Premier League: Team of the Week XX

Add as preferred source on Google

Centre Defensive Midfield: Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

It has been some festive period for the Frenchman. He put in a man-of-the-match showing last time out against Sunderland despite not getting onto the scoresheet himself, before turning match-winner against Middlesbrough just days later. Pogba has now been directly involved in five goals in his past four Premier League appearances, with two goals and three assists.

His winner was taken superbly, watching Juan Mata’s teasing cross before planting a wonderful header into the top corner that left Victor Valdes, brilliant up until that point, a mere spectator. So often players get those key moments wrong in the closing stages of matches, Pogba got it just right. Such is the quality that £89million can buy you.

Right-Midfield: Willian (Chelsea)

Stoke will have been left lamenting their poor fortune at Chelsea, equalising twice only to continually squander the result, and Willian was a thorn in their side throughout the contest, notching his first Premier League brace to move onto five goals, matching his tally for the entirety of last season.

Chelsea had just conceded for the second time in the match against Stoke but on each occasion Antonio Conte’s men came roaring back with a response, Diego Costa’s delightful touch setting Willian up to score his first goal, which he dispatched ruthlessly.

Then it was Cesc Fabregas’ moment to turn provider, and he duly stepped up with a wonderful through ball to the Brazilian, who thumped the ball beyond the helpless Lee Grant.

Centre-Attacking Midfield: Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur)

Dele Alli fired an early warning shot to signal his intent at Vicarage Road with a fierce drive that struck the woodwork, but Watford did little to heed the warning and the young England international picked up where he left off against Southampton, scoring twice in a second consecutive 4-1 win on the road to take his tally to five goals in three appearances after seven games without a goal prior to that.

Spurs have been desperate to find an alternative source of goals to frontman Harry Kane, and Dele Alli has been only too happy to begin pulling his weight in front of goal in recent weeks, having previously shown promise but a lack of killer instinct. That instinct now seems to be manifesting, and that can only bode well for Tottenham and for England.duly obliged.

Centre-Attacking Midfield: Robert Snodgrass (Hull City)

Hull City are desperate for points in every match they go into at present, and it will take more performances like this from big players if they are to salvage the results they need to survive. Scotland international Robert Snodgrass eas the best player on the pitch in their game against Everton, and he added his own touch of quality with a sumptuous free-kick, which by all accounts should have been the winner were it not for the Tigers’ fragility at the back.

Snodgrass provided 12 crosses for his team-mates, more than any other player, and his goal means that he has now been involved in 50% of Hull’s Premier League goals this season, scoring six and clocking up two assists. His two direct free-kick goals make up a joint-league-high tally this season, shared only with Stoke City’s Xherdan Shaqiri.

Left-Midfield: Matt Phillips (West Bromwich Albion)

West Brom needed to dig deep to salvage the points at Southampton, coming from behind to secure an impressive and important 2-1 victory, and it was another stellar performance from Scottish winger Matt Phillips, who is having some season at the Hawthorns.

Phillips took his goal brilliantly to equalise for the Baggies just two minutes after Shane Long had put Saints ahead, and from that moment the hosts lost their grip of the game as Phillips exerted his influence. He has now had a hand in 10 goals in his 18 Premier League games this season for the Albion, scoring four and assisting six.

Southampton never looked like they had fully recovered from their mauling at St. Mary’s by Spurs, and the Baggies were all too happy to begin their own dismantling job against the out of sorts Saints. Tony Pulis meanwhile seems to have established a brand of attacking as well as his typically defensive footballing style, and Phillips is quickly turning into a contender for one of the buys of the season.