Premier League: Team of the Week XXIV

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Goalkeeper: Vito Mannone (Sunderland)

Sunderland’s demolition job at Crystal Palace was only the Italian shot-stopper’s second clean sheet of the season, and despite the Eagles being far below their potent best, Mannone was kept busy in the Black Cats’ goal and was forced into four excellent stops to kill the hosts’ prospects of ever coming back from their four-goal deficit. In times of hardship near the bottom, a defence takes confidence from the keeper behind it, and Mannone has improved week-by-week ever since coming back into the fold following Jordan Pickford’s injury. Pickford himself is due to return to action at the end of February, but on this showing, he won’t be taking the Number One jersey for granted and may well have a battle on his hands getting back in.

Right-Back: Michail Antonio (West Ham United)

Ever since the Dimitri Payet saga, the Hammers dressing-room has rallied around manager Slaven Bilic, with certain individuals stepping up to the plate to haul West Ham back up the table. Michail Antonio is one of these, and he registered his third assist of the season at St. Mary’s, a total bettered only by the departed Payet.

Bilic’s side were forced to fight for the spoils on the South Coast after falling behind to an early Manolo Gabbiadini strike, but Antonio’s link-up play with the impressive Andy Carroll caused the hosts countless problems, and eventually proved Saints’ undoing.

Centre-Back: Andrea Ranocchia (Hull City)

Eyebrows were raised when Italy international Ranocchia was brought in on-loan from Inter for a quite hefty loan fee of £1million, but it already looks to be money well-spent by new manager Marco Silva, after the Italian topped off his impressive showing in the 0-0 draw at Old Trafford recently with a commanding performance at the back against Liverpool.

Injury to skipper Michael Dawson forced the Italian unto the breach and he was simply fantastic, winning all seven of his aerial duels and playing a wonderful pass through to loan-signing Oumar Niasse who netted to kill the game late-on.

Centre-Back: Lamine Koné (Sunderland)

Lamine Koné’s return from international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations couldn’t have been more timely, and the Ivorian made his presence tell on his return against Crystal Palace, netting his first Premier League goal and helping the Black Cats earn a vital clean sheet against one of their fellow strugglers.

It wasn’t always pretty defending, but when near the relegation mire teams, particularly in defence, have to show their ability to do the dirty work, and Koné certainly did that. It was last-ditch at times, despite the four-goal cushion Sunderland quickly established, but it was obvious how much a clean sheet in South London meant to the side, and it will leave a bitter taste in the mouth of Patrick Van Aanholt, who left swapped the Stadium of Light for Selhurst Park during January.

Left-Back: Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)

Marcos Alonso announced his presence at Stamford Bridge in some fashion against Arsenal, flying-through Hector Bellerín to respond quickest to a loose aerial ball to nod the Blues in front early on. This game was about more than atoning for the defeat at the Emirates early on in the season, a game in which Alonso made his debut, and since then he has become some player under Conte’s oratory and was key in Arsenal’s downfall here.

His desire and work-rate up and down the left flank was a shining example of the hunger and team spirit which has manifested in the Blues camp since the start of the season, and on this showing, they will take some beating if they are to lose out on the Premier League title come the end of the season.