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

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Centre-Forward: Alvaro Negredo (Middlesbrough)

The forward dubbed ‘The Beast’ during his time at Manchester City has had to endure frustration at times this season in a Middlesbrough shirt, but the goals are now starting to come more consistently and he looks like he is back to his potent best, with his latest exploit an excellent brace against relegation rivals Swansea.

His feigned attempt to go the other way which out-foxed goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski from the spot was a touch of brilliance to add to his earlier finish, and he has now been involved in five of Middlesbrough’s last eight league goals, scoring five and assisting one. More impressively in individual terms, he now has four goals in four, and his confidence is there for all to see. So it should be, with the ability that he has at his disposal.

Centre-Forward: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United)

The mercurial Swede seems to have been scoring goals in Europe forever, but he keeps on going and going and going, and having been on target again with his 10th and 11th Premier League goals of the season at West Brom, the old dog shows no signs of stopping.

Ibrahimovic has now scored 16 goals in all competitions this season, 11 more than any other player at United, and this latest brace secured an all-important win for Jose Mourinho. The Special One has even gone as far to say that the Swede is undroppable from his team, with the iconic striker featuring in Europa League fixtures as well as playing consistently in the Premier League, despite his age.

At 0-0, from the moment Jesse Lingard’s inch-perfect cross found the waiting Zlatan, there was no doubt that the ball was ending up in the back of the Baggies’ net.

Having seemingly gotten over their malaise of being unable to see out matches, Mourinho’s Red Devils seem to be putting together a run and are hauling back ground on the top four. If they manage to chase down the pack to make the top four, or even exceed that, then they will owe much to the goals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and already it is obvious that he is a player they could not afford to lose to injury. Despite his age however, there is no sign of rust around the edges.

Centre-Forward: Jay Rodriguez (Southampton)

The former Burnley man has endured a difficult time with injury at St. Mary’s which has stunted a promising start to his Southampton career, and robbed him for the meantime of an opportunity of breaking into the England fold. It was a happy return for the striker though this week; coming in for the injured Charlie Austin for only his third league start this season, he scored his first goals since August to settle a pulsating South Coast Derby at Bournemouth in favour of his team.

Manager Claude Puel sought a solution to his team’s profligacy in front of goal, after Saints had registered a mere three in their last seven league games and squandered the chance to take all three-points at ten man Stoke with their wastefulness in front of goal. Rodriguez was one of six changes going into the Bournemouth game aimed towards rectifying the problem, and he duly repaid his manager’s faith, finishing just after the break from Sean Davis’ pass to give Saints the lead, before spinning to hit a 20-yard half-volley that flew and dipped beyond Artur Boruc and into the net. It was his first top-flight brace since March 2014.

With Austin out for several weeks, Southampton need an alternative source of goals, and providing that Rodriguez can shake off the injuries that have dogged the last two years of his career and remain fit, they may just already have one waiting to step-up.

Rodriguez was touted as having a big future with Saints and indeed with England before getting injured back in 2014, and it was that injury which deprived him of the opportunity to represent the Three Lions at the 2014 World Cup. From up and coming star, he quickly became a forgotten man at St. Mary’s, but it would be some story if this were the catalyst performance for a remarkable return. With Austin out, he has the opportunity to step into his boots and become the main man again. He has the ability to take it, but it remains to be seen whether or not Lady Luck will smile upon him by way of injuries.

Premier League: Team of the Week XVII

Coach: Claude Puel

Featured Image: All Rights Reserved by Chris Verdi.