Premier League: Team of the Week XV feat. Chelsea and Leicester stars

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Goalkeeper: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)

Unusual to pick a goalkeeper that finished on the losing side, particular given that opposite number David de Gea managed a clean sheet in the same game, however on a weekend where other goalkeepers across the division made costly mistakes, Lloris reminded the football world of his importance to the Spurs cause with a number of notable stops, which saw him at the heart of the action more so than De Gea.

There was nothing the French international could do to prevent Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s winning strike, but he was at his best throughout the game to keep Spurs in it, and drew the praise of José Mourinho post-match for his athletic display.

Right Centre-Back: Hector Bellerín (Arsenal)
Youngster Hector Bellerín has come a long way for Arsenal. His quality of pass in the final third of the pitch amongst his most potent qualities, aside from his blistering pace and ability to get up and down the flanks.

The Spanish youngster has become one of the stand-out right-backs in the league and on his return from injury against Stoke he proved his worth to the Gunners cause once more. He had only been on the pitch for a few minutes as a substitute before he got to work down the right, causing Stoke all sorts of trouble.

He showed superb recovery pace on several occasions to get the Gunners out of trouble, and laid the ball on a plate for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to score, a chance which the winger spurned just minutes after Bellerín had entered the fray.

His big moment came later in the first-half, setting up Theo Walcott for the equaliser with a great low cross. He has now provided assists for seven Premier League goals since the start of last season, more than any other defender.

Centre-Back: Gary Cahill (Chelsea)

Nine wins in a row. Seven clean sheets in nine games. Two goals conceded in that time. Gary Cahill has been a star in Chelsea’s new-look three-man defence that has yielded such an imperious defensive statistic, and he put in a captain’s display against a dogged and determined West Bromwich Albion.

David Luiz may have taken most of the plaudits as the ‘most improved’ player following his return to Stamford Bridge, but Cahill is another getting the most out of Antonio Conte’s new system, and on a day when Luiz needed some assistance from his skipper following his injury late in Chelsea’s win at Manchester City last week, Cahill was there to provide it.

A captain’s display and another clean sheet, and Conte’s men having toiled back in September are now looking firm title favourites going into the festive period.

Left Centre-Back: Phil Jones (Manchester United)

Manchester United have developed an unwanted tendency of being unable to see out matches, only this week, that didn’t look like happening as the Red Devils bolted the door in the face of a Spurs side who’d hit five past Swansea a week earlier.

Much of that was owed to Phil Jones’ professional display, and he is clearly getting the best out of regular football in his preferred position, in a relatively stable starting XI under Mourinho. He marshalled the United defence well, putting his body on the line and getting his head in where it hurts when his team needed it to preserve a much needed victory.