Premier League Team of the Week XXVII feat. Manchester United and West Ham stars

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Michail Antonio: Antonio employed a fantastic piece of opportunism to take advantage of a lax piece of defending by Van Aanholt and then, cutting in-field from the right wing, he produced a composed left-foot finish to beat Vito Mannone from an acute angle. This was his fifth goal in a West Ham shirt since his arrival from Mottingham Forest in the summer and since the start of 2016 in particular, he has been in scintillating form. In fact, he has earned a place on the score-sheet on each of the last three occasions that The Hammers have turned out at Upton Park. On a light-hearted note, any man who pulls off a successful tribute to Homer Simpson on a football pitch should be applauded, and so Antonio is thoroughly deserving of a place in the Premier League Team of the Week.

Marko Arnautovic: The former Inter Milan winger has reached double figures for the season with his brace against Aston Villa, which is impressive for a man who nominally operates to the left of a front three. Arnautovic has continued to display his rediscovered hard-working attitude, a trait which makes him a much more valuable asset for Stoke City and Mark Hughes. A great piece of improvisation got Arnautovic his second, chesting home his own looping header, after opening his account for the day from the penalty spot five minutes earlier. These isolated incidents typified the creative display which the trickster was able to show off on Saturday, easily The Potters’ most creative influence.

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Marcus Rashford: Not only did Rashford exhibit his raw exuberance which might be expected from a youngster making his full debut at The Theatre of Dreams, but his game was unerringly well-rounded for one in the formative years of his career. Rashford understood when to show for the ball into his feet and when to stretch Arsenal’s defence by looking for a ball to be played over the top or into the channel. This overall awareness of what was going on around him was epitomised by his lay-off to Ander Herrera, realising that although he was on for a potential hat-trick, the better option was to give a chance to the Spaniard, one which was converted with aplomb. Rashford’s goals are what will be remembered however, bundling home a loose ball for the opener before doubling Manchester United’s advantage only three minutes later with a glancing header to match his goal tally on Thursday night against FC Midtjylland. If Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney’s injury troubles continue, it appears as though Louis Van Gaal has an able deputy to rely on.

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