Liverpool And Manchester United Stars Feature In EPL Team Of The Week (14-16-march)

Forster

The Southampton goalkeeper was on top form as the South Coast side grabbed a hard earned point at Stamford Bridge against the Premier League leaders. He made a number of key saves to prevent Eden Hazard, John Terry and an excellent reaction save stopped Loic Remy late on. The England number two is working hard to establish himself as a credible competitor to Joe Hart and his debut season at St Marys has been impressive. If he continues to perform in big matches like this, he has a great chance of capturing the England number one shirt in the near future.

Trippier

Kieran Trippier was in great form as Burnley recorded a shock victory over champions Manchester City. He has been one of the best players in the Burnley side and has been consistent in his debut top flight season. His defensive efforts were excellent on Saturday as he prevented the City frontline from creating too many chances. Meanwhile he played a significant role in the attacking half as he showed he could contribute all across the pitch.

Shackell

Jason Shackell was another huge presence for Burnley in the defence. He has been consistent all season and has really helped steady Burnley this season. He has shown he has the quality to make last ditch tackles, while he is excellent in the air, rarely losing out in an aerial duel. He was playing against two of the best strikers in the league, but neither were very effective and Shackell played a huge part in nullifying their threat.

Sakho

 

Sakho was on excellent form for Liverpool and has played a huge role in their resurgence since their poor start. He offers quality in the back three and can play a part in retaining possession as he is very good on the ball. He won 100% of his tackles on Monday night and he was a key part in their victory over Swansea.

Baines

The left back was very impressive on his return from injury. Everton have been average this season, and with the emergence of four or five talented young English left backs, there has been talk that Baines should no longer be England’s left back. However, he was superb on Sunday as he kept Newcastle’s attackers quiet and bombed on at will, creating a number of chances for his team-mates.

Bolasie

Crystal Palace continued their impressive run under Alan Pardew and it was the wing play of his side that really impressed the former Newcastle boss. They were dominant across the pitch against a relegation threatened QPR side and Palace look all but safe in the table. Bolasie was the centre of everything that was good about the London side as he made dangerous runs with the ball and continued to create chances throughout the match. He got two assists and could very easily have had more on the day.

Carrick

 

Manchester United have been poor in recent weeks, but the midfielder put in an excellent display to help them to a huge victory over his former side Tottenham. He assisted the opening goal, before scoring one himself which is a rarity. He was one of the best players on the pitch and played a huge role in United getting the three points. His passing was consistent all game, while he also played a big role in the side’s defensive efforts.

Gibson

Darron Gibson was impressive in the middle of the park for Everton as he dictated the tempo and dominated the Newcastle pairing of Moussa Sissoko and Jack Colback. After a horrendous run of injuries, Gibson is starting to become a fixture in the Everton eleven, with his ability to play defence splitting passes a real asset. He was at the centre of a number of impressive moves in the final third, as he continued to find his team-mates in space around the Newcastle goal.

Mane

The Southampton attacker was very impressive on Sunday as his direct running caused the Chelsea defence a lot of problems. His pace and skill allowed him to beat defenders often and they led to Southampton’s equaliser as he was brought down in the area by Nemanja Matic. Mane also threatened the goal as his movement often saw him receive possession in lots of space and that was central to the attacking efforts of his side.

Benteke

 

The Aston Villa striker has hardly been prolific this season and has looked a shadow of his former self for over 18 months. However, he was excellent against a struggling Sunderland defence. He looked deadly in front of goal as he scored a good header and was composed to slot away the opening goal with a cool finish. The Belgian showed signs he was returning to his best with some excellent hold up, while his power was too much for the Sunderland back for to handle with. If he continues to score goals, Aston Villa will stay in the division.

Agbonlahor

Gabriel Agbonlahor has been around for a long time, but has never pushed on to fulfill the potential he has. He has been involved in the England set up before, but he has failed to push on and the time for his international career may have ended. He was excellent on Saturday alongside Benteke as his pace and movement were difficult to deal with. He scored twice and could be important for Villa in the closing stages of the season.