Premier League Team of the Week XXXI feat. Arsenal and Spurs stars

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Cesc Fabregas: Having been vilified by the Stamford Bridge faithful in the immediate aftermath of Jose Mourinho’s departure, a steady increase in his performance levels in the following weeks have endeared him with some supporters once more. A sumptuous free-kick on the stroke of half-time was a crucial moment for Hiddink’s side on Saturday, with the Spaniard striking the ball firmly into the top left corner of Adrian’s goal. The former Arsenal captain also dispatched a penalty late on to rescue a point for his team, but his performance was hardly all about the two goals. Four chances came from the feet of Fabregas and the midfield technician boasted a greater number of passes, touches and shots than any other player on the pitch for either side, orchestrated the play like the Fabregas of old. Before his penalty was successfully converted, the midfielder even had a couple of decent chances to add to his tally further, first heading over the bar from a corner before an acrobatic effort again cleared the top of the goal.

Jack Rodwell: The injury-prone former Everton midfielder had one of his finest games in a Sunderland shirt against Newcastle United and was unlucky to not end up on a side taking all three points. Jack Rodwell was industrious in the heart of midfield, with his mobility able to keep tabs on the adventurous Georginio Wijnaldum while also not allowing Jonjo Shelvey to dictate the pace of the game with his revered range of passing. Rodwell recycled the ball well when the Black Cats were in possession, able to put his foot on the ball in a game of such intensity and calm the mood of his team-mates. In creating three chances, he greatly helped Sunderland’s cause and certainly stepped up to the inevitable physical confrontation that is expected in a derby game.

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Alex Iwobi: The Arsenal youngster made his Premier League debut against Everton and there was not much more he could have done to impress the keen-eyed onlookers. Arsene Wenger displayed a huge show of faith in Alex Iwobi when he handed him a start in the Camp Nou against Barcelona and after not letting anybody down in such a temple of European football, should we really be surprised that he took to the English top flight so well? Iwobi scored against The Toffees with an excellently taken goal on the counter-attack, sprinting clear of Funes-Mori before firing through the legs of Joel Robles. Aside from this, his all-round play was first class. Some of the interplay with Danny Welbeck was a joy to watch and he picked up intelligent positions between the lines. Iwobi’s pace, quick feet and dribbling ability proved a real problem for Everton’s defenders. The promising talent was defensively disciplined too, not just wishing to attract admirers with some fancy footwork in attacking areas, but tracking back towards his own goal when required too and made four tackles before he was substituted late on.