Gameweek seven of the 2023/24 Premier League season will likely go down as the most controversial one of the whole campaign.
VAR took centre stage in Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday evening in north London, providing one of the talking points of the season with an egregious error which led to a Luis Diaz goal being chalked off.
But rather than read more waffle about refereeing decisions, we’re here to serve a far important purpose – picking 90min‘s Premier League team of the week.
From Jarrod Bowen to Ollie Watkins, here’s who made the cut this time around.
GK: Alisson Becker (Liverpool)
Alisson Becker is arguably the greatest goalkeeper in Premier League history.
And if that seems hyperbolic, then you clearly didn’t watch him make eight stunning saves in the game against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday evening.
RB: Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur)
At the tail-end of last season it’s fair to say that Pedro Porro looked like a bit of no-hoper in a Tottenham backline full of no-hopers.
Fast forward to this season and the former Sporting CP man looks like one of the best full-backs in the Premier League. Porro shone once again for the Lilywhites at the weekend, creating three chances at one end – one of which Joel Matip turned into his own net in the 96th minute – and completing 100% of his tackles at the other.
CB: Craig Dawson (Wolves)
Craig Dawson added his name to a very, very short list of defenders in the world who have successfully man-marked Erling Haaland since the towering forward burst onto the scene.
The centre-back was utterly brilliant in the win over Manchester City, restricting Haaland to just one tame shot on goal all game.
CB: Joachim Andersen (Crystal Palace)
Hands up who thought Joachim Andersen was going to score the best goal of the weekend?
Yep, no one did and yet, he bloody did.
The centre-back has been Crystal Palace’s undisputed player of the season so far, and his stunning volley against Manchester United at Old Trafford will be remembered for years to come by Eagles fans.
LB: Alfie Doughty (Luton Town)
Luton Town finally got their first ever Premier League win at the weekend, and they did thanks in large part to the performance of Alfie Doughty.
The flying wing-back bagged himself an assist in his side’s huge 2-1 win over Everton at Goodison Park.
DM: Cheick Doucoure (Crystal Palace)
While Andersen hit the headlines for his stunning winning goal, Crystal Palace do not win at Old Trafford without Cheick Doucoure putting in a fantastic performance.
The 23-year-old utterly dominated Man Utd’s threadbare midfield, putting in the kind of colossal display in the defensive anchor role that Erik ten Hag has been longing for from Casemiro.
CM: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Martin Odegaard was at his brilliant best against Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium, putting in a true captain’s performance by bagging a goal and an assist.
Arsenal’s club captain has been one of the best players in the league thus far this season, and even showed he’s a bloody nice guy by handing Kai Havertz the second penalty of the game just so he could break his goalscoring duck. Now that’s leadership.
CM: John McGinn (Aston Villa)
Fuelled by a mountain of chips, John McGinn put in a storming showing in Villa’s incredible 6-1 win over Roberto De Zerbi’s highly-rated Brighton & Hove Albion.
The Scottish international was simply too much to handle for Brighton’s young and inexperienced midfield of Billy Gilmour and Jack Hinshelwood.
RW: Jarrod Bowen (West Ham United)
In seven Premier League games thus far this season, Jarrod Bowen has scored five goals and assisted another. That is fairly remarkable consistency.
What’s even more remarkable is that Bowen, who netted in the win over basement boys Sheffield United, has featured in 132 of West Ham’s last 134 Premier League games – extremely impressive fitness levels when you consider he’s been playing in European competition for the best part of three seasons too.
ST: Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Having scored his second hat trick already this season in the win over Brighton, Ollie Watkins became the highest-scoring player on FPL.
Yep, ahead of Erling Haaland.
The 27-year-old is a player reborn under Unai Emery, with his latest star showing also taking place in front of England manager Gareth Southgate. Good work, Ollie.
LW: Moussa Diaby (Aston Villa)
Is Moussa Diaby the signing of the summer? Quite possibly.
Was Moussa Diaby one of the best players on the pitch during Aston Villa’s mauling of Brighton? Absolutely.
Better still, there’s almost certainly more to come from a player who had once had Europe’s biggest clubs tracking his progress over in Germany.
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