Defenders:
Petr Cech
Petr Cech hasn’t played much football this year, but he showed on Saturday that he hasn’t lost any of his ability as he was superb in the first half. Newcastle dominated the first half and crucial saves to stop Remy Cabella and Yoan Gouffran were important for Chelsea. He looked full of confidence and it was a message to Thibaut Courtios that Cech is still a top goalkeeper, who can take his place at any time.
Joel Ward
The right back has been excellent for Palace since they arrived in the Premier League, with his defensive abilities up there with the best full backs in the league. On Saturday he was given the tough task of facing the likes of Nacer Chadli and Andros Townsend, and he was solid throughout, making a number of key interceptions and clearances.
Jose Fonte
The Southampton centre back has been underrated for a number of seasons, and he has shown himself to be more important to the team than Dejan Lovren and Luke Shaw ever were. He is a vocal leader, who organises the defence well, and his ability to lead Southampton to a clean sheet at Old Trafford can’t be understated. He was dominant in the air as United put a lot of crosses in the Saints box.
Scott Dann
Another Palace player to feature in this week’s side is Scott Dann who marshaled the defence well, and threatened from set pieces. He made a couple of good tackles to prevent Spurs and looked to be a real leader in the back four. Alongside Damien Delaney, they have become a formidable partnership and it gives Alan Pardew a strong base to work from.
Paul Konchesky
Konchesky has been criticised at times this season as many see him as past it for the top flight, but he was good on Saturday, as he was part of a defence that kept a clean sheet. He also scored the winner with a wonderful finish and performances like Saturday will start to see the critics decrease. His experience could be vital in the last few months of the season.
Midfielders:
Lazar Markovic
In the absence of Raheem Sterling, Lazar Markovic was brilliant, and he caused a lot of issues for the back four of Sunderland. His dribbling abilities and his movement showed that the summer signing could become more important to Liverpool over the coming months. He scored what turned out to be the winner and nearly added another with a brilliant strike. Liverpool have lacked creativity in matches this season, but the Markovic offers that in spades.
James Morrison
West Brom opened with a victory under Tony Pulis, which featured a good midfield display from James Morrison. His passing range was excellent as he dictated the pace of the game from midfield and he made crucial contributions out of possession with some good tackles to retain possession. The Scottish international has always been a solid performer in the top flight and could be an important part of Pulis’ plans to avoid the drop.
Morgan Schneiderlin
He has been one of the most consistent performers this season and Southampton’s decision to keep him is proving to be the correct one as he could be a key part of the side that clinches Champions League football. His partnership with Victor Wanyama is the key reason why Southampton are hard to break down. They press the ball well and they are both brilliant tacklers. The key part of Schneiderlin’s game on Sunday was to retrieve possession and set Southampton up to counter which he did with his impressive eye for a pass. It’s key that Southampton keep him this month.
Attackers:
Remy Cabella
The Newcastle midfielder may not have scored or made an assist this weekend, but he won’t play much better than he did on Saturday. He was excellent and in the first half, his driving runs were causing Chelsea lots of problems as he continued to weave past three or four at a time. The Frenchman has struggled but the departure of Alan Pardew could see the midfielder start to make an impact on games in a freer role. He has lots of ability and his performance on Saturday left some Chelsea fans claiming he was the best opposition player they’ve seen at Stamford Bridge this season.
Alexis Sanchez
The Arsenal forward was exceptional against Stoke, running the game with both his creativity and goal scoring instincts. The Chilean scored twice and set up the opener with a brilliant cross that was headed in by Laurent Koscielny. Arsenal would be in a perilous position without Sanchez, but it’s exciting to think what Arsenal could achieve if they manage to get Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Jack Wilshere, Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez in the same side.
Andy Carroll
He is finally starting to have a run of games without injury and he is showing the world why clubs have spent as much money as they have on him. He is an old fashioned centre forward, but it’s still effective as he showed on Saturday. He dominated in the air, winning a number of knock ons, while his hold up play and passing with his feet were good also. Carroll provided West Ham with an outlet, while his goal was exceptional, as he managed to lose his marker and lash the ball into the top corner. He must be re-entering Roy Hodgson’s plans.