Confirming what had been a foregone conclusion for some time, Liverpool‘s 5-1 obliteration of a timid Tottenham Hotspur side on Sunday afternoon ensured that the Reds would finish at the top of the tree for the 20th time in their history.
Arne Slot‘s Premier League champions now boast an unassailable 15-point lead over Arsenal, who at least have second place in their hands after a midweek 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, one day after Manchester City enhanced their Champions League credentials with a last-gasp 2-1 triumph over Aston Villa.
Sandwiched in between the two clubs is Newcastle United, who relegated Ipswich Town with a 3-0 victory on home soil, while Chelsea are just holding off Nottingham Forest in the final Champions League spot owing to their 1-0 win over Everton.
Hovering just below the Champions League-chasing pack, Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion boosted their European hopes thanks to some late drama, as the Cottagers eked out a 2-1 victory over doomed Southampton while the Seagulls struck in the dying embers against West Ham United to prevail 3-2.
However, Bournemouth were the victims of an injury-time intervention in a 1-1 draw with Manchester United, while Jamie Vardy‘s Leicester City‘s leaving do got off to the worst possible start in a 3-0 humbling at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Here, Sports Mole selects its Premier League Team of the Week for the latest round of matches.
DEFENCE
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A word of appreciation for Bournemouth number one Kepa Arrizabalaga, who did all he could to keep Man United at bay, but Chelsea’s Robert Sanchez defied his recent error-strewn displays against Everton, making two critical saves and several confident claims in the second half in a man-of-the-match-worthy performance.
The Blues and Newcastle are both involved in the frenetic fight for UCL football, and the latter witnessed Kieran Trippier roll back the years with a pair of assists in the beating of Ipswich, the first a pinpoint cross for Dan Burn and the second a corner on the money for Will Osula to nod home.
From one black-and-white-clad defender to another, the domineering Dan Burn himself also strolls into our selection this week, having typically towered above everyone else to force a header home on Saturday, where he won five of his six aerial duels in total and also completed 91% of his passes.
One man who can top Burn’s 91% is Jakub Kiwior and his 96% completion rate against Crystal Palace, but that noteworthy statistic is not the sole reason for his selection; the Pole continues to shine as Gabriel Magalhaes‘s deputy and sent a lovely header into the back of the Eagles’ net, while also denying ex-Gunner Eddie Nketiah a certain goal with a brilliant block at the other end.
From current Arsenal to erstwhile Tottenham, the Ryan Sessegnon revival is well underway at Fulham; the 24-year-old sent a stunning header across goal to sink Southampton late on – his sixth goal contribution from his last eight Premier League games – while also creating four chances and putting in six tackles at St Mary’s.
MIDFIELD
© Imago
West Ham may have ended up on the losing side yet again, but Jarrod Bowen could hold his head up high having laid on the assists for both of the Irons’ goals, firstly sending the ball across the box for Mohammed Kudus to meet before a wonderful cross into the path of Tomas Soucek.
Also setting up two strikes in the five-goal Amex thriller, Brighton found a new hero in the shape of Brajan Gruda, who came off the bench to set up both Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Baleba in the dying embers, making the right decisions under pressure on both occasions to seal a stunning late comeback.
Speaking of stunning comebacks, Liverpool will soon parade around their Premier League title thanks to their Spurs slaughter, which Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai were at the heart of. The former’s rocket, six tackles and two key passes made him a worthy recipient of the man-of-the-match award, while Szoboszlai set up both Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah on a day where he registered a staggering eight key passes in total.
ATTACK
© Imago
Ending a Premier League goal drought stretching back to the final weeks of 2024, Nicolas Jackson‘s winner for Chelsea against Everton was a particularly momentous one – his first from outside the box in the top flight. The Senegalese striker demonstrated pinpoint accuracy and attacking instincts to let fly straight away and find the corner, while his 100% pass completion rate deserves a mention too.
Chelsea vs. Man United could see Jackson vs. Matheus Cunha next term, as the Wolves talisman successfully auditioned for a switch to Old Trafford with a Molineux masterclass against Leicester. As well as a stunning assist for Jacob Bruun Larsen and second assist for Rodrigo Gomes, Cunha’s nonchalant finish saw him equal the record for the most Premier League goals scored by a Brazilian in a single season, and one would not put it past him to surpass Roberto Firmino and Gabriel Martinelli‘s 15 before the campaign concludes.
Sports Mole’s Premier League Team of the Week (4-4-2): Sanchez; Trippier, Kiwior, Burn, Sessegnon; Bowen, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gruda; Cunha, Jackson
