Nunez, Gabriel and Maddison all star in Premier League team of the week
This week sees Leeds take the plaudits in the team of the week. The Whites are represented by three players after they came back from 3-1 down, to beat Bournemouth 4-3 on Saturday. Players from Leicester, Newcastle, Arsenal, Manchester City, Bournemouth, Liverpool and Aston Villa are also featured in the team.
After last week’s defeat to Manchester City, Leicester returned to winning ways with a 2-0 win away from home against Everton on Saturday. Much would have been made for their attacking display, especially the quality of their goals, but Danny Ward’s composed performance in goal aided the Foxes in keeping a clean sheet has he made two saves. He earned himself a WhoScored rating of 7.73.
Kieran Trippier (Newcastle) – 7.98
After missing out on the team of the week for the first time in a long time last week, Kieran Trippier returns after his display in Newcastle’s commanding 4-1 win away from home against Southampton. The win meant the Magpies finished the weekend in third and a lot must be made of Trippier’s display, which saw him make two successful tackles and one interception, as well as making the quality through ball, which set Joe Willock on his way to scoring the visitors' third goal. This earned Trippier a WhoScored rating of 7.98.
Arsenal returned to the top of the Premier League table after Manchester City had briefly been top after their win on Saturday, with an assured 1-0 win away from home against London rivals Chelsea on Sunday. The only goal of the game came from Gabriel, who got the vital touch from a Bukayo Saka corner. Gabriel also had a pass success rate of 84.7% and won three aerial duels, earning him a WhoScored rating of 7.74.
Leeds made a remarkable comeback on Saturday, turning around a 3-1 deficit to beat Bournemouth 4-3. One of the goals came from an unlikely source in centre-back Liam Cooper, scoring his first of the season with a headed effort. In the game, Cooper was commanding in the backline and won seven aerial duels, more than any other player on the pitch, earning him a WhoScored rating of 7.58.
Pascal Struijk also played his part for Leeds in their win against the Cherries. While maintaining a pass completion rate of 82.4%, he also made two tackles, two clearances and one interception, earning himself a WhoScored rating of 7.50.
James Maddison (Leicester) – 8.58
Leicester returned to winning ways and climbed up to 14th in the table, two points clear of the relegation zone, with a hard fought 2-0 win at Goodison Park against Everton on Saturday evening. Although he was unable to grab a goal of his own, James Maddison shone throughout the game, claiming the assists for both Foxes goals, as well as creating four key passes and one big chance. He also had a pass success rate of 90.2% and managed to complete three dribbles. This display not only earned Maddison a WhoScored rating of 8.58, but also means he is the player of the week.
Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City) – 8.20
Manchester City needed a last-minute penalty, courtesy of Erling Haaland, to take all three points from their game against Fulham on Saturday, in which they won 2-1. Kevin De Bruyne was unable to get himself a goal contribution in the game, but was still the standout performer for the Cityzens to once again be named in the team of the week. De Bruyne had a pass success rate of 78.6% and created five key passes and one big chance, earning himself a WhoScored rating of 8.20.
Despite only coming on as an early second half substitute, Sam Greenwood did more than enough to earn a place in this week’s team of the week. Leeds were 3-1 down when he came on, but it didn’t take long for him to make an impact, scoring shortly after coming on, before grabbing an assist less than 10 minutes later to draw the game level, before Leeds went on to win. As well as is two goal contributions, Greenwood also managed to complete three key passes, earning an overall WhoScored rating of 8.44.
Marcus Tavernier (Bournemouth) – 8.56
Leeds handed Bournemouth their fourth defeat in a row on the weekend, leaving them a point above the relegation zone. Even though the Cherries once again came away with zero points, they still managed to score three goals. Involved in all three goals was Marcus Tavernier, who scored once and grabbed two assists, and even managed to return the joint most successful dribbles in the game, with three. As a result, Tavernier earned a WhoScored rating of 8.56.
Darwin Nunez (Liverpool) – 8.23
Liverpool recorded their first away league win of the season, holding firm to claim a 2-1 win over Tottenham in the final game of the weekend. Both goals for the Reds were scored by Mohamed Salah, but it was Darwin Nunez’s overall display that saw him get into the team of the week. As well as grabbing the assist for one of Salah’s goals, Nunez also maintained a pass success rate of 80.6% and had four shots, two of which were on target, as he posed a constant threat to Hugo Lloris’ goal. As a result, Nunez earned a WhoScored rating of 8.23.
Leon Bailey (Aston Villa) – 7.99
In what was Unai Emery’s first official game in charge, Aston Villa recorded a remarkable 3-1 win over Manchester United, taking them into 13th in the table. The opening goal, scored after only seven minutes of action, was netted by Leon Bailey, his second in three games. Even after the goal, Bailey continued to pose a threat, creating one key pass and having the joint most successful dribbles in the game, with two. Overall, this earned Bailey a WhoScored rating of 7.99.
