Premier League Team of the Week: Blind, Stones and Naismith Star
Welcome to the fifth installment of B/R's Premier League Team of the Week series for 2015-16.
We analysed every game to pick out a star XI from the weekend's fixtures, choosing the best players to form a viable formation. Only the best players in each position from this week's action make the cut, leading to several tough decisions along the way.
It's a bit of a hipster selection this week, as we've opted to forgo a striker and play with five midfielders. Given the high number of excellent showings in the No. 10 position, in contrast to a lack of convincing striking performances, it felt appropriate to go all Pep Guardiola for a change.
Disagree with our selections? Hit us up in the comments section below to start the conversation.
GK: Jack Butland, Stoke City
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Jack Butland's magnificent performance against Arsenal simply cannot be understated. Despite conceding two goals at the Emirates, he produced a string of superb saves to prevent the scoreline becoming an truly ugly set of figures.
His massive frame and stunning reflexes combine to make him an unbeatable wall at times, and this wasn't his first stunning one-man showing of the season. It's easy to see why Mark Hughes was happy to sell Asmir Begovic to Chelsea—he had a ready-made replacement waiting in the wings.
Butland's double save at 1-0 from close range was his finest moment of the afternoon.
RB: Matteo Darmian, Manchester United
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Matteo Darmian put in another quietly excellent performance this weekend, and he's already looking like one of the true bargains of the window. It's been a long time since Manchester United have had a right-back who can defend and attack with similar quality.
There were a few other strong right-back showings this weekend—Nathaniel Clyne, on the same pitch, and Ritchie de Laet for Leicester City were good—but the Italian snatches the prize, showing industry, efficiency in the final third and good defensive ability when called upon.
CB: Daley Blind, Manchester United
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Daley Blind deservedly won Sky Sports' Man of the Match award for Manchester United's 3-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday evening. It was a stellar all-round display.
Calm and composed at the back in the first half, his positional awareness shone through as he nullified the Reds' attack. In the second half, he produced two stunning, successive blocks to deny Roberto Firmino his first Premier League strike.
And then there was Blind's goal. Wow. The Dutchman met a short free-kick played across the box and walloped his shot into the top corner in venomous fashion.
CB: John Stones, Everton
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John Stones' performance in Everton's thrilling 3-1 victory over Chelsea on Saturday was described as "unflappable" by ESPN FC's Chris Murphy.
The English centre-back was his usual calm, composed self despite playing the club who actively and publicly courted him over the course of the summer, defending superbly, passing out well and even incorporating a few interesting twists and turns for good measure.
After the game manager Roberto Martinez hailed the 21-year-old as "irreplaceable," per Sky Sports. "He is going to be a future England captain," he enthused.
LB: Luke Shaw, Manchester United
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Luke Shaw continued his fast start to the 2015-16 season—and his fast start on the road to redemption—by putting in another very good showing on Saturday evening.
Coming up against former team-mate Nathaniel Clyne, he emerged victorious in the individual duel and made an impact on the left flank. His spearing runs forward stretched the away side, and defensively he looked very sound, too.
After a tough first season at Old Trafford, in which he suffered badly from homesickness and injury, he's making amends with an excellent early run of form.
CM: Santi Cazorla, Arsenal
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Another week, another magisterial performance from Santi Cazorla in Arsenal's midfield. Since moving into a deeper, central role, his consistency levels have shot upward.
Stoke City proved a tough nut to crack despite the Gunners boasting a rather ridiculous amount of possession inside the away side's territory, but Cazorla's slicing passes eventually found a way. He and Francis Coquelin dominated the centre, making it a matter of when, not if, Arsenal would take the lead.
CM: Ryan Mason, Tottenham Hotspur
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Ryan Mason has a considerable number of doubters among his own fanbase, with some sections of the support writing him off and the very uttering of his name creating instant divides everywhere.
But no one will question the nature of his superlative performance against Sunderland this weekend, and his goal—a cool slotted finished to cap an incredible move—was the icing on the cake for the English midfielder.
The midfielder produced a wonderful all-round display of tenacity, movement and crisp passing. When he's on the front foot, he's a very good player—he just needs to find a touch of consistency in that area of his game.
AM: Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City
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Riyad Mahrez looked irresistible on the right wing against Aston Villa this weekend, earning a rare perfect 10 from WhoScored.com in their ratings. He completed 12 (twelve!) dribbles and produced two assists as Leicester City came from behind to beat their Midlands rivals.
He and Jordan Amavi, matched against one another, produced a battle of raw pace and energy, toing and froing up and down the line in search for dominance.
Mahrez, a match-winner, came out on top.
AM: Wes Hoolahan, Norwich City
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Wes Hoolahan tore AFC Bournemouth to shreds this weekend, putting in yet another brilliant display to continue his fine start to the season.
It's a known fact among Norwich City fans that when the 33-year-old Irishman plays well, the team play well. He broke through the Cherries' defence to assist Cameron Jerome's opener, then grabbed the second goal just after the break to compound the home side's superiority.
It was a brilliant showing.
AM: Dimitri Payet, West Ham
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Dimitri Payet ignited Upton Park on Monday night, scoring two goals to bring West Ham their first home victory of the Premier League season so far.
His first strike was sumptuous, curling an effort into the top corner from the edge of the box after good work from Mark Noble, and his second a cool, guided shot to seal a blistering counter-attack.
He was a menace throughout the match, ripping through Newcastle's midfield structure and creating chances.
F9: Steven Naismith, Everton
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Steven Naismith's stunning perfect hat-trick (left foot, right foot, header) makes him a shoe-in for our Team of the Week this time around. After replacing Muhamed Besic after just nine minutes due to injury, he set about proving his point to Roberto Martinez—and against the defending champions, no less.
The slick football the Toffees produced encouraged free movement in the midfield, and Naismith enjoyed relative positional freedom—drifting in off the left as a second forward—and finding holes in the midfield. All three of his goals were products of excellent runs or darts into space.
That the Scot has been kept benched for most of this season so far is a little cruel given his excellent 2014-15 campaign, but he's been a casualty of Martinez's want to get Ross Barkley going. If Naismith continues in this fashion, though, he'll make himself undroppable once again soon enough.
Bench
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GK: Heurelho Gomes, Watford
FB: Ritchie de Laet, Leicester City
CB: Laurent Koscielny, Arsenal
CM: Mark Noble, West Ham
CM: Francis Coquelin, Arsenal
ST: Jamie Vardy, Leicester City
ST: Odion Ighalo, Watford
