After every weekend of Premier League action, BBC football pundit Garth Crooks collects his thoughts and introduces the team of the week.
Here are this week's options considering the midweek games starting at the end of January. And as usual, Garth also talks about the game's big talking points in his Crooks of the Matter.
David Raya (Arsenal): I was rather surprised at how Mikel Arteta initially introduced Raya into the Arsenal set-up, especially when Aaron Ramsdale appeared to be doing nothing wrong. However, things have calmed down since the Spanish goalkeeper took the number one spot. His confidence steadily increased with each match.He looked particularly dignified among them. 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest and even safer 3-1 victory over Liverpool. Raya is starting to look like the real deal as the Gunners win back-to-back games to close the gap on Jurgen Klopp's Premier League leaders to within two points.
Conor Bradley (Liverpool): This player caught my eye when I saw him make his Premier League debut for Bournemouth. But what happened 10 days later against Chelsea stopped me in my tracks. First of all, Bradley can defend and secondly, the goal he scored against Chelsea was of the highest quality. I've seen Liverpool's current strikers smash the ball into the goal without thinking twice.bradley strike Defeated Chelsea 4-1 If the Blues had had two keepers in goal they wouldn't have been able to save it – it was a great goal. What impressed me most about the fullback's performance was that he played the game as if he were part of the team.
Gabriel (Arsenal): This week has been a great week for Arsenal, especially Gabriel. Defenders are committed to the cause with all their heart and soul. He was in midfield against Nottingham Forest and played his part in the Gunners' resolute performance. But it was his defensive performance against Liverpool that really impressed. He did not give a kick to Diogo Jota, who seemed to have missed the physical presence of Darwin Nunez. Meanwhile, the partnership between Gabriel and William Saliba minimized Liverpool's chances. Liverpool defeated Chelsea in midweek but were surprised to see Nunez left out of the starting XI. There was a time when Liverpool never changed their winning team. It might be worth revisiting that philosophy.
Fabian Schaal (Newcastle): No one could have predicted the outcome of Aston Villa vs Newcastle. Newcastle have had one of their most outstanding, if not eventful, seasons. A taste of the Champions League left Eddie Howe's team empty at times. Meanwhile, Aston Villa were on a 17-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, but after giving themselves plenty of recovery time in the winter break, they succumbed to a disastrous performance from the Magpies. Schaal performed admirably in both penalty areas, scoring two goals while defending superbly.But he had a much more difficult time against Luton 4-4 thriller at St James's Park 4 days later. Newcastle conceded four goals but collected four points from two games and came back twice against the Hatters. Newcastle pulled themselves together and got the result while losing 4-2 while Luton succumbed, which is why I still think they won't survive.
Phil Foden (Manchester City): Josep Guardiola's side defeated Burnley and Brentford in just five days to move into second place in the table. What's more, City are two points behind league leaders Liverpool with a game still in hand, so perhaps the wind has been taken out of Arsenal's sails after Sunday night's impressive win over Liverpool. . What is so worrying for all involved at the top of the table is that City won both of these games without much effort. Foden, on the other hand, is imposing.He assisted Rodri's goal against Burnley 3-1 win over Claretsand helped myself to the fullest A brilliant hat-trick against Brentford. If anyone thinks City are suffering from fatigue after winning the treble last season, think again. They were and still are a formidable team, and they are still the team to beat.
Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace): crystal palace 3-2 win over Sheffield United It was a great football game. Palace needed a good performance after losing 5-0 to Arsenal, and Sheffield United were in desperate need of a point. Both teams gave their all for victory, but it was Eberechi Eze who not only set Selhurst Park on fire, but also produced two outstanding goals. His first pieces required the most extraordinary improvisations, and his second pieces were truly classy. It's not just Eze's form that is attracting attention, but his ability on the ball. He's a great player to watch and the closest player to Tony Curry I've seen. Like Curry, Eze handles the ball beautifully, can go to either side, and can finish. The South Yorkshire club suffered that night because of Eze's genius.
Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa): aston villa Cruz 5-0 against Sheffield United It was a remarkable recovery from coach Unai Emery. Villa struggled against Newcastle United earlier in the week, but they made their frustrations clear against the Blades. Luiz set up two goals in just a few minutes with the most exquisite defense-cutting passes. The Brazilian was back to his best against United, who look destined to play their football in the Championship next season unless they win against Luton at Kenilworth Road at the weekend. Meanwhile, Villa have returned to the top four ahead of Manchester United and Newcastle, both teams who played in the Champions League earlier in the season and are expected to return next season. However, Emery is very comfortable playing in Europe and his performance with Sevilla proves that. He will be desperate to maintain Villa's top-four place.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal): Two big goals in two important games for Arsenal. Bukayo Saka is not used to big matches, but it is doubtful whether he will score two more important goals in consecutive games throughout the season. Saka scored the winning goal against Nottingham Forest, moving the Gunners closer to the top of the league. Arsenal then played against Liverpool at home and scored the opening goal. The game against Forest was a hard-fought affair and Arsenal's resilience was at its best. However, victory against Liverpool will have the Gunners talking about the title again. That means Tottenham fans' other favorite team will be Manchester City.
Elijah Adebayo (Luton): their Lost 4-0 against Luton It was a Brighton horror show. It started poorly and things got progressively worse for the Seagulls. Elijah Adebayo was Luton's hero on the night with a hat-trick and continued his scoring form in the next game against Newcastle. I consigned Luton to the scrap heap a few months ago and suddenly their season has become interesting. Tom Lockyer's return to the club from cardiac arrest this season certainly inspired his teammates against Brighton, and it looked like they carried that momentum into the match against Newcastle. But if the team is away and he scores 4 goals, he is not only expected to win, but is given the right to win. The mere fact that Luton have scored four goals and yet to claim all three points raises big questions about whether they can remain in the league.
Matheus Cunha (Wolves): He bounced back admirably from a 97th minute defeat at home to Manchester United, and then… 4 goals more than Chelsea within a few days. That being said, Chelsea were miserable against Liverpool and were even worse against Wolves. It was Matheus Cunha who scored the goal and Pedro Neto who scored the goal that traumatized the home team. The Brazilian striker took advantage of every mistake Chelsea made, and there were many of them. How can Chelsea have a billion-dollar team whose best defender is 40 years old and without a world-class centre-forward? Meanwhile, Gary O'Neill's position at Molineux is going from strength to strength. Masu.
Richarlison (Tottenham): Tottenham and Everton fans will know that Richarlison is not one of my favorite players. Up until now, he has been short-tempered, grumbling, dramatic and childish, but since Son Heung-min left for the Asian Cup, the Brazilian has shown a side of himself that we don't think he has. ing. His goal is, of course, to perform well in the match. 3-2 win over Brentfordhis actions were outstanding, scoring two goals during the match 2-2 draw with Everton Four days later, he treated his former club with as much respect as any footballer I had ever seen. Richarlison recognized not only the importance of the goal, but also the devastating impact it could have on Everton's future. There was nothing more respectful than joining hands and bowing apologetically and respectfully to Gwladys Street End.
The scammers in question
The late, great Frank Worthington will forever be remembered for scoring Bolton's goal of the season against Ipswich in 1979. But towards the end of his career, when asked what his best club was, he answered in typical fashion: Trump and the millionaires. ” It's nothing new for football players to drink and frequent nightclubs, it was commonplace in the 1970s and his '80s. In fact, it seemed pretty weird not to do so.
So why has Marcus Rashford been vilified and his personal life suddenly at the center of national media attention since he was spotted at a Belfast nightspot and then missed Manchester United training complaining of being unwell? Did it happen?
Rashford has opted for a much lower profile ever since the striker abandoned his successful, high-profile campaign that caused the government to pivot to free school meals during the pandemic. The problem for Rashford is that the striker is no longer scoring regularly for United. What was very clear, and what remains the same, is that if you are scoring goals regularly, you can do almost anything you want to do, say anything you want to say.
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