Premier League Team of the Week: Ozil, Otamendi and Kane Star
Harry Kane scored a magnificent hat-trick as Tottenham Hotspur took AFC Bournemouth apart at the seams on Sunday, and he deservedly leads our Premier League Team of the Week selection.
With Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal scoring just three goals between them, we've been able to showcase some of the league's "other" talents after they stepped up to perform.
As always, we've selected the best players from a thrilling gameweek and slotted them into a workable formation—on this occasion, a 4-2-3-1.
Disagree with our selections? Hit us up in the comments section below to start the conversation.
All statistics via WhoScored.com.
GK: Costel Pantilimon, Sunderland
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Sunderland recorded a rather bizarre 3-0 win in the Tyne-Wear derby this weekend. The eventual scoreline looked comfortable, but the balance of play—particularly in the first half—was anything but.
Newcastle United exerted significant pressure early on, coming close a number of times and forcing good saves out of Costel Pantilimon. He made eight in total, including two big ones at key moments.
In a week when outstanding goalkeeping displays were kept to a minimum, the big Romanian sticks out for all the right reasons.
RB: Kyle Walker, Tottenham Hotspur
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Tottenham Hotspur switched off in alarming fashion right at the beginning of their match against AFC Bournemouth, allowing Matt Ritchie to net inside the first minute following a good cross into the box. The key to the attack was Charlie Daniels roaming forward on the left and putting in a strong delivery.
But after that hectic start, Spurs calmed down a little and Kyle Walker's good performance came to the fore. He shut down Daniels high up and stopped the crosses, attacked with purpose and passed well.
He and Erik Lamela work very well together as a right-sided tandem, and the work rate both have adopted has contributed to the energetic success Mauricio Pochettino's men are having. If he can keep this up, he'll lock Kieran Trippier out of the team for the entire season with ease.
CB: Nicolas Otamendi, Manchester City
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Joe Hart was full of praise for Nicolas Otamendi after the Manchester derby ended in a draw, telling Sky Sports:
"He had a tussle with Wayne Rooney all afternoon and Anthony Martial out on the wing. It was a big occasion for him but he slipped in alongside Vincent Kompany and played really well—we're blessed to have so many good centre-halves at this club and Nico is definitely one of them."
For once, Otamendi wasn't fouling everything in sight, allowing him to build some momentum and put in an excellent showing. Some might question the difficulty level of his afternoon after largely looking after an out-of-sorts Wayne Rooney, but the performance—positionally, aerially and technically—was very good regardless.
CB: Virgil van Dijk, Southampton
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Virgil van Dijk was a strong shout for Man of the Match in Southampton's draw with Liverpool this weekend, as his form continues to impress the floating voters. He was also designated a firm winner in B/R's post-match reaction to the Anfield spectacle.
A colossus in the air and a terror in the box, the Reds looked at a loss as to how to deal with him from set pieces, and he has quickly taken Graziano Pelle's place as the prime target from corners. He leaps the highest, bullies markers and causes extreme matchup problems.
Defensively, he was also impressive, warding off danger using his excellent reading of the game and great positional play.
LB: Aaron Cresswell, West Ham United
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Aaron Creswell has failed to hit the heights of last season, his debut campaign in the Premier League, but produced an excellent display against Chelsea to remind us all what he's capable of.
Defensively, he was very strong, limiting a talented, if mentally suspect, Chelsea team to very few chances, and he flew forward on the left with regularity to make the difference in the attacking third.
His cross for Andy Carroll's winner was inch-perfect.
CM: Yann M'Vila, Sunderland
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Yann M'vila put in a stellar defensive display during Sunderland's famous derby victory over Newcastle United, breaking up play and stemming attacks with expertise.
Loaned in as a snappy, aggressive, high-calibre midfielder who had lost his way over the last few years, he's using the Black Cats as a platform to prove he's still a good player and he's using it well.
He managed four tackles, an 82 percent pass success rate and an assist on the day.
CM: Morgan Schneiderlin, Manchester United
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Morgan Schneiderlin continues to rival Ander Herrera's status as the Manchester United fans' favourite midfielder at the club. Another starring role, this time in the derby, leaves us in a familiar position: praising him for his fantastic input.
He dropped between the centre-backs and marshalled play superbly, moved the ball on well and stepped up to make a number of key interceptions and tackles, stymieing Manchester City's rhythm.
An ugly game on the eye often suits Schneiderlin, and on Sunday we saw the very best of him from a defensive perspective.
AM: Mesut Ozil, Arsenal
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Mesut Ozil provided another superlative display of creativity and dynamism on Saturday evening, tearing Everton to shreds as Arsenal squeezed out a 2-1 victory.
Few players would have seen the ball he played to Olivier Giroud to put the Gunners ahead, let alone be able to execute it. Sensing his chance for a goal, he cut inside late on and smacked a dipping effort against the base of the post, coming within inches of ending the contest early.
The German leads Europe in assists, with seven.
AM: Christian Eriksen, Tottenham Hotspur
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Christian Eriksen put in a phenomenal performance on Sunday as Tottenham Hotspur beat AFC Bournemouth 5-1, having a definitive hand in every goal. The Cherries had no answer to his silky play.
His accurate channel passes continually found Harry Kane on the run and caused Steve Cook no end of issues, and his whipped deliveries created havoc in the Bournemouth box.
Taking a break from pulling the opposition apart with his passing in the second half, he lined up a 25-yarder and cracked it against the inside of the post.
AM: Odion Ighalo, Watford
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The bigger storyline in this match may just have been Troy Deeney's long wait for a Premier League goal coming to an end, but Odion Ighalo played the better overall game.
His two assists accounted for both of Watford's goals—one a rather delicious back-heel—and he cracked a strike against the woodwork after going on the hunt for one of his own.
Ighalo has risen to the fore in this Hornets side at the expense of captain Deeney. "We now think Ighalo is our most important player," Quique Sanchez Flores admitted earlier this month, per the Daily Star.
ST: Harry Kane, Tottenham Hotspur
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Who else but Harry Kane for the central striker's role in this week's team? A hat-trick is enough to guarantee not only your place, but also a starring role.
The Englishman's all-round game was stellar—it was a genuine 10/10 performance—with a full range of movements on show, including on-the-shoulder running, strong hold-up play and instinctive, predatory finishing.
Artur Boruc may have had a stinker in goal for AFC Bournemouth, perhaps devaluing Kane's showing in some supporters' eyes, but he still got it done and helped his team to a huge win.
He was crowned B/R's Man of the Weekend.
Bench
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GK: Petr Cech, Arsenal
CB: Marcos Rojo, Manchester United
LB: Ryan Bertrand, Southampton
DM: Lucas Leiva, Liverpool
DM: Fernandinho, Manchester City
Wing: Alexis Sanchez, Arsenal
ST: Troy Deeney, Watford
