Midfield:
Mehdi Abeid
On his Premier League debut, Mehdi Abeid dominated a midfield of Steven Gerrard, Joe Allen and Jordan Henderson. His powerful build allows him to put himself about, which is crucial for a Premier League defensive midfielder. He was also neat in possession and showed some good bursts into the Liverpool half. Abeid was equally as impressive against Manchester City in the Capital One Cup, it looks like Newcastle have a player on their hands.
Victor Wanyama
The Kenyan was a powerhouse in the middle of the park for Southampton, winning the battle against Mo Diame, which is never an easy task. His reading of the game was superb as he made key interceptions and challenges throughout the match, while his passing was on key. His goal was excellent as his quick thinking and skill allowed him to lift the ball into the net, it’s a chance many players would have put over the bar.
Stewart Downing
He was exceptional on Saturday, providing the heartbeat for the West Ham side, and he was one of the key figures that led the Hammers to recovering from a two goal deficit. His passing range was decent, while his driving runs through the middle of the park pierced Stoke open at times. Downing made the assist for Enner Valencia’s goal with a superb cross, before his powerful finish leveled things.
Alexis Sanchez
Once again the little Chilean sparked Arsenal to a victory with two clinical finishes, one with his head and one with his feet. His positioning and the timing of his runs is very hard to defend against, while on the ball he is brilliant and is able to change the game in an instant. He will have to show it more in big games as the season progresses, but he looks like a player that could reignite Arsenal as a trophy challenging force.
Wilfried Zaha
The winger caused Sunderland a lot of problems as he burst through their midfield too many times for comfort, it looked like the ball was glued to his feet at times as he evaded challenges with ease. His pace and close control make him a danger to any back four, Sunderland looked scared of him at times, while his ball led to the Palace equaliser. His side may have lost, but it looks like he may finally be adjusting to the Premier League.
Sergio Aguero
He may not have been at his best, but Sergio Aguero scored the vital winning goal in the Manchester derby. World class player produce in the big matches and that’s what the forward did on Sunday. The match was even bigger than normal, due to City’s poor form of late, but their talisman has given them a huge boost going into a season defining week with the Champions League. He was tricky to defend against with his tight ball control.