Premier League: Team of the Week XIV

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Goalkeeper: David De Gea (Manchester United)

José Mourinho was probably the most aggrieved man in Goodison Park over the fact that Manchester United didn’t take all three points against Everton. Only he claimed that United were dominant in all aspects of the encounter, statistics however suggest otherwise. United were comfortable in proceedings in the first-half, but struggled to create a chance until Maarten Stekelenburg gifted Zlatan Ibrahimovic an opening goal shortly before the interval.

In the second-half, Everton rallied in response, and David de Gea was forced to become a more central figure in proceedings, Kevin Mirallas, Idrissa Gueye and Enner Valencia all forcing him into some superb saves, the pick of the bunch his superb reflex stop to thwart Mirallas, whilst he also did well to punch clear a speculative effort from Leighton Baines.

David de Gea’s display was dogged and determined and kept United in the ascendancy, but the Red Devils failed to capitalise on their chances and thus it proved costly after Marouane Fellaini’s clumsy foul on Idrissa Gueye gifted Everton a spot-kick from which Baines stroked home just beyond De Gea’s fingertips. Mourinho was furious, but if anyone had a right to feel more aggrieved after their display, it was De Gea. He put everything on the line to keep his team in front, and it took a well-placed penalty to beat him. It so often takes something special or a gift to get the better of him when he plays like this.

Right-Back: Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

Walker announced his presence on the White Hart Lane turf with an early cross for a Harry Kane headed chance which just evaded goal. That should have been the warning shot heeded by Swansea, but they could have no complaints as to what followed as Spurs began picking them apart with ease once Harry Kane’s penalty kick had broken the deadlock.

Walker won 68.8% of his duels against Swansea, the best rate of any Spurs player in the match, and was tireless in his work rate, getting up and down the pitch relentlessly to cause Swansea problems.

Centre-Back: James Tomkins (Crystal Palace)

Some recently poor displays from right-back Martin Kelly saw centre-half by-trade Tomkins fill in on the right side, but he was so magnificent that he deserves a shout-out in our Team of the Week, even if it is his natural position.

He was surprisingly as impressive going forward as he was in marshalling the defence, and added a stability to the back four in that much of Southampton’s threat down the left was alleviated by his presence. His goal was an opportunists’ finish, and the strike actually means he has netted more goals since his departure from West Ham than any of the Hammers’ strikers put together.

Centre-Back: David Luiz (Chelsea)

The tackle that the Brazilian made on City’s star man Sergio Aguero was a statement of intent. In years gone by where Luiz was prone to fading away in the big games and making costly defensive lapses, there were no signs of such flaws as he took the task of shackling the mercurial Aguero in his stride. It was a fascinating battle of Brazilian against Argentinian, a re-ignition of the biggest international football rivalry in South America and Luiz stepped up to the plate for the cause, his six clearances from inside the box a superior total to any number managed by his teammates.

Luiz manned the Chelsea barricade superbly at the back, and was clever in his tenacity in niggling away at Aguero until the forward lost his temper and was dismissed for a rash challenge on the Brazilian. That leaves title rivals City without their main goalscorer for four matches, and for now Chelsea have the edge in the title race. Their performance and result at the Etihad sends out a strong message, and Luiz was simply pivotal.

Left-Back: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)

Alonso like his opposite wide-man Victor Moses is a player with a new lease of life at Chelsea under Antonio Conte and has rapidly developed into one of the Premier League’s finest left-backs.

The Spaniard wasa nuisance going forward, providing the ball for Eden Hazard to score the goal which all but killed the game, but he also helped keep Kevin De Bruyne under wraps and firmly slammed the breaks on City’s right-winger Jesus Navas.