Premier League: Team of the Week XI feat. Liverpool and Chelsea stars

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Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford (Sunderland)

David Moyes finally earned his first three points as Sunderland manager, and he largely has the performance of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to thank for it. The youngster made six saves to help his side to their first win of the campaign, including a sensational stop from Jack Wilshere and a save for the cameras to deny Josh King, tipping his shot over the crossbar.

The Black Cats were down to ten men after Stephen Pienaar’s red card and were in dire need of victory, and Pickford was instrumental in helping his team secure it. He has been in fine form for Sunderland since injury problems catapulted him into the first-team fold, but his performances since look to have established him as the club’s Number One shotstopper for the foreseeable future at least.

Right Wing-Back: Victor Moses (Chelsea)

Victor Moses is another of those at Chelsea who has come unto his own since Antonio Conte’s switch to three at the back, and he was at the heart of Everton’s torment as the Blues undid their opponents with a five-star (and five goal) performance at Stamford Bridge.

Not only was the Nigerian a threat going forward, tirelessly getting up and down the flank, cutting in onto his stronger left side and getting dangerous balls into the box, but he defended with astonishing aptitude, recovering possession nine times, more than any other Chelsea player including midfield enforcer N’Golo Kanté.

Right Centre-Back: Michael Dawson (Hull City)

This was a vital three points for Hull. They had been shipping goals by the dozen and had dropped points at an alarming rate despite a promising start to the season, and on a run of six consecutive defeats they once more looked up against it coming into their match with Claude Puel’s Southampton, who’d just come off the back of a sensational Europa League triumph over Inter Milan.

Enter Michael Dawson unto the breach. The former Spurs defender put his body on the line for his team, making six key blocks in the match, a joint match-high of any player this season (tied with Michael Keane’s tally against Manchester United for Burnley), and marshalled the Tigers’ defence with a commanding display to shut the Saints out. When his big moment of the game came, he took that with aplomb as well, steering home Hull’s winner to renew hope that the East Yorkshire side can survive this season, not to mention easing the pressure that was beginning to grow on Mike Phelan.

Centre-Defensive Sweeper: Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur)

Eric Dier has come a long way in a short time at Spurs. He has established himself as a reliable figure at both centre-half and defensive midfield and in Spurs’ biggest game on the footballing calendar stepped up to the plate at the back again, making six clearances against Arsenal in the North London Derby, a total which bettered those of all his teammates.

Spurs’ unbeaten record throughout the season remains intact, but Mauricio Pochettino’s side need to return to winning ways if they are to make that count and challenge for the title, and potentially just as meaningfully, compete with or even finish above their North London rivals. Dier has been a big part of a Spurs side that has helped keep North London a battleground once again, and he will be undoubtedly important to them if they are to seize the stranglehold from the Gunners.

Left Centre-Back: George Friend (Middlesbrough)

It was another game which resigned Middlesbrough to some desperate defending, and George Friend was vital in their rear-guard as they snatched a late point against Manchester City, his five tackles more than any other Middlesbrough player managed.

The ‘Boro only enjoyed 29% of possession, but Friend and the rest of the defence were dogged and difficult to break down and kept themselves well in the contest, which gave them the opportunity to salvage something from the game in the dying minutes, and when the opportunity presented itself, Friend’s ball in was inch-perfect, and Maarten de Roon couldn’t have wished for a better ball to find his head for him to direct it beyond the despairing dive of Claudio Bravo.

It will take more performances like this from the ‘Boro if they are to remain in the Premier League this season, but having held their nerve in trying circumstances in their last two away games, besides this latest show of quality when they needed it most, is a positive step forward.

Left Wing-Back: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)

Chelsea’s brilliant run has been attributed to manager Antonio Conte switching to a 3-4-3 formation, but the subsequent inclusion of this man has been nothing short of a revelation for the Blues. The Spaniard has been a perfect fit at left wing-back in Conte’s new system, and he put the gloss on his recent performances with his first Chelsea goal on Saturday in his side’s five goal rout of Everton.