Premier League Team of the Week: Salah, Keita and Son feature

Premier League best XI for Week 16 of the 2019-20 season, featuring Mohamed Salah, Naby Keita and Heung-Min Son.

Liverpool’s relentless and inevitable march toward the Premier League title is being powered by  a squad deep and talented at all the key positions.

The Reds’ strength in depth was summed up by the return of Naby Keita for Saturday’s 3-0 win away to Bournemouth. His dynamism at the heart of midfield provided the ideal complement for Mohamed Salah’s ruthless efficiency up top.

Salah wasn’t the only forward who earned some headlines this week. Tottenham’s Heung-Min Son surpassed everybody at his position with a true wonder goal to help Spurs trounce Burnley 5-0.

Find out who joins Son and Liverpool’s stars in the latest team of the week:

Goalkeeper: Martin Dubravka, Newcastle

The Premier League isn’t short of a high-profile goalkeeper or two. Yet even among David De Gea, Ederson and Alisson Becker, it’s worth applauding Martin Dubravka’s consistency.

He was a standout presence between the sticks during Sunday’s 2-1 win over Southampton. Dubravka’s double save to deny Nathan Redmond kept the Magpies in it early on at St. James’ Park.

Newcastle needed the keeper again after Danny Ings had given the Saints a 52nd-minute lead. It would have been a bigger advantage had Cedric Soares or Moussa Djenepo managed to get past Dubravka.

The Magpies owe their surprising climb up to the top half to a well-drilled defense and the athleticism of the man behind it.

Defender: Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Manchester United

Nullifying Manchester City’s threat begins with curbing their pace on the left. It’s tough enough keeping Raheem Sterling in check, but the lively winger is also supplemented by the relentless running of left-back Angelino.

This double threat made Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s star turn in the Manchester derby all the more impressive. The right-back was Manchester United’s most active and effective defender during Saturday’s surprise 2-1 triumph at the Etihad Stadium.

He handled Sterling in one-on-one tussles, regularly getting a foot in to stop the wide man in his tracks. Wan-Bissaka also blocked his share of Angelino’s crosses on the overlap as part of a prolific rearguard action:

https://twitter.com/Squawka/status/1203405114393927680

Full-backs are no longer defined simply by their defensive prowess, making United’s 22-year-old gem an homage to the past.

Defender: Gary Cahill, Crystal Palace

Earning points away from home is the specialty of Crystal Palace. The Eagles enjoyed another fruitful day on their travels during Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Watford.

Keeping a clean sheet was made possible largely thanks to a stubborn performance from Gary Cahill. The battle-hardened veteran refused to be bullied by a Watford forward line once again featuring the brawn of Troy Deeney.

Cahill bossed Deeney in the air, but he also held his ground well against the pace and movement of wingers Gerard Deulofeu and Ismaila Sarr.

He’s 33, but Cahill still has enough tread on his tires to be an asset at this level. Signing him as a freebie in the summer now looks nothing short of another masterstroke from Roy Hodgson.

Defender: George Baldock, Sheffield United

Sheffield United have earned plaudits for their innovative use of overlapping center-backs. Yet a tactical ploy sure to get hipsters drooling shouldn’t overshadow the impact of the Blades’ wing-backs.

In particular, right-sided George Baldock proved the catalyst for Sunday’s 2-1 win over Norwich City. He teed up his side’s equalizer at Carrow Road after playing in fellow wing-back Enda Stevens.

Not content with just being a provider, Baldock turned goalscorer when he netted the winner seven minutes after the break. The 26-year-old ensured that for a rare time this season the men in the middle weren’t the stars for the Blades.

Midfielder: Diogo Jota, Wolves

Diogo Jota has taken his time to get going this season, but the versatile wide man now looks more like the player who took the division by storm during the 2018-19 campaign.

Jota was a two-goal hero in helping Wolves earn a point away to Brighton on Sunday. His pace, running power and timing keyed the way Wolves played on the break.

The away side’s opening goal, Jota’s first in eight in the league, was a prime example:

No team in England’s top flight counters as well as Wolves, and their proficiency is a tribute to the instincts, intelligence and rapid development of 23-year-old Jota.

Midfielder: Naby Keita, Liverpool

You wouldn’t have known Keita hadn’t featured in the league since April by the way he dazzled against Bournemouth. Power, acceleration, vision and flair defined a complete performance at the Vitality Stadium.

His performance took in a goal and an assist. End product is what Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has wanted from the Guinea international who combines industry with artistry.

Keita’s best game is showcased by boldness and imagination in the final third. He brought those qualities to bear more often than any other Liverpool midfielder against the Cherries.

https://twitter.com/StatmanDave/status/1203357289111080965

If, and it’s a big if given his recent history, Keita can stay injury free, the already awesome Liverpool machine will operate with even greater efficiency.

Midfielder: Fred, Manchester United

He’s been tough to define and shuttled from different role to different role in the United midfield, but Fred is finally looking comfortable as a member of the Red Devils.

The Brazilian was the understated beating heart of United’s subtle counter-attacking masterclass against City. He stayed active in front of the back four, constantly harassing City’s playmakers.

When it came time to transition defense to attack, Fred wasn’t found wanting. He strode forward quickly and powerfully to provide support for a rampant front four led brilliantly by Anthony Martial.

One of the telling features of United’s flawlessly executed plan was getting the first pass right to launch a break. Fred routinely picked the smartest option and distributed the ball with pitch-perfect technique.

United have been kept waiting, but Fred is at last delivering the goods.

Forward: Richarlison, Everton

The best way to celebrate a new deal is to remind your paymasters why they gave you fresh terms in the first place. Everton should have no second thoughts about the decision to invest in Richarlison until 2024, not after the way Brazilian has been leading the line.

Richarlison’s goal to open the scoring against Chelsea on Saturday was his third in as many games. He had also found the net in losing causes against Leicester City and Liverpool, but the Toffees were in no mood to be undone by Chelsea.

Instead, Richarlison’s aggression, relentless running and eye for goal inspired a team playing its first game since Marco Silva was sacked to a 3-1 win.

Everton’s latest rebuild will prove a success as long as the next permanent manager builds around the 22-year-old up top.

Forward: Heung-Min Son, Tottenham

True magic is what Spurs get from Son when he’s at his best. The South Korea international was in peak form for Saturday’s 5-0 win at home to Burnley.

Son’s brilliance, coupled with the Clarets’ unusually passive defending, combined to produce what surely will be the goal of the season:

Acceleration, quick feet and trickery are the hallmarks of Son’s powers. He used them to weave and glide though and around Burnley at will.

Son playing the best football of his career has revitalized Spurs as an attacking force on Jose Mourinho’s watch.

Forward: Jamie Vardy, Leicester

Leicester’s title charge doesn’t hinge on the craft of playmakers James Maddison and Youri Tielemans. It doesn’t depend on the rock-solid defensive prowess of Caglar Soyuncu, nor on the tactics and motivation of Brendan Rodgers.

Instead, the Foxes will only stay viable in the scrap for the title as long as Jamie Vardy remains fit and firing. Fortunately, the most prolific No. 9 in the division is showing no signs of slowing down after bagging a brace during Sunday’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa.

The first goal was the perfect illustration of the pace and timing that have always made Vardy a lethal weapon on the break. He split the Villa defense with a swift run picked out by Kelechi Iheanacho.

Vardy’s ruthless streak on the counter continued when Dennis Praet released his pace with a fine ball over the top. Once again, Vardy’s 32-year-old legs were too quick for Villa’s defenders, while the finish was coolness itself.

It’s 16 goals and counting for the most efficient striker in the league. Don’t expect his scoring run to end any time soon.

Forward: Mohamed Salah, Liverpool

An ankle injury may have slowed him at times this season, but Salah is still the primary weapon for Liverpool’s assault on the title.

Salah sealed the scoring against Bournemouth after tormenting the Cherries with a barrage of shots. There was no wasted motion in Salah’s game as he sought to re-establish his place as the Reds’ attacking talisman after being rested for the recent 5-2 win over Everton in the Merseyside derby.

Yet if Sadio Mane’s performances had created any doubt about Salah’s status, his landmark goal on Saturday assuaged them:

https://twitter.com/BBCMOTD/status/1203456173506269184

Salah’s record-setting pace mirrors the strides Liverpool have taken since the star Chelsea inexplicably let slip away returned to the Premier League in 2017.