzalo Higuain, denying the prolific Argentinian any avenues to spin into. Higuain could’t get find any joy in the air, either, with Coady comfortably winning those duels.

Coady not only shackled Chelsea’s No. 9, he also stayed alert enough to track movement from wide areas. More than once, the 26-year-old blocked Pedro’s dangerous runs from out to in.

Wolves have made a habit of frustrating the division’s big boys on their travels. It’s a knack borne from the tough and resourceful Coady-led defense.

Defender: Lewis Dunk, Brighton

Like Newcastle, Brighton took a big step away from the drop zone on Saturday. The fact the Seagulls are in trouble at all is a surprise when they are armed with a defensive partnership as formidable as Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk.

It was the latter who stayed strong to provide the platform for his team to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Selhurst Park. Dunk was a colossus as he rendered the Eagles’ attacking focal point, on-loan Chelsea striker Michy Batshuyai, irrelevant.

While it was hardly surprising Dunk bossed things in the air, he also ably stayed alert to low deliveries from the flanks. He routinely cut off the supply from wingers Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend, while also tracking both any time they tried to ghost through the middle.

Still just 27, Dunk is entering his prime and must surely be on the radar of defensively needy top-six clubs this summer.

Midfielder: Ryan Fraser, Bournemouth

If you’ve wondered why Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe is so highly thought of, think of Ryan Fraser as the ideal case study. The Scottish winger arrived at the club for a snip from Aberdeen almost six years ago.

Since then, he has matured from a mercurial talent into a consistent match-winner at the top level. Fraser’s power, trickery and eye for a pass define the expansive game Howe encourages the Cherries to play.

Howe’s spark plug was at his intuitive best as Bournemouth won 2-0 away at Huddersfield. Fraser created the first goal by teeing up impressive striker Callum Wilson, whose return from injury transformed this Bournemouth team.

An endorsement of Fraser’s rising stock comes from the select company he’s keeping on the assist charts around the continent:

The roles were reversed six minutes after the hour mark when Wilson found Fraser, and the latter made no mistake. It’s Fraser’s sixth league goal of the campaign to go with those 10 assists, numbers any marquee midfielder would be proud of.

Midfielder: Raheem Sterling, Manchester City

A 13-minute, three-goal salvo from Sterling awoke sluggish City from the doldrums against a Watford side built to stubbornly contain. The Hornets arrived at the Etihad Stadium with a solid shape and a rigid fidelity to packing numbers behind the ball.

It’s a familiar tactic against free-flowing City, but one that no longer works thanks to Sterling’s improvement. The England international’s raw pace is enough to frighten and stretch even the most well-drilled and meanest defence beyond breaking point.

Now Sterling has allied his pace with some of the most perceptive movement in the game, he’s close to unplayable. He is also a testament to the superb coaching done by Pep Guardiola to improve the talented group he inherited back in 2016.

He’s made Sterling a greater threat than Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane.

Midfielder: James Ward-Prowse, Southampton

Southampton’s recent revival is less about Ralph Hasenhuttl’s enthusiasm and nous. It’s more about James Ward-Prowse staying fit and becoming a regular in the starting XI again.

The 24-year-old is an intelligent in open play and deadly on set-pieces. He was both as the Saints battled back to beat Tottenham 2-1 at home on Saturday.

He pulled the strings creatively in the middle of the park, always finding pockets of space between the lines to cause Spurs problems. Ward-Prowse consistently got the wrong side of Tottenham holding midfielder Eric Dier, where he could thread passes between defensive gaps or release full-backs on the overlap.

Few English midfielders can match Ward-Prowse’s technical accomplishment. He’s certainly the best free-kick exponent for his country, a status he underlined when curling in the winner from distance nine minutes from time.

It’s time for this cultured playmaker to get a long look from Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate.

Midfielder: Josh Murphy, Cardiff

Cardiff are still two points short of safety, but the Bluebirds did their chances of survival no harm with a thoroughly deserved win over West Ham on Saturday. Josh Murphy proved the catalyst, as the industrious winger created both goals.

Murphy needed just four minutes to show his ability to stretch and overwhelm the Hammers’ defense. He raced down the flank after a neat combination of passes with the impressive Victor Camarasa, before delivering a teasing cross Junior Hoilett managed to turn in.

Murphy’s relentless pace and clever movement made him the ideal target for the skilled Camarasa and smart enforcer Aron Gunnarsson. They regularly released him in behind and it was only a matter of time before Murphy turned provider once more.

His next assist came in the 52nd minute when he produced a smart header to find Camarasa in space in the box.

Cardiff’s home form will be essential in beating the drop, but being solid won’t be enough. The Bluebirds need more match-winning turns from flair players like Murphy and Camarasa.

Striker: Jamie Vardy, Leicester

Pitting Vardy against Fulham’s leaky defense was always going to be a quick and easy route to three points for the Foxes. The sly and speedy No. 9 ran riot at the King Power Stadium, en route to claiming an assist and two goals in a 3-1 win.

Vardy was generosity personified when, despite being on the cusp of a century of club goals, he unselfishly teed up Youri Tielemans to open the scoring. The chance had been created by one of Vardy’s typically swift and well-timed runs between two defenders.

Leicester pressed high to win the ball quickly and find those runs. The pattern was repeated often during the 90 minutes.

James Maddison’s inch-perfect through pass sent Vardy clear to score his first 12 minutes from time. He completed his brace six minutes later after being played in by Harvey Barnes.

Vardy is far removed from merely being a Cinderella story. He’s long been a lethal striker at the highest level, one who has mined his core talents in a ruthlessly intelligent way.

Striker: Ayoze Perez, Newcastle

Ayoze Perez has to be one of the most erratic talents in the Premier League. Often frustratingly wasteful, the Spaniard is also a joy to watch when on form.

Thankfully he was in the mood on Saturday, as he inspired Newcastle’s 3-2 comeback win over Everton. Perez helped the Magpies finally get on the scoresheet after 65 minutes, when he engineered a neat exchange of passes with Salamon Rondon, allowing the latter to eventually find the net.

Newcastle levelled things up nine minutes from time when Perez pounced on the rebound from Miguel Almiron’s shot to beat Jordan Pickford. The Toffees’ stopper was again thwarted by Perez soon after when the former Tenerife ace reacted quickest amid a scramble in the box to complete a stellar display:

https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1104427046846058497

The partnership of Perez and Rondon gives the Magpies the cutting edge to complement the cagey tactics of manager Rafa Benitez. It’s a combination efficient enough to keep Newcastle up for another season.

Striker: Sadio Mane, Liverpool

A pair of opportunistic finishes from Sadio Mane were enough to keep a plucky Burnley side at bay. Liverpool’s No. 10 played on the last line and always threatened to stretch the Clarets’ defense beyond breaking point with his pace.

Mane was also aggressive and instinctive in the box, showcasing decisive and cool finishing. His efforts brought up a landmark for the free-scoring Senegal international:

The numbers are impressive, but Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be more grateful Mane has stayed in the goals during the business end of the season:

His performances have offset the sudden lethargy afflicting Mohamed Salah. They could also push the Reds past City in the title race.