False 10

Goals! Goals! Goals! seems to be the theme of this gameweek doesn’t it? Some impressive and surprising performances from teams with various things to play for, while other teams underwhelmed in important situations (cough Reading and QPR cough) all in all though an exciting weekend of football. Here are my stand out XI.

Goalkeeper:

Rob Green

He may have played in the game that sealed QPR’s fate, but Rob Green made plenty of good saves to keep Rangers in the game and you can hardly blame him for the lack of finishing by his teammates. The fact that Redknapp played him is probably an indicator that Julio Cesar is off in the summer and if that is the case Green may finally get his fair crack of the whip (assuming he doesn’t move to another Premier League club of course).

Defence:

Daniel Agger

Whatever was said in the Liverpool team talk before their game with Newcastle really seemed to do the trick. Everyone seemed really REALLY up for the game, considering there is essentially nothing but pride at stake for the Reds too, and from front to back they looked great. Agger popping up with a goal and keeping a clean sheet (not that he had loads of defending to do to be honest!) epitomised the brilliant performance from Rodgers’ Reds.

Ron Vlaar

The Villa Captain may have allowed his side to ship a goal, but he made up for that with the fact that he scored and marshalled the defence brilliantly through a fantastic and much needed (in terms of points, goal difference and morale) win.

Seamus Coleman

The young Everton full back/winger was full of running as usual and is showing increasing signs of maturing into his newer role of defender rather than winger. Converting him backwards though hasn’t stopped him getting forward when possible and he managed a decent assist while keeping a clean sheet against Fulham.

Midfield:

Jordan Henderson

I have for a while been saying that Henderson will be a great player, and while he wasn’t probably (definitely) worth £20million when he moved to Liverpool I think that this season he has proved his ability under the tutelage of Rodgers. Against Newcastle every Liverpool player had a good game, but Henderson had a great game. He seemed to be involved with everything going forward, and that clearly paid off with him bagging 2 goals and an assist.

Phillippe Coutinho

The Brazilian has impressed since his move over from Italy, and he wont have many better opportunities to show his former employers just what they are missing than his brilliant attacking display against Newcastle. His passing was incisive and cut the Toon defence apart, ending up with 2 assists and Newcastle defenders pride. Not a bad day at the office.

Frank Lampard

He may not have been Rafa’s first choice to play this weekend, but injury to Ramires meant Lampard stepped into the fray and he set about putting his mark on the game. Scoring yet another penalty to bring him within touching distance of Bobby Tambling’s record and running the midfield Lampard showed the Chelsea board exactly why they should (in my opinion) be offering him a new deal to keep him at the club, and if not why he won’t be short of offers.

Gareth Bale

PFA player and young player of the year didn’t let us down against Wigan. He scored, albeit a little fortuitously but you have to be in those positions to get the goals, he also assisted Spurs second goal (with a little help from Emmerson Boyce) to keep them up in the race for Champions League places (and probably to keep Bale on their books). His performances have consistently kept Spurs going this season and this game was no exception.

Forwards:

Christian Benteke

Villa’s young Belgian battering ram was brilliant against Sunderland, and while Sunderland were very poor both Benteke and Villa took their chances well and put Paulo Di Canio’s side well and truly to the sword. Getting his first Villa hat trick Benteke has certainly helped Paul Lambert’s cause keeping them in the Premier League and if they fail to stay up I’m pretty sure he’ll have plenty of suitors.

Daniel Sturridge

Luis Who? You wouldn’t know that Liverpool had their second choice striker out against Newcastle, banging in two goals and assisting Jordan Henderson too Sturridge looked a much more mature striker than the one that was plying his trade at Chelsea earlier this season. Maybe selling Suarez in the summer isn’t such a crazy idea after all?

Romelu Lukaku

Chelsea’s on-loan striker missed out on the PFA young player of the year award, and then promptly went on an 84 minute rampage top show those who didn’t vote for him how stupid that they were. He was a force to be reckoned with against the Saints. He scored 1 goal, assisted another 2 and didn’t give the Southampton back line a second of peace.

Firstly apologies for the lack of a team last week, I very inconsiderately went on holiday and forgot to tell anyone beforehand!

This week’s team is a bit different too. I was looking through the performances of players over the last gameweek and I realised that I couldn’t think of a better team over the course of both the gameweek and the season than 20 time champions Manchester United.

It aggrieves me to admit it at times, but the Man United machine has been by far and away the best unit in the Premier League which has ultimately led to them being crowned champions with relative ease (and looking like they will beat Chelsea’s record haul of points en route too which hurts me personally even more).

Yes they have had a stand out player in £24million man RvP, but it is not his performance alone that has won them the title, or else Arsenal would have won the league (or at least something) in the last few seasons. From back to front United have been consistent, with only the occasional blip or harsh ruling thwarting their endeavours, producing performances from veterans of the game and young players coming through alike.

In particular a few players have really stepped up this season and ensured that they delivered the trophy back to the red side of Manchester and I feel that they need a special mention.

David De Gea (who actually had a pretty good season last season) well and truly shrugged off any criticisms and showed just why Fergie invested in the young Spaniard with a solid season. Phil Jones has played at CB, RB, RM CM, CDM and who knows where else! He has used his physicality and fitness to help keep United’s sheets clean while improving every step of the way and maturing into both a very useful and an important member of the United team. Michael Carrick has for a while split critics on whether he is overrated or underrated and so on. This season there can be no doubt about the England Midfielder’s impact. He has marshalled the midfield all season magnificently and even managed to pop up with a goal when needed, his influence can be seen whether United are going forward or defending and he has had an exemplary season. Robin van Persie has scored loads of goals and made quite a few too, he has led the line and even heroically defended at times, basically he has done everything that was required of him and so much more.

Manchester United are a perfect example of a team working effectively and the chasing pack should take note if they want to try and challenge for the title next season.

A weekend of football that disappoint, Manchester Derby with goals and a near ruckus? Check. QPR relegation battle involving goals and a red card? Check. Nigel Adkins playing his old team and losing? Check. All in all an exciting weekend of football with more than a few stand out players, let me know who would’ve been in your XI @Maverick2_

Goalkeeper:

Jussi Jaaskelainen

The West Ham stopper was at it again against Liverpool, making save after save keeping his team on a level pegging with a Liverpool with plenty of attacking prowess. Earning himself his 9th clean sheet by making 7 saves and keeping out Luis Suarez who seems to live for scoring sums up another masterful performance from the former Bolton keeper.

Defence:

Matthew Lowton

What. A. Goal. The second (and better of the two) worldie that young Lowton has scored this season, he got an assist and generally played well as well. But like any of that matters when his goal was that good?

James Collins

Collins had to be at his very very best to help the Hammers keep out Suarez, Sturridge and Coutinho (among others) and he just about managed it (with a bit of help from Jussi between the sticks). There were a couple of times when he looked like he was going to be turned inside out by one of Liverpool’s tricky attacking players, but the wily old Collins used every ounce of his experience and managed to keep the Reds at bay for a well earned point for Allardyce’s men.

Phil Jagielka

Jagielka was involved all over the pitch in the exciting draw against Spurs. It’s unusual for a defender to be in my Team of the Week if their team has conceded a couple of goals but Jag’s performance was just that good. Firstly he scored a goal which is always a good thing, especially for a defender, and secondly he was just brilliant in breaking down AVB’s side’s attacks, and thirdly he actually offered almost as much going forward as he did marshalling the back line. You couldn’t ask for much more (less goals let in i guess!).

Branislav Ivanovic

Ivanovic was a rock at the back for the Blues, and in a permanently rotating squad that cannot be easy. He won pretty much every tackle he launched himself into and cleared countless times too. His goal had a massive stroke of fortune about it but a goal is a goal. Other than an unfortunate Own Goal from young Azpilicueta Ivanovic lead the line in a performance that didn’t look in too much danger of conceding.

Midfield:

James Milner

Milner’s work rate is almost always the first thing that is mentioned about him, but his goal in the Manchester derby showed he is more than just a workhorse. Although his work rate was brilliant as usual. A brilliant finish from the England midfielder justified his selection from Mancini’s all star options, and then he worked his bloody socks off to try and get City a second while doing all he could to keep the marauding United forces at bay.

Tomas Rosicky

To be honest I had forgotten Rosicky existed let alone was still at Arsenal, and then he pops up with a fantastic performance against West Brom, bagging his first Premier League brace in the process too! Could the injury to Walcott which has (I assume) brought Rosicky back in from the cold actually be the best thing for Arsenal’s final push back up to the top 4?

Gervinho

I genuinely cannot believe this is Gervinho’s 3rd appearance (and 2nd in a row) in my Team of the Week, but you can’t argue with his performance again against the Baggies. He provided Rosicky for one goal and was an actual threat far too often for West Brom. I’m not sure what has  happened to this guy of late but can only assume that Wenger has perfected some sort of genetic manipulation technique to improve his players.

Shaun Maloney

Probably scored the goal that put QPR’s hopes of staying up out for good. That isn’t all though. Maloney was tenacious, feisty and willing to chase all over the pitch to get a result for Wigan. His performance showed just why Wigan may well avoid the drop again.

Forwards:

Jay Rodriguez

I didn’t agree with the sacking of Nigel Adkins, I thought he deserved to at least see the season out after he managed to get the Saints to the Premier League, but since Mauricio Pochettino has come in you cannot argue with the sort of performances Southampton have turned in. One man in particular who seems to have blossomed under Pochettino is Rodriguez, and yet again he was brilliant against old boss Adkins’ new side Reading. In his last three games he has now scored 3 goals, doubling his tally for the season and he looked hungry for more even after the game was clearly won. Assuming Southampton stay up I think the former Burnley man could be one to watch next season.

Sergio Aguero

He may have only come on as a sub in Monday’s Manchester Derby, but he made a big impact. He gave City the much needed impetus to push on and eventually defeat their city rivals (even if United will have the last laugh with the league title). For his winning goal it looked to most like Aguero had taken too many touches and generally tried to do too much, but he knew exactly what he was doing and coolly slotted past De Gea to take 3 points back to the blue half of Manchester.

Ah…it’s good to be back to a proper schedule of games after what seemed an eternity of an International break. There were some real upsets this weekend and some great team and individual performances to pick from, with many players making my shortlist. Let me know who would have been in your starting XI @Maverick2_

Goalkeeper:

Joe Hart

The City and England stopper didn’t have bucket loads to do in City’s convincing win over Newcastle, but when he was called into action he was excellent. Many doubters have questioned Hart’s quality after a tough season for the current League champions but he looked at his best again against the Toon Army.

Defence:

Jan Vertongen

Vertongen loves goals. The Belgian defender clearly can’t help himself in front of goal. After scoring his 5th Premier League goal to help Spurs to their 2-1 win over a strong Swansea resistance Vertongen has shown he was an astute purchase and a quality Centre Back at both ends of the pitch.

Vincent Kompany

Another Belgian Centre Back, they have quite the crop of players at the moment, who had a solid performance at both ends of the pitch as well. Scoring and keeping a clean sheet he one upped his international counterpart over at Spurs. City’s defence has been shaky this season and its no coincidence that Kompany has been either not fully fit or not playing, getting him back to fitness and playing well for the team is the key to a decent end to the season for Mancini’s men.

Gael Clichy

Clichy was a real threat down the left flank as he so often is. Consistently getting forward and offering more attacking width and most importantly getting balls into the box. He managed to balance this work perfectly, bagging an assist but maintaining a clean sheet. A good all round performance from the Frenchman.

Chris Smalling

Smalling seems almost like a new player after a week of international football at the heart of the England defence, full of confidence and fully fit Smalling showed just why Sir Alex signed him from Fulham. He was solid and dependable but still able to pick out a decent pass, whilst offering a big obstacle for Sunderland to overcome.

Midfield:

Gareth Bale

He is in the team yet again, and this time not just for his attacking ability either! I saw Bale make a crucial clearance out of the box that almost certainly ensured that his earlier goal won Spurs their much desired 3 points. He just keeps getting better. His goal was brilliant too by the way.

Gervinho

After he appeared in my team of the week way back when I didn’t think he’d be making another appearance again this season. But he here is after a brilliant performance where Arsenal really put Reading to the sword. Cutting in and creating many chances Gervinho was a real thorn in Reading’s side and it was no surprise that he came away with a goal and an assist.

Santi Cazorla

As usual the architect of everything good that happens going forward for Arsenal. The little Spaniard created chances left right and centre so when he bagged a goal and an assist I doubt that there was many a raised eyebrow. His sparkling form and wonderful ability is at least part of the reason that Arsenal’s revival continues to push on.

Gary O’Neil

Getting his first goal and second assist of the season is a good achievement for the West Ham midfielder but the quality of his goal was probably enough reason alone to get him in the team of the week. A solid midfielder who really puts in the work all across the park and a great individual performance.

Forwards:

Dimitar Berbatov

The world’s most casual striker ever was at it again against QPR. As bad a Chris Samba was, Berbatov was brilliant. Capitalising on every mistake that Rangers made and leading the line perfectly the Bulgarian was at his most deadly. Scoring twice and playing a role in every attacking move for Fulham Berbatov was everything that Martin Jol’s side needed to overcome an ever more likely to be relegated QPR side.

Andy Carroll

Andy Carroll was brilliant against West Brom. The Baggies are a strong physical side and would be one of the teams you expect to be able to deal with the sort of threat that Carroll traditionally offers, but that was not the case. Carroll was winning plenty in the air and unsurprisingly headed a goal home, but for his second goal he took it very well WITH HIS FEET! It was a great ball from O’Neil but the finish was superb, if he can keep his form up surely an England recall is on the horizon?