Premier League Team of the Week: Mane, Aubameyang and Aguero feature

Premier League best XI for final week of the 2018-19 season, featuring Sadio Mane, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sergio Aguero.

Strikers fittingly dominated the final matchweek of the 2018-19 Premier League season on a Sunday littered with goals. Sergio Aguero scored to help Manchester City retain the title thanks to a 4-1 win away to Brighton.

City’s win rendered Liverpool’s result moot. Even so, Sadio Mane made sure the Reds did their bit by bagging a brace to see off Wolves at Anfield.

Liverpool finished as runners-up despite tallying a commendable 97 points.

Arsenal couldn’t get near that total, ending the season fifth on 70 points. It’s not much of an improvement over Arsene Wenger’s last season in charge, but Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been a bright spot.

He scored twice as Burnley were beaten 3-1 at Turf Moor, enough to give Aubameyang a share of the Golden Boot award as the joint-top scorer along with Liverpool pair Mane and Mohamed Salah.

Find out who else made the final team of the week of the season:

Goalkeeper: Willy Caballero, Chelsea

It’s not unreasonable to suggest Chelsea have the best backup goalkeeper in the division thanks to Willy Caballero. The Spanish stopper was in top form during the 0-0 draw against Leicester City at the King Power Stadium, the only goalless game of the final day.

Caballero saved well to deny in-form Monaco loanee Youri Tielemans and consistently left Jamie Vardy frustrated. The Foxes worked hard to fashion chances between the lines, but Caballero stayed alert to danger and moved swiftly off his line to thwart runners.

He’s likely never going to forgive first choice Kepa Arrizabalaga, the man who refused to be substituted during the Carabao Cup final. Even so, Caballero ensures between the sticks is one area manager Maurizio Sarri doesn’t need to worry about.

Defender: Cesar Azpilicueta, Chelsea

Sarri also benefits from having Cesar Azpilicueta available to hold an inconsistent back line together. The right-back was terrific against a Leicester side loaded with pace and perceptive movement in the final third.

Neither of those things proved decisive for the Foxes because of the way Azpilicueta read the game and put himself in the right positions. He made decisive tackles to nullify the threat of Vardy and substitute Harvey Barnes.

Azpilicueta also offered a reminder of his ability to boss the aerial duels. His no-nonsense and discisplined brand of defending remains crucial for a unit otherwise undermined by the mistake-prone David Luiz.

Defender: Ricardo Pereira, Leicester

For all of Leicester’s obvious ingenuity in attacking areas, Ricardo Pereira is a budding star in defense. An enterprising full-back, the former Porto man has an engine equipped to handle the modern demands of his position.

Pereira raids forward relentlessly, providing a useful outlet on the overlap. His pace, power and teasing deliveries caused Chelsea more than a few problems.

Recovery pace and the general application to track back means Pereira is rarely a liability defensively, despite his forward-thinking instincts.

The 25-year-old never shirked his responsibilities against Willian or Eden Hazard. Handling wide players of this quality speaks volumes about Pereira’s growing assurance and all-round game.

Defender: Sean Morrison, Cardiff

Cardiff’s 2-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford didn’t have any implications for the table, but it was arguably the shock result of the day. The Red Devils have been struggling but being brushed aside at home by a team already relegated has to have their supporters already worried about next season.

United lost because they rarely came close to breaking down a Cardiff defense led by Sean Morrison. The bruising center-back predictably won everything in the air, but he earned more plaudits for the way he handled pace on the deck.

Faced with Marcus Rashford and United academy graduate Mason Greenwood, Morrison held his ground well. He rarely let either striker get behind him, maintaining a deep line and timing his tackles perfectly.

Morrison gives Cardiff a platform strong enough to underpin another fight for promotion next season.

Defender: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool

There are many reasons why Liverpool have been good enough to push City to the wire. A Mane-inspired forward line remains the bane of most of defenses, while a relentless press from midfield makes the Reds a nightmare to play against.

Liverpool’s own defense is also a factor, having conceded just 22 goals, the fewest in the division. Yet like the rest of manager Jurgen Klopp’s team, this unit is more proactive than reactive, thanks largely to the development of right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The 20-year-old has taken rapid strides in the past two seasons, with this campaign proving a record-setting one. Two assists for Mane ensured a unique achievement for the academy graduate:

https://twitter.com/SkySportsStatto/status/1127599556634599425

Having a player able to transition defense into attack so often is the key to Liverpool’s high-energy approach.

Midfielder: Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace

There’s a reason Arsenal are keen on Wilfried Zaha. The Crystal Palace attacking talisman is no longer merely a mercurial winger, he’s now a well-rounded match-winner.

Zaha was in the mood during a thrilling 5-3 win over Bournemouth at Selhurst Park. He broke at pace, striding forward to leave markers trailing, but the 26-year-old consistently made the right choice in the final third.

Palace’s main man took on a shot when he powered into the box in the 37th minute. The shot was parried but went in off Bournemouth’s Jack Simpson. It would be far from Zaha’s only telling contribution.

He still had time to supply a pair of assists, first teeing up underrated left-back Patrick van Aanholt after a neat one-two. A determined run on the left saw Zaha bundle his way through two challenges before picking out fellow winger Andros Townsend to score.

https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1127687392968740866

Adding a radar this unerring to Zaha’s familiar skills on the move, means the Eagles can name their price this summer for one of the best players outside the top six.

Midfielder: Mark Noble, West Ham

West Ham are always a better team whenever Mark Noble is on the pitch. The 32-year-old closed out a terrific personal season with two goals during an impressive 4-1 win away to FA Cup finalists Watford.

Noble’s first was a superb solo run followed by a typically classy finish. He bagged his second from the penalty spot to join some select company in the club’s history:

Those efforts meant Noble ended the campaign with five goals and as many assists from 31 appearances in the league. He’s proved to be a steadying influence in a squad that needed time to adjust to the progressive style of play favored by manager Manuel Pellegrini.

He guided Noble and Co. to 10th, and things should be even better next season.

Midfielder: Nathaniel Mendez-Laing, Cardiff

Lacking star power in attacking areas is the main reason Cardiff slipped to an early return to the Championship. Things would have been different had a player as gifted as Nathaniel Mendez-Laing been more consistent.

The winger was too much for United to handle at Old Trafford. His power, speed and trickery gave 20-year-old Diogo Dalot a host of problems.

It was Dalot who challenged Mendez-Laing and gave away a penalty the latter duly converted. The 27-year-old was left alone to double the Bluebirds’ advantage nine minutes after the restart and complete a rare feat at the Theatre of Dreams:

https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1127594303944048641

Winning on the flanks can get Cardiff back into the promotion hunt next season, but only if Mendez-Laing plays like this more often.

Striker: Sadio Mane, Liverpool

It’s appropriate for Mane to finish the season with as many league goals as Salah. The latter usually gets all the plaudits, but Mane has been just as important for Liverpool during this campaign.

His two finishes from close range against Wolves confirmed the maturation of a forward who is now an instinctive and versatile finisher. While Mane used to deal almost solely in a penchant for the spectacular from the flanks, he’s now trusting his instincts inside the box.

Aside from adding a cool streak in the area of the pitch that matters most, Mane has also developed into a force in the air.

His ruthless efficiency in front of goal is likely to be Tottenham’s biggest problem during the Champions League final in Madrid on June 1.

Striker: Sergio Aguero, Manchester City

Things were actually looking bleak for City, if only briefly, on title Sunday. Brighton had gone 1-0 in front thanks to Glenn Murray, while Mane had already put the Reds ahead on Merseyside.

The title was Liverpool’s for less than 90 seconds until Aguero typically came to City’s rescue. His quick-fire equaliser broke Brighton’s spirit and put the Citizens back in control of the race.

Scoring decisive goals has been a habit for Aguero ever since he settled the greatest title scrap ever in City’s favor by beating QPR in 2012.

Aguero’s latest goal was nowhere near as iconic, nor was it enough to give him the Golden Boot. Yet it did move the Argentinian further up the list of the league’s all-time most prolific marksmen:

https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1127583468853051392

Having a striker this consistent lead the line is just one more reason why City will be in the thick of the title race again next season.

Striker: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal

Aubameyang continues to enthral and frustrate in equal measure. He should have had the Golden Boot all to himself after scoring two terrific goals to rock Burnley.

The first summed up two reasons why the 29-year-old has been so successful. He stayed alert enough to race onto an errant pass and had the pace to take him clear before finishing with aplomb.

Defenders can’t relax with Aubameyang around. He presses high up the pitch and rarely gives up the chase.

The former Borussia Dortmund star also comes alive in the box. He did just that when meeting Alex Iwobi’s chipped cross with an expert volley to double his tally.

Added to eight goals in the Europa League, along with one in the FA Cup, and Auabameyang is almost unmatched this season:

https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/1127702522582437889

Yet for all his obvious brilliance, he still misses a host of big chances. Guiding wide in front of an open goal after being picked out by Henrikh Mkhitaryan denied Aubameyang a hat-trick. He had already chested one effort against the post earlier on.

Fortunately for Arsenal, Aubameyang never hides after a miss and usually wastes little time making amends.