MX23RW : Thursday, April 25 16:15:39| >> :60:39:39:

Premier League Team of the Week - Jamie Vardy, Bukayo Saka, Joao Cancelo

Sports Mole selects its Premier League Team of the Week for gameweek five, including Jamie Vardy, Bukayo Saka and Joao Cancelo.

Another pulsating weekend of Premier League action has come and gone, with Liverpool leading the way at the top of the rankings despite being held to a 3-3 draw by newly-promoted Brentford.

Manchester City came out on top 1-0 against Chelsea to leapfrog their title rivals into second, while Manchester United's title aspirations took an early hit with a home defeat to Aston Villa by the same scoreline.

Meanwhile, Arsenal ran out convincing winners over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby, while Everton's strong start under Rafael Benitez continued with a 2-0 success over rock-bottom Norwich City.

Elsewhere, West Ham United shaded a close contest with Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers edged past Southampton, Leicester City and Burnley played out a four-goal draw while the Watford-Newcastle United and Crystal Palace-Brighton & Hove Albion clashes ended 1-1.

Here, Sports Mole picks its Team of the Week for gameweek six of the Premier League season.


DEFENCE

Brentford's Ethan Pinnock celebrates scoring their first goal against Liverpool in the Premier League on September 25, 2021© Reuters

There was only ever one candidate for the gloves in our Team of the Week this time around. The finish may have been all about Raul Jimenez's quality on the ball, but Wolves number one Jose Sa claimed the assist with a peach of a long ball and also made six saves against Southampton to preserve his side's clean sheet on the day.

It was a painful sight to see Ethan Pinnock's day against Liverpool cut short after 43 minutes due to injury, but the Brentford man certainly made his presence felt during his short time on the pitch. A classic rags-to-riches story, the man who was playing for Dulwich Hamlet five years ago was in the right place at the right time to score his first Premier League goal, made five clearances and won all four of his aerial battles before being forced off.

Another Big Six side to feel the full force of a defender's goalscoring prowess was Manchester United, as Kortney Hause enjoyed a day he would never forget at Old Trafford. The Villa man darted into space expertly to meet a Villa corner and powered his header past David de Gea. He also made two blocks and two interceptions to travel home with a hard-earned clean sheet.

The final member of our rearguard seemed set to travel home without a point or clean sheet to show for his efforts, which would have been wholly undeserved. Vicente Guaita's poor clearance allowed Joel Veltman to set Neal Maupay away for a dramatic equaliser in the M23 Derby, and the Dutchman also made eight tackles and won nine of his 11 ground duels for the high-flying Seagulls.


MIDFIELD

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates scoring against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on September 26, 2021© Reuters

It does not get much better for an Arsenal academy graduate than to bag a goal and assist against Tottenham, and that is exactly what Bukayo Saka did in front of the joyous Emirates faithful. A constant nuisance on the right-hand side, Saka picked out Emile Smith Rowe for the game's opener before persevering to open his account for the Premier League season later in the first half, and he played his part defensively with three tackles on the day.

On the opposite side, Joao Cancelo has taken to his left-back role with aplomb and played a key role in his side's potentially pivotal win at Chelsea. The Portuguese defender claimed an unconventional assist as his shot found its way into the path of Gabriel Jesus, while he also made three interceptions and succeeded with all three of his dribble attempts.

Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz was the man to claim the assist for Hause's header against Man United with a pinpoint corner, and the Brazilian lynchpin would finish the day having made three key passes in a composed display. Alongside him is a man who did not end up on the winning side at the weekend, but Youri Tielemans put in a performance that we have become accustomed to seeing from the talented Belgian, who set Jamie Vardy on his way to score the game's first equaliser while making five key passes, drawing three fouls and winning six ground duels in an all-action draw.


ATTACK

Leicester City's Jamie Vardy celebrates scoring against Burnley in the Premier League on September 25, 2021© Reuters

Certainly proving that links to Liverpool were justified, Raphinha continues to dazzle on the right-hand side of Leeds' attack and swept home a delightful left-footed finish to open the scoring against West Ham while also winning five of his six ground duels, and the Elland Road faithful will hope that his injury scare on the day does not prove too serious.

It was truly a day for the Hale Enders as Arsenal trounced Tottenham in the derby, with Emile Smith Rowe also bagging a goal and assist on the 'best day of his life', and Gunners captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang voiced his desire for his children to follow in the footsteps of the playmaker in the Arsenal academy.

Very rarely will you see Jamie Vardy make the net ripple at the wrong end of the pitch, but the Leicester veteran recovered expertly from his own goal to take centre stage in a pulsating draw with Burnley - sweeping home his side's first equaliser before rounding Nick Pope and netting from a tight angle - and the 34-year-old will hope to keep making headlines in the opposing penalty area after a rare moment of madness.


Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week

PL TOTW GW6

Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week (3-4-3): Sa; Pinnock, Hause, Veltman; Saka, Tielemans, Luiz, Cancelo; Raphinha, Vardy, Smith Rowe

ID:465804:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect11309:
Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Ivan Toney celebrates scoring for Brentford against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on September 18, 2021
Read Next:
Premier League Team of the Week - Mane, Odegaard, Silva
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free daily transfer newsletter! Sent twice a day during the transfer window.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
10am
Blanch
Nadal
Result
Cachin
Ofner
6 6
3 3
Result
Elahi Galan
Bautista-Agut
64 6 1
77 4 6
Result
Gasquet
Sonego
2 5
6 7
Result
Hanfmann
Mensik
4 63
6 77
10am
Koepfer
Carballes Baena
10am
Kovacevic
Medjedovic
Result
Lajovic
Monteiro
4 3
6 6
Result
Machac
Ruusuvuori
6 1 6
4 6 2
10am
Michelsen
Fonseca
Result
Nishioka
Auger-Aliassime
6 1 4
4 6 6
Result
O'Connell
Arnaldi
4 1
6 6
Result
Purcell
Giron
4 6 77
6 4 62
10am
Ramos-Vinolas
Kotov
Result
Tabilo
Cobolli
7 4 4
5 6 6
Result
Zhizhen
Kecmanovic
3 2
6 6
Result
Azarenka
Maria
6 6
3 1
10am
Eala
Cirstea
10am
Annie Fernandez
Potapova
Result
Gauff
Rus
6 6
0 0
Result
Keys
Camelia-Begu
77 78
63 66
Result
Podoroska
Navarro
2 1
6 6
10am
Karolina Schmiedlova
Jabeur
10am
Swiatek
Wang
10am
Baez
Van Assche
10am
Coric
Zverev
10am
Martin Etcheverry
Shapovalov
10am
Humbert
Van De Zandschulp
10am
Hurkacz
Draper
10am
Marozsan
Cerundolo
10am
Paul
Klein
10am
Rublev
Bagnis
10am
Alexandrova
Krueger
10am
Andreeva
Noskova
10am
Bejlek
Kalinskaya
10am
Boulter
Montgomery
10am
Bronzetti
Rybakina
10am
Collins
Danilovic
3pm
Cristian
Krejcikova
10am
Dolehide
Kalinina
10am
Garcia
Wang
10am
Linette
Sabalenka
10am
Pavlyuchenkova
Saville
Result
Sorribes Tormo
Svitolina
6 7
3 5
Result
Vekic
Sakkari
3 2
6 6
Result
Arango
Yastremska
6 5 4
0 7 6
Result
Osaka
Samsonova
2 6 5
6 4 7
Result
Ostapenko
Bouzas Maneiro
6 6
3 1
Result
Haddad Maia
Errani
6 6
3 2
2.30pm
Lourdes Carle
Kudermetova
2.30pm
Mertens
Stephens
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal34245582265677
2Liverpool34228475344174
3Manchester CityMan City32227376324473
4Aston Villa34206871502166
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs32186865491660
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd33165125150153
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle331551369541550
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham34139125463-948
9Chelsea32138116157447
10Bournemouth34129134960-1145
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton321111105250244
12Wolverhampton WanderersWolves34127154654-843
13Fulham34126165054-442
14Crystal Palace34109154456-1239
15Brentford3498175259-735
16Everton34118153648-1233
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3479184260-1826
18Luton TownLuton3467214775-2825
19Burnley3458213769-3223
20Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd3437243392-5916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!