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

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Right-Midfield: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United)

Henrikh Mkhitaryan finally seems to be coming into his own at Old Trafford following a difficult start to his Manchester United career, such is the nature of the Premier League. His latest strike, a fine winner against Spurs- his first United goal at Old Trafford- means he has now had a hand in four United goals in his last four games in all competitions, with two goals and two assists.

It caps off a great week for the Armenia international, in which he scored in the Europa League at Zorya Luhansk on Thursday to help United into the last 32. He is now beginning to firmly show what be brings to the table at Old Trafford and it’s unfortunate for him that his meteoric rise will now be on hold until Boxing Day, after a mistimed challenge from Danny Rose forced him off with injury.

However, this week has proved a great success for the Armenia international. His goal and performance in the Europa League demonstrated what he is capable of and against Spurs he looked even more impressive. What a pity that such a poor tackle by Tottenham’s Danny Rose robbed the best player on the pitch from finishing a match he seemed to control from the start.

Centre-Midfield: Jeff Hendrick (Burnley)

Hendrick’s moment of magic came with his goal against Bournemouth, a spectacular volley which he rifled into the top corner from 25-yards out; his only shot of the game and only his second strike this season.

However, it wasn’t just the goal that set Hendrick’s performance apart, but his overall contribution and work rate as the Clarets edged a classic at Turf Moor. He was also unlucky not to have won a penalty, when his international teammate Harry Arter bundled him over in the box. It didn’t however stop the hosts from registering another crucial victory, which puts a run of three straight defeats to an end and puts five points worth of daylight between themselves and the relegation trapdoor.

Centre-Midfield: Andy King (Leicester City)

The Leicester stalwart has featured for the Foxes since there there rise from League One to Premier League title winners and Champions League debutantes, and he showed he still has a great deal to offer to the cause of the East Midlands outfit with a splendid display against Manchester City.

It was a timely display too. Given the way that Leicester’s season has transpired, Ranieri and his reigning Premier League champions have been looking over their shoulders toward the relegation dogfight in recent weeks, but if this performance is anything to go by, it won’t be worrying them for too long.

Their emphatic 4-2 victory over the Citizens slammed the brakes on their downward spiral, and King- in for the suspended Danny Drinkwater- capped off a fine display against their glamorous opponents with a splendid finish that put the hosts 2-0 up within five minutes.

This performance could just be the turning point in Leicester’s season, and with their squad having been stretched by suspensions and injuries already thus far, they will need the likes of King to continue to step-up in reserve.

Left-Midfield: Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace)

Courtesy of a goal and an assist against Hull which helped rescue Palace a point, Wilfried Zaha has been involved in seven goals in his past seven Premier League appearances for the Eagles.

One of the main men in the Palace side that won promotion to the Premier League back in 2013, he has shown flashes of his potential yet remained inconsistent at the highest level. In recent weeks however, he has begun to take more and more responsibility out wide for Palace, and he fired an early warning shot for Hull when he weaved his way around three players and arrowed a shot wide of goal.

The Tigers failed to heed, and Zaha duly got to work on dismantling them. He was the player brought down for Palace’s spot-kick, which Christian Benteke gratefully dispatched, and provided an assist for Frazier Campbell for their late equaliser, whilst capping off his individual performance with a fine goal inbetween, jinking his way into the box and letting fly past a helpless David Marshall.