Premier League Team of the Week: Silva, Maguire and Vardy feature

Premier League best XI for matchweek 9, featuring David Silva, Harry Maguire and Jamie Vardy.

There is just no ageing for David Silva, Manchester City’s timelesss playmaker who continues to outshine every other midfielder in the Premier League.

Silva’s brilliance helped the Citizens beat Crystal Palace 2-0 away on Saturday. The result wasn’t the only good news for the champions, who also saw leaders Liverpool drop points during Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Manchester United at Old Trafford.

Conceding Adam Lallana’s equaliser late on put a blot on what had been an otherwise stubborn rearguard action from United’s defense. Harry Maguire led by example with a buccaneering display against a depleted Liverpool forward line missing the injured Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool’s advantage is now just six points, although City may not be the only team on the Reds’ mind. Leicester are eight points adrift of top spot in third after Jamie Vardy and Youri Tielemans inspired a narrow win over Burnley.

Find out who else makes the team of the week:

Goalkeeper: Tim Krul, Norwich

Clean sheets and Norwich generally don’t go together, so it was more than a mild surprise when the Canaries drew 0-0 away to Bournemouth on Saturday.

Tim Krul was a standout between the posts, after the 31-year-old goalkeeper made a series of key stops. He denied Dominic Solanke early on and delivered his best save when rebuffing substitute Arnaut Danjuma in the second half.

Krul has always been a steady presence at this level. The Dutchman’s calmness and reactions will be every bit as significant as Teemu Pukki’s goals in Norwich’s bid to beat the drop.

Defender: Lucas Digne, Everton

A season largely defined by misery so far came to life for Everton during a 2-0 win over West Ham to start the weekend’s fixtures. While the Toffees were lively up top, the industry and versatility of their defense proved just as important.

Lucas Digne was Everton’s best performer at the back. The bold left-back was never shy about getting forward. His runs on the overlap routinely gave the hosts an extra man in attacking areas at Goodison Park.

Unlike in recent weeks, Digne’s radar was on point from the off. His passes were played with intelligence and precision.

The Frenchman also offered ample reminders of his shooting power by going close with more than one free kick from distance. It’s taken a while, but Digne finally looked like the raiding multi-purpose weapon he resembled last season.

Defender: Christian Kabasele, Watford

Watford were unfortunate to be denied all three points away to Tottenham when VAR eventually upheld Dele Alli’s late equaliser and bailed Spurs out.

Before then a resolute defense led by center-back Christian Kabasele had left Tottenham frustrated. Kabasele underpinned a three-man central barrier that gave Harry Kane scant few opportunities to pose a threat.

https://twitter.com/Oddschanger/status/1185570885874409473

Belgium international Kabasele let Craig Dawson and Craig Cathcart bully Kane in the air while he focused on denying Spurs’ No. 10 room on the deck.

While they weren’t able to hold out for 90 minutes, a back three underpinned by Kabasele offers Watford hope in the battle to avoid relegation.

Defender: Harry Maguire, Manchester United

Maguire is a man in focus each week because of the gaudy £80 million price tag that adorns him after United made the former Leicester man the most-expensive defender on the planet in the summer.

He’s been more Skid Row than Saville Row at times, but Maguire had his best game in a United shirt against Liverpool. Ballin’ out against the Red Devils’ fiercest rival shows the 26-year-old has a gift for choosing his moments.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have been relieved Maguire picked this game to be rock-solid. While his defending was very much in the head-and hoof category, Maguire’s no-nonsense approach quickly ended even the hint of danger.

His aggression sent Roberto Firmino into passive retreat, while Sadio Mane barely got a second’s breathing space whenever he tried to venture through the middle.

https://twitter.com/StatmanDave/status/1185972676076212225

Maguire in this form isn’t quite an £80 million man, but he is a player United would swap for few other center-backs in the game.

Midfielder: David Silva, Manchester City

Palace are usually pretty handy when it comes to putting opponents under pressure. The problem is getting to Silva is mission impossible, let alone doing enough to knock the mini maestro off his stride.

Silva had the freedom of Selhurst park during a performance defined by craft and artistry. Those qualities were embodied by the 33-year-old and his team-mates when City put together a slick team move to go two in front:

The sweet finish was just one part of yet another creative masterclass from Silva:

https://twitter.com/SkySportsStatto/status/1185627928975101952

This is supposed to be a serene swan song for Silva before he swaps City sky blue for the Florida sun next season. Instead, the greatest player of City’s trophy-laden modern era remains essential to the club’s bid for more success.

Midfielder: Abdoulaye Doucoure, Watford

There was something fitting about the way Abdoulaye Doucoure turned the clock back against Spurs. It felt like an age since the midfielder had been at his best as a swashbuckling powerhouse equally comfortably dictating play or breaking it up.

Doucoure signed for the Hornets in 2016 during Quique Sanchez Flores’ first spell in the dugout. The latter returned recently to replace Javi Gracia, and it’s no coincidence Doucoure is already back among the goals.

He found the net after just six minutes in north London, applying the finishing touch to a cross from Daryl Janmaat. This was vintage Doucoure and proof he is still capable of dragging Watford out of the mire of the bottom three.

Midfielder: Jack Grealish, Aston Villa

Jack Grealish is no longer a precocious and temperamental talent trying to find his way at the top level. Now he’s an established match-winner whose wizardry will determine whether or not Aston Villa avoid a quick return to the second tier.

Villa’s No. 10 conjured magic for 96 minutes during Saturday’s 2-1 win over Brighton. Grealish glided and slalomed past markers and through defensive gaps.

Mazy running put Grealish in position to draw Villa level in first-half stoppage time. There are more goals in Grealish, but the 24-year-old is defined by his eye for a pass, a quality that helped tee up left-back Matt Targett to net a stoppage-time winner.

https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1186022154627887104

Numbers like these are fast becoming the norm for one of the most gifted stylists in the division.

Midfielder: Youri Tielemans, Leicester

Like Grealish, Tielemans is a mercurial creator who can add a flourish to any game. Yet the 22-year-old had made a relatively sluggish start to this campaign after impressing on loan last season.

Tielemans may be turning the corner, though, after a superb showing against the Clarets. He picked his passes well, regularly giving fellow midfielders like James Maddison shooting opportunities.

Tielemans also didn’t hesitate when chances came his way, testing Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope more than once. He proved decisive in the 74th minute when a smart finish was too good for Pope to keep out.

The goal added to some respectable numbers.

https://twitter.com/FTalentScout/status/1185594807546208256

This match-winning turn should signal the start of Tielemans growing in influence to become the true heartbeat of the Foxes’ midfield.

Striker: Jamie Vardy, Leicester

Many might have expected Vardy to slowly tumble back down to reality after his goalscoring heroics inspired Leicester to a Cinderella-story of a title win in 2016.

Yet the correction in Vardy’s game has never happened because he’s an elite No. 9 at the top end of the sport. The 32-year-old is still giving Premier League defenders nightmares with the same pace, relentlessness and keen instincts in the box he surprised them with over three years ago.

Vardy kept a physical Burnley back four pinned deep from the off. His consistent movement eventually paid dividends on the stroke of halftime when he got his head to a cross from Harvey Barnes.

The goal showcased Vardy’s clever movement and his love of home comforts:

https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1185568106757939200

For all the technicians in their midfield, the Foxes won’t maintain their assault on the top six monopoly unless Vardy remains fit and firing.

Striker: Raul Jimenez, Wolves

Just like Leicester, Wolves have a lot of quality in every area of the squad but ultimately only go as far as the man up top can take them. Fortunately for Wolves, Raul Jimenez is talented enough to take his team far.

The Mexico international put on a clinic in the art of well-timed and perceptive running during Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Southampton. Had it not been for VAR, Jimenez would have had a brace before the break.

Instead, the terrific No. 9 had to wait until just after the hour mark to net a goal that stood. It came from the penalty spot when Jimenez finished with typical confidence.

There are few better frontmen in terms of both link play and giving his team-mates a target.

Striker: Danny Ings, Southampton

As good as Jimenez was at Molineux, he was almost upstaged by in-form Southampton hitman Danny Ings. He was quick to capitalise on a gaffe from the Wolves’ defense and coolly maintained an impressive recent run in front of goal:

https://twitter.com/SkySportsStatto/status/1185576960031887360

Most of Ings’ contributions come from inside the box, an old-fashioned trait. Goal-hanging has become something of a lost art during a modern era defined by strikers more effective cutting in from wide areas and shooting from distance.

Ings can muster the spectacular on occasion, but he’s a danger because of how he keeps a feature of the game’s past alive.