Premier League Team Of The Week (18-19 April) Featuring Chelsea And Manchester United Stars

Thibaut Courtois – The Chelsea goalkeeper was back to his best on Saturday, especially when it came to controlling his area as he came and collected several crosses put into the Chelsea box, showing his ability to take the pressure off his back four. He also made a couple of good stops to prevent an away side who were playing some good football. His distribution was good as usual and the Belgian provided a strong last line of defence.

Pablo Zabaleta – The Argentine was superb on Sunday as Manchester City returned to winning ways against West Ham. The right back was a contender for man of the match due to a tireless display as he contributed both offensively and defensively. He was rarely beaten down the right side and made a number of good tackles to stop the away side from creating chances. Meanwhile going forwards, he always gave his team mates an option and looked very dangerous on the overlap.

John Stones – Everton have improved a lot in recent weeks as their defense has started to look good again. At the weekend they kept another clean sheet and young English talent John Stones played a huge part in that. The youngster was good in the air and marshaled Danny Ings well, preventing the Burnley striker to few chances in front of goal. For a young player, Stones is an excellent reader of the game and that showed on Saturday as he made some key interceptions.

Jan Vertonghen – Vertonghen is an important part of the Spurs side and his presence on Sunday played a huge role in their win. He dominated Ayoze Perez in the air and stopped Newcastle on a number of occasions with blocks and interceptions. He also looked confident when he was stepping out with the ball and launched a few attacks, especially as Newcastle started to become more offensive in the latter stages.

Luke Shaw – Although Manchester United lost at the weekend, the return of Luke Shaw to the team was a huge boost. The left back has struggled at times this season, but he looked like the player who played at Southampton on Saturday. He looked excellent going forwards as he used his pace and strength to get beyond Ivanovic a number of times. His crossing into the box also caused Chelsea problems.

Eden Hazard – The Belgian is the frontrunner to win the PFA player of the year and he showed on Saturday that he has the ability to make game changing contributions against the best sides in the division. His movement and composure for the winning goal was world class. Moreover, he showed two or three more times that he could get behind the Manchester United defence and create chances for his team.

Craig Gardner – Craig Gardner was superb as Tony Pulis made a winning return to Selhurst Park to give West Brom the three points that should secure their Premier League survival. Gardner was combative in midfield and got around the Palace players to prevent them from creating too many clear cut opportunities, despite having the lionshare of possession. He scored a wonderful goal to double the Baggies lead as well, showing his ability to get forward and influence matches from midfield.

Kurt Zouma – The Frenchman played really well in an unfamiliar position in midfield as Chelsea overpowered Manchester United. Zouma was played in midfield to restrict Marouane Fellaini’s influence on the game and the Belgian had little impact on Saturday, which highlights how crucial Zouma was to the victory. He beat Fellaini often in the air, and even showed his technical skills as he brought the ball forwards and set up a few attacks.

Nacer Chadli – The midfielder hasn’t been as effective in the second half of the season, but he played a big role as Spurs returned to winning ways in the North East. The Moroccan scored the opening goal with a lovely strike from distance. He looked dangerous throughout as the Newcastle defenders couldn’t seem to get the ball off of him. He also worked back and made a few crucial defensive contributions.

Jamie Vardy – He may not have scored at the weekend, but Jamie Vardy was superb as he ran the channels and he never gave the Swansea defence a moments peace. He caused trouble all day with his movement and he also created three chances for his team-mates. The forward didn’t shy away from his defensive work as he chased back to help out his defence when required. It wasn’t a typical striker’s performance, but it was crucial in securing the three points for Leicester.

Sergio Aguero – He has gone off the radar recently and he wasn’t included on the shortlist for the PFA player of the year, but Sergio Aguero looked more like his old self as he scored a goal as the champions returned to winning ways. The Argentine showed his quality in the final third, as he created a number of chances for himself and his side with his incredible dribbling ability as he managed to glide past players at will. The forward will want to finish the season strongly to remind others that he still possesses the quality to be considered one of the best players in the league.