In goal this week I’m picking Onana. Every credit to this lad, a lot of people had written him off at the start of the season. Going to Goodison and keeping a clean sheet is never easy, but he made a couple of great saves. You can see why Ten Hag wanted him in, he’s a modern keeper.
Nathan Ake has become a very underrated part of this City side and was excellent at the weekend. Whether it’s a left-back or centre-half, you always know what you’re getting from this lad. His feet for Haaland’s goal were excellent, I didn’t know he had that in his locker!
Alongside him I’m picking Pau Torres. He got a goal and for the most part, kept a dangerous Spurs side at bay. He’s a classy player, with a lovely left peg. He took his goal well as well, what a ball in that was from Douglas Luiz. Emery coached him in Spain, so he knew what he was getting when he signed this lad, it looks like good business to me. Just on the Spurs-Villa game, it was nice to see tributes to Terry Venables beforehand. Terry was a fantastic manager but above all, a great guy.
I pick William Saliba a lot but no wonder, this boy is top class. I think we sometimes forget how young this fella is, he just oozes quality out there. You look at the money Arsenal paid for him a couple of years ago, that could become one of the great bargains that club has made. Keeping a clean sheet at Brentford isn’t easy, he was vital.
Also vital, was Declan Rice. Not many players get in my side more than Declan and he was at his very best at Brentford. That goal line clearance in the first half summed this lad up. Not many players would have sensed that danger and reacted that quickly to get on the line. To me, he looks like the leader of this side already.
Soucek’s been a great servant to West Ham for a good few years now, and he’s still getting the job done for David Moyes. He’s always been someone with an eye for a goal, particularly from crosses. Usually, he tucks them away with his head but that was a nice, volleyed finish at the weekend, what a turnaround that was.
I don’t think people realise how well Anthony Gordon is playing at the minute. He’s so direct, so quick and he’s been causing so many problems. Eddie’s really improved his final ball and you saw that again at the weekend, with a lovely goal and assist. Whether it’s out wide or even up front, he’s one of the form players in the league.
That was a big win for Bournemouth up at Sheffield United at the weekend and Marcus Tavernier was superb. The first was a lovely, composed finish and what I liked about the second was the desire he showed to get on the end of that cross. That’s two wins in a row for Bournemouth, it looks like they’ve turned a corner.
Brighton needed that win at Forest and Joao Pedro was superb. He was someone that Brighton spent a decent chunk of money on in the summer and it looks like he’s really beginning to find his feet now. He showed good desire for that header and that was a nice, composed penalty for his second. He’s someone to keep an eye on moving forward.
What a massive win that was for Villa at Spurs and yet again, Ollie Watkins was the difference. He got one and he was unlucky to not score at least a couple more. The goal he scored summed up his confidence at the minute, to take that finish so early was superb. Emery has a great track record of improving his strikers, he’s done it again with this boy.
How can I not have Garnacho as my star man, what a goal! We don’t see that type of goal that often so it’s hard not to compare this strike to some of the goals we’ve seen down the years. Bale, Rooney, Trevor Sinclair, these were the names that instantly came to mind. What a moment for the boy, it will be interesting to see how he plays moving forward, it might just inspire him to kick on a level.
