By Sam McGuire
They’re included, however, because of their exploits when they starred for Liverpool in their rearranged tie against Aston Villa ahead of the Carabao Cup final. And the XI will be subject to change again, when Newcastle and Crystal Palace play their rearranged game in April.
So, with that in mind, here’s your FotMob Team of the Week, as it stands!
Goalkeeper: David Raya
Raya got the nod in the FotMob Team of the Week for Matchday 29 following his performance in Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Chelsea. The former Brentford shot-stopper made two saves as the Gunners cut the lead at the top of the Premier League to 12 points. His showing earned him a FotMob rating of 8.3 having also acted as a sweeper three times and recorded eight recoveries.
Right-Back: Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold put on quite the show against Aston Villa. The right-back scored the equaliser for the Reds, albeit the effort was deflected past Emiliano Martínez. But he caught the eye as a creator too. He carved out four chances against the Villans at Villa Park. The No. 66 won 100% of his tackles and 50% of his duels to round out an impressive 66-minute cameo.
Centre-Back: Nikola Milenković
Milenković had the least number of touches (37) of anyone to play 90 minutes in Nottingham Forest’s 4-2 win over Ipswich Town. But he certainly made those touches count. He scored and assisted as Nuno Espírito Santo’s side opened up a six point advantage between themselves and fifth-placed Manchester City. He completed 81% of his passes, won two of his four tackles and cleared the ball on nine occasions. The former Fiorentina man was flawless in duels, winning all five.
Centre-Back: Ibrahima Konaté
Konaté completed 90% of his attempted passes against Unai Emery’s men back in February. The France international also created a chance, just to hammer home the idea he’s improved as a ball-player this season, as well as completing 100% of his attempted dribbles. He won all four of his tackles, cleared an effort off the line and made two recoveries. Konaté also won seven of his eight ground duels and one of his two aerial duels at Villa Park.
Left-Back: Antonee Robinson
Robinson was in fine form as Fulham claimed a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. He didn’t add to his assists haul for the season but he did complete the most dribbles of anyone in the match (three) while also completing 84% of his passes. The left-back won four of his six attempted tackles, made three interceptions and won 11 of 14 duels in what was a dominant showing, with and without the ball.
Midfield: Bruno Fernandes
Fernandes followed up his Europa League hat-trick with a Man of the Match performance in Manchester United’s win over Leicester City. He finished the game with a goal and two assists having created six chances (the most of any player on the pitch) on his way to a FotMob rating of 9.6. He also had a 100% success rate with dribbles and was accurate with six of his nine attempted long passes. He won three of four tackles, recovered the ball 16 times and won six of 10 duels. It was some performance from the United skipper.
Midfield: Christian Nørgaard
Nørgaard was the match-winner for Brentford as they claimed a shock win over Bournemouth on Saturday evening. The 31-year-old completed the comeback victory for the Bees to cap off a fine individual showing. Nørgaard created two chances, won the most tackles (four), won seven of eight duels and recovered the ball on 11 occasions at the Vitality Stadium.
Attack: Anthony Elanga
Elanga continues to catch the eye for Nottingham Forest. The 22-year-old scored twice in the 4-2 win over Ipswich Town, scoring with the only two shots he had in the game. He’s now on five goals and eight assists for the campaign. Elanga was barely involved, attempting just 15 passes during his 67 minutes on the pitch. But he made his moments count.
Attack: Jean-Ricner Bellegarde
Bellegarde played his part for a Cunha-less Wolves side. Deployed as an attacking midfielder behind Jørgen Strand Larsen, the 26-year-old assisted two goals. His performance could best be described as impactful. He wasn’t tight in possession, completing just 61% of his passes, but he finished the game having created two chances and adding two assists to his haul for the campaign. He didn’t complete a single dribble, but did win 50% of his tackles as well as seven of his nine duels. Bellegarde did what was needed to help his side get over the line.
Attack: Mohamed Salah
It was a standard showing for Salah at Villa Park back in February. He grabbed yet another goal and another assist to add to his ridiculous haul this season. The Liverpool No. 11 carved out two chances against the Villans, had nine touches in the penalty area, attempted four dribbles and earned himself a FotMob rating of 8.4, the highest of the match. For others, this would be one of their standout weeks of the season. For Salah, it was a normal week in what is becoming a record-breaking campaign.
Attack: Jørgen Strand Larsen
The Wolves forward also stepped up in the absence of Matheus Cunha. The 25-year-old was the match-winner for Vítor Pereira’s side as they opened up a nine-point advantage over the relegation zone with a 2-1 win over Southampton. Strand Larsen scored twice, remarkable when you consider he had just two shots during the 90 minutes against the Saints. He was clinical for Wolves as they won what was tipped to be a huge six-pointer. He was also a bit of a brute in the air, winning four of his five duels. All in all, it was a positive showing by the Norwegian No. 9.
(Images from IMAGO)
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