Premier League Team of the Week: Firmino, Coutinho, Barkley Blossom
Goals rained down as Premier League action returned this weekend, with every single fixture bar one/two producing three or more strikes. Everton, Leicester City, Liverpool and Tottenham all turned on the style as they recorded big wins.
We've selected the best players from a thrilling weekend and slotted them into a workable formation—on this occasion, a 4-3-3.
The formation is a little Merseyside heavy, but after the two clubs contrived to tally eight goals between them, that's understandable.
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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Not for the first time, Sunderland can thank Costel Pantilimon for holding out late in the day and producing a string of excellent saves to safeguard vitally important points.
With the Black Cats leading 1-0 at Selhurst Park on Monday night and their backs against the wall, Crystal Palace threw everything forward in an attempt to find an equaliser. As good as the defensive line were, the big Romanian shot-stopper produced three excellent stops to keep his sheet clean.
There was once a time Vito Mannone had a plausible claim to the No. 1 jersey, but no longer. Pantilimon has emerged as by far the more reliable goalkeeper and will be key this season if Sunderland are to survive.
RB: Kyle Walker, Tottenham Hotspur
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Kyle Walker put in a mammoth showing at right-back on Sunday, building on his recent England call-up with a typically accomplished performance. Since scoring an unfortunate own goal on the opening day at Old Trafford, he's been quietly excellent.
An all-action, aggressive performance was capped by a stunning outside-of-the-boot finish to make it 4-0, and although he did lose Manuel Lanzini minutes later to allow a consolatory West Ham goal, his performance over 90 minutes more than warrants a spot in our Team of the Week.
"I could really get used to this aggressive, decisive Kyle Walker," Goal.com's Jay Jaffa admitted during the game, such was the forcefulness and purpose to his forward runs.
CB: Jonny Evans, West Bromwich Albion
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West Bromwich Albion were a touch fortunate to take Arsenal's scalp on Saturday, but there were some seriously impressive individual showings that should be appreciated regardless.
James Morrison's lung-busting, goalscoring performance makes him unfortunate to miss out on our Team of the Week selection, but Jonny Evans in central defence makes the grade. He was superb.
Playing against Olivier Giroud isn't easy—he's strong, technically excellent and orchestrates attacks from the front regularly—but Evans stuck to him like glue and refused to allow him to play his team-mates into the game. Winning that duel was pivotal.
CB: Sebastian Coates, Sunderland
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Sebastian Coates is a battler; he has that hardened Uruguayan edge to his style of play. Ask him to play expansive, possession-based football and he'll struggle, but ask him to sit in and smash things clear, he'll thrive.
That's all Sam Allardyce asked him to do on Monday, and it worked a treat: Coates put in a man of the match-worthy display in the heart of Sunderland's defence as they ground out a 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
He managed six tackles and won an impressive 80 percent of his aerial duels, per WhoScored.
LB: Erik Pieters, Stoke City
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Southampton may have underwhelmed on Saturday during their loss to Stoke City, but Mark Hughes' men deserve credit for claiming three points at one of the toughest venues in the country to visit.
Erik Pieters has been bubbling into form over the past few weeks and put in a strong performance here, helping the Potters secure a clean sheet and swinging in an excellent near-post cross for Bojan Krkic to guide home.
The Dutchman battles for every yard, never gives up and takes his tracking responsibilities very seriously—it's good to see.
CM: Emre Can, Liverpool
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Emre Can was the epitome of box to box on Saturday, grinding through the yards as Liverpool smashed Manchester City 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium.
Since moving into central midfield under Jurgen Klopp, he's been extremely effective, and City's dithering in midfield allowed him to dominate in the middle and dictate play in patches.
He sent Roberto Firmino through on goal with a beautifully weighted pass, produced two back-heels even Neymar would be proud of, and he chomped through his tackles with predictable gusto.
CM: Ross Barkley, Everton
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"I think we all agree that he [Barkley] is a special talent and a young career as you mention is quite exciting," Roberto Martinez told Sky Sports after Everton's demolition of Aston Villa on Saturday. The England international had a big hand in the big 4-0 win.
He scored two goals in the first half to well and truly put the claret-and-blue side to bed. His movement outside the box, flicked passes and penetrative running were all too hot to handle.
When he's in the mood, he's a one-man wrecking ball. And Villa's midfield caved at the sight of him searing into the box to collect crosses and angled passes, His blend of technical skill, physicality and deadly eye for goal are tough to stop.
CM: Mousa Dembele, Tottenham Hotspur
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Mousa Dembele's rise to form has been a special watch, and there's no doubt his impact was key in Tottenham Hotspur's 4-1 win over West Ham on Sunday.
Raj Bains of uMAXit Football effused over his complete performance:
"He hardly put a foot wrong; he connected defence and attack and was a thorough nuisance all afternoon for the visiting side, who failed to find a rhythm.
At one stage, he sprinted 30 metres, nicked the ball away from a player on the break and dropped back in position to help launch a counter-attack, when at the start of the season most Spurs fans were convinced he could only play in slow motion.
"
Despite the reinvention of Eric Dier and rise of Dele Alli, Dembele is now one of the first names on the team sheet.
RW: Gerard Deulofeu, Everton
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It's highly likely that when Kieran Richardson closes his eyes at night, the looming presence of Gerard Deulofeu haunts his nightmares.
Saturday's game between Everton and Aston Villa pitted the two against one another, with the Spaniard coming out firmly on top.
Statistically, Deulofeu didn't manage an assist or a goal (according to Opta's rules), but he created havoc in and around the penalty area, wrecking Villa's left side as he ran at them constantly. He forced one of Ross Barkley goals with a shot that brought Brad Guzan into action.
LW: Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool
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Coming in off the left flank, Philippe Coutinho wrecked Manchester City's defensive line and even spooked Bacary Sagna into an anomalous bad game.
It's time to get very excited about the damage he can cause in the Marco Reus role in Jurgen Klopp's new system.
It's clear he spent the international break (in which he was not called up by Brazil) working on his on-field relationship with Roberto Firmino, as both combined to deadly effect, dazzling poor Eliaquim Mangala and Martin Demichelis.
One goal and one assist in a 4-1 win is a decent haul.
ST: Roberto Firmino, Liverpool
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Roberto Firmino enjoyed the very definition of a landmark game on Saturday evening, befuddling Manchester City's defence with a combination of energy, technical excellence and cutting edge.
The Brazilian scored one and assisted one, linking superbly with compatriot Philippe Coutinho. He forced many mistakes from City's suspect defensive line and crossed for Eliaquim Mangala to prod home to open the floodgates early.
Many thought Firmino would be key as a pressing forward under Jurgen Klopp, and this performance suggests he's finally finding his groove.
With an international break spent at Melwood and having finally shaken off nagging injuries, this could be a platform from which he explodes.
Bench
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GK: David de Gea, Manchester United
CB: John O'Shea, Sunderland
FB: Billy Jones, Sunderland
CM: James Morrison, West Bromwich Albion
AM: Andre Ayew, Swansea City
ST: Jamie Vardy, Leicester City
ST: Romelu Lukaku, Everton
