Premier League Team Of The Week (31st January – 1st February)
Mignolet – Simone Mignolet has continued his return to form in recent weeks and he was once again impressive on Saturday against West Ham, who have been in good form themselves. He had a good control of his box and didn’t struggle with the aerial presence of West Ham. The Belgian made a few nice saves as well when he was tested. His distribution was good throughout which is an important part of the modern game.
Bellerin
Arsenal have had their fair share of defensive issues this season, especially when it comes to selection, but the emergence of Hector Bellerin is a huge plus. The youngster had issues at the start of the season and was exploited at times, but he is growing with games. He will get a lot of football as Mathieu Debuchy is injured once again, while Calum Chambers struggles for fitness. The Frenchman was excellent on Sunday, getting up and down the right wing before scoring an exceptional goal from distance.
Kompany – Manchester City dominated Chelsea at times at Stamford Bridge, with the defence playing out of their skin restricting Chelsea to minimal chances. It was the fewest amount of shots that Chelsea have managed in a home game in a long time, as they got three shots in all match. Kompany was brilliant, leading through example, and his reading of the game was great as usual.
Stones – After making his breakthrough last season, Stones’ season has been quiet, mirroring that of his club. However on Saturday, he was excellent, limiting Crystal Palace to very few chances. He was good defensively throughout, especially in the air. Everton have struggled this season, but more solid displays like this from Stones will see Everton start to consolidate in the league.
Rose – Tottenham have seen a number of previously unrated players come to the fore under Pochettino and one of those is Danny Rose, who has been superb this season. He put in a tireless display on Saturday, contributing to attacks, while having an impact defensively, ensuring Spurs were unthreatened. Rose has the talent to become a key player for both club and country over the coming years.
Anita – The Dutchman has struggled to settle in England after moving from Ajax in 2012, but his performance on Saturday showed that he may finally be fulfilling the potential he showed in the Eredivisie. Anita has managed to get back into the side in the absence of Cheick Tiote and he played the anchorman role in front of the back four really well. He made a number of key interceptions and tackles. Furthermore his passing set up a lot of counter attacks for Newcastle.
Cabella – The second player from Newcastle in this week’s side is Remy Cabella, who has struggled this season. Many expected the playmaker to shine on Tyneside, but he hasn’t been able to replicate the form he showed for Montpellier last season that saw him gatecrash the French World Cup squad. He was a constant danger to Hull on Saturday, drifting past defenders at will, while his hard working defensive display would have pleased John Carver more than his attacking influence. The Frenchman scored his first goal for the club and it was an exceptional finish to open his account.
Silva
David Silva is one of the most talented players in the division and is performing on a weekly basis for the champions. He may not have been at his best as Chelsea shut down the space he had to operate in, but he still managed to have a telling impact on the game, scoring the crucial equalising goal. Manchester City are better with the Spaniard in the starting eleven and on another day they would have beaten the league leaders on Saturday.
Ozil – Mesut Ozil has been overshadowed this season by Alexis Sanchez who was this season’s big signing, but the German is back from injury and he looks to be in a better physical condition to play in the Premier League. He showed flashes of his ability last season, but this season he can really kick on and give Arsenal a new lease of life in the second half of the season. If they get both Ozil and Sanchez firing, they will easily secure a top four berth. At the weekend, he scored a goal and got an assist, showing just how he can influence a game.
Kane
When will Harry Kane stop scoring? The forward has ten goals and has also managed to get two assists this season. Against West Brom, Kane found the back of the net twice and his display leading the line was mature beyond his years. His movement, reading of the play and finishing quality were all on show on Saturday and if he continues to show this sort of consistency, he will grow into one of the most talented forwards in the division.
Walters – Stoke weren’t slowed down by the serious injury to Bojan as they continued their good season with an easy victory over QPR. John Walters has been at the club for a number of years now and he showed why he has been so dependable down the years. He bagged a hat-trick, showing his goalscoring abilities and his experience at the top level.