Following the cessation of the second Premier League game week of the 2015/16 campaign here at Playing for 90 we want to bring you the first of a new weekly feature on the site.
We hope to bring you the team of the week, listing the best players from the weekend’s action. Not groundbreaking stuff, granted, but it’ll surely cause debate among our readers – and that’s exactly what we want.
So here goes..
Team of the week (4-4-2)
- Lukaku – S. Aguero
- Mahrez – R. Barkley – Y. Toure – D. Silva
- Kolarov – J. Stones – V. Kompany – N. Clyne
- Hart
Joe Hart (GK):
Perhaps not the hardest game of his career but Joe Hart made three saves on the day and was assured throughout aerially and in terms of distribution too. Whoscored.com gave the England keeper a match rating of 7.7 on the day.
Nathaniel Clyne (RB):
A flip of a coin decision between himself and Manchester United’s Matteo Darmian, Clyne just edges the Italian with an eye-catching Anfield debut on Monday night. The full-back was excellent at the back and ever willing going forward too. An astute signing for Liverpool.
Vincent Kompany (CB):
Following a season of not scoring it’s two in two for the big Belgian, yet it is a return to his relentless defensive capabilities which gets him into the team. Keeping Diego Costa and so peripheral throughout the game pays testament to his return to form.
John Stones (CB):
Amidst his seemingly impending transfer to Chelsea John Stones was a man in boy clothing over the weekend, putting in the type of classy performance which has lead to Chelsea willing to pay £30m for him. It’s easy to see how he could go on to replace John Terry.
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Aleksandar Kolarov (LB):
Quite possibly Kolarov’s best game in a Manchester City shirt, Kolarov was the consummate full-back against Chelsea on Sunday. Combining with David Silva and Raheem Sterling throughout, Kolarov tore Branislav Ivanovic ragged.
David Silva (RM):
Silva’s excellence can be overegged at times, but his performance on the weekend was really up there. A constant yet deceptive danger, the diminutive Spaniard was by a distance the best player on the pitch on Sunday. Providing two assists in the win he was ever-influential.
Yaya Toure (CM):
It certainly seems as if Toure has decided to be brilliant again this season doesn’t it; the Ivorian bestrode through the Chelsea midfield with an eye-catching ease throughout the game. Not often has Nemanja Matic looked so ill-equipped to quell the ability and power of a midfielder.
Ross Barkley (CM):
Saturday capped another great performance by the young Scouser, who scored an excellent goal in Everton’s rout of Southampton. Given a match rating of 8.88 from Who Scored, Barkley was statistically the 3rd best player on the weekend from the Premier League.
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Riyad Mahrez (LM):
Where has this guy come from, then? Having scored his third goal in two games Mahrez has been the standout player of the Premier League so far. Who scored game Mahrez an 8.8 match rating for his play on Saturday, wherein he managed three shots and two key passes.
Sergio Aguero (ST):
Not near his best Aguero was still excellent on Sunday, putting John Terry and co. through one of the sterner tests he’ll face this season. His goal left the Chelsea backline bamboozled; his balance and finishing on show for the goal.
Romelu Lukaku (ST):
Lukaku scored a stunning brace to give Everton one of the shock results of the weekend, a 3-0 win at Southampton. Following much criticism last year it seems Lukaku is ready to live up t the heady billing.