After another weekend of Premier League action, BBC Pundit Garth Crooks put together his team of the week!
GOALKEEPER – ARTUR BORUC (Southampton)
I was tempted to select Manchester United’s David De Gea after his save from a header by Sunderland’s Emanuele Giaccherini, but having seen Artur Boruc’s two saves from Michu and Wilfried Bony in Southampton’s 2-0 win over Swansea, I had little choice but to select the Poland international in my Team of the Week.
I just hope he is not in the same form against England in the World Cup qualifier next week.
DEFENDER – BRANISLAV IVANOVIC (Chelsea)
To be fair, I thought Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had blown it when he brought off Juan Mata for Willian against Norwich, but I got that wrong. One man Mourinho never takes off is Branislav Ivanovic. Norwich keeper John Ruddy had to produce a great save from Ivanovic at 1-1 as the Serb tried to affect the game and give Chelsea all the points. He didn’t need to, Mourinho had a plan.
DEFENDER – WINSTON REID (West Ham)
First and foremost, I did not see a 3-0 win for West Ham at Tottenham coming, nor the Ravel Morrison wonder goal. In any other week, Morrison would have made my selection but it was the finish by West Ham captain Winston Reid that broke the deadlock and a fitting testimony to his team’s resilience. Spurs will claim midweek Europa League fatigue, but with the squad they have, that simply will not wash.
DEFENDER – JOHN TERRY (Chelsea)
For the second week in succession, I’ve selected John Terry for my Team of the Week after another sound performance, this time against Norwich. However, if he continues to play alongside David Luiz at centre-back instead of Gary Cahill it will shorten his career considerably.
DEFENDER – KIERAN GIBBS (Arsenal)
Kieran Gibbs is another talented youngster that Arsene Wenger has crafted and brought off the Arsenal conveyor belt. His performance in the 1-1 draw with West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns was solid and effective. He grows in maturity every time I see him.
MIDFIELD – CLAUDIO YACOB (West Bromwich Albion)
I expect Claudio Yacob to stop the other team from scoring, not to be scoring against Arsenal – the in-form team in the country. Having said that, Yacob is the first name pencilled in the West Brom team every week by manager Steve Clarke.
MIDFIELD – OSCAR (Chelsea)
We all know this lad can play, but I never credited him as being a goalscorer. The Brazilian midfielder already has four this season and if he continues to net the sort of goal he scored against Norwich, then Chelsea are destined to win something big.
FORWARD – LOIC REMY (Newcastle)
Five goals in four games tells its own story. Of Loic Remy’s two goals for Newcastle against Cardiff, his second was an absolute beauty. Magpies manager Alan Pardew has been under some pressure recently, but United goalkeeper Tim Krul gave the best indication of why Pardew is still at the club. “He makes sure we stick together,” said the Dutchman. Paolo Di Canio, take note.
FORWARD – LUIS SUAREZ (Liverpool)
Luis Suarez is back. In his first game at Anfield since April the Uruguay international looked like he’d never been away. Against Crystal Palace he looked as hungry and menacing as ever. How refreshing to see Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers commit to playing Suarez and Daniel Sturridge together as a pair instead of following the current obsession with one striker up front.
FORWARD – ADNAN JANUZAJ (Manchester United)
I can’t remember when I last saw two more emphatic finishes than Adnan Januzaj’s goals in Manchester United’s 2-1 win over Sunderland. All credit to United manager David Moyes for picking this bright new talent ahead of Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck.
Januzaj is yet another Belgium youngster who is about to take the Premier League by storm. BBC commentator Guy Mowbray got it right it when he said: “He’s the future of Manchester United.”
STRIKER – DANIEL STURRIDGE (Liverpool)
I never thought for one moment that Daniel Sturridge was a team player at Chelsea. At Liverpool, his link-up play with Luis Suarez and general play under Brendan Rodgers’s direction has been nothing short of sensational. I said last week he is a must to lead England in the two World Cup qualifiers and I’ve not changed my mind.
