Premier League: Team of the Week XVII feat. Manchester United and Spurs stars

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Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford (Sunderland)

Clean sheets and victories are a are commodity when you’re struggling at the wrong end of the Premier League table, but Sunderland got a priceless one here against Watford, and were once again indebted to the heroics of young goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

His fledgling fixtures in the top-flight yielded some shaky displays, but he is growing with confidence wit every game and has made a total of 67 saves this season, a total exceeded only by Burnley’s Tom Heaton. He is one of the few cool heads in the Sunderland ranks in the heat of their battle to avoid the drop, and delivers week in week out, some of his latest highlights including brilliant saves to deny Nordin Amrabat, Daryl Janmaat, and Odion Ighalo.

Right Centre-Back: Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)

Kyle Walker was the winner of BBC Sport’s man-of-the-match against Burnley, and it was a close-run thing with opposite full-back Danny Rose, given that both got up the pitch magnificently and contributed the most to the Tottenham attack. Deployed at right-wing back in a new 3-4-1-2 system trialled by Mauricio Pochettino, Walker had free licence to do what he does best: get up and down the flank and support the attack, and it paid dividends, his sweeping cross fedding Dele Alli for Spurs’ equaliser.

The England international’s tireless running saw him make 76 sprints at a top speed of 33.33 km/h, superior to any of his teammates.  His 87 touches of the ball and five key passes in the game also exceeded those of  other player on the pitch, whilst he also contributed three tackles to avoid neglecting his defensive duties.

Centre-Back: Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea)

Azpilicueta is one of only 12 outfield players to have played every minute in the Premier League this season, and it is no coincidence that he has been an ever present in a Chelsea team that not only has managed to equal a club record 11 games unbeaten, but has also managed four 1-0 shutouts in their last six victories.

His overall contribution to the team has gradually increased with every game that has gone by, and the Spaniard is now beginning to look more and more like a leading player in Antonio Conte’s new back-three alongside David Luiz and Gary Cahill. He also does his bit going the other way too, and it was his cross that bisected the Crystal Palace defence on Saturday, and left goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey a mere spectator as Diego Costa connected and angled a looping header up and over him.

Left Centre-Back: Patrick Van Aanholt (Sunderland)

History in the Premier League dictates that if you are bottom of the table at Christmas, you go down. David Moyes’ side however have shown in recent weeks they have more in them than to go down without a fight, and that has largely been down to big shows of character from members of his team like Jermain Defoe, Victor Anichebe, and Jordan Pickford. This week, you can add Dutchman Patrick Van Aanholt to that list.

Six of Van Aanholt’s seven top-flight goals for the Black Cats have come on home soil, and this latest was a wonderful strike which helped Sunderland take all the points at home to Watford. The run made by the Dutchman from deep in his own half right into Watford’s penalty area showed the desire and commitment he had to the cause of keeping Sunderland in the Premier League, and that will need to be shown consistently and in abundance if the Black Cats are to survive.

They may occupy the bottom three for the time-being, but as a team they have shown flashes of quality which indicate that they are capable of escaping the mire. The most recent of these was crafted by Van Aanholt, and Sunderland will need more to come for their escape mission to prove successful.