EPL Team of the Week: Marmoush leads, Ethan Nwaneri＆Mikel Merino in

After a two-week break, the Premier League returned over the weekend, and here, we’re looking back at the standout performers from gameweek 25. 

Represented in our Team of the Week are Tottenham, Brighton, Southampton, Manchester United, Arsenal, Bournemouth, Manchester City and Everton. 

 

Guglielmo Vicario (Tottenham) - 8.37 

 Returning from injury after more than two months sidelined, Tottenham goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario helped his side to only their fourth clean sheet of the season in the Premier League against Manchester United on Sunday. The Italy international produced six saves, while also completing 24 of the 26 passes he attempted. 

 

Yankuba Minteh (Brighton) - 9.95 

 With a WhoScored rating of 9.95, Brighton’s Yankuba Minteh is our Premier League Player of the Week following a sensational display in Friday night’s win over Chelsea at the Amex Stadium. Minteh, deployed as a right wing-back by Fabian Hurzeler, scored his fourth and fifth league goals of the campaign, while also making the most key passes (3) and tackles (4) of any player on the pitch. 

 

Jan Bednarek (Southampton) - 7.80 

 Despite ending up on the losing side against Bournemouth on Saturday, Southampton defender Jan Bednarek earns a place in our Team of the Week having made three tackles, 11 clearances, eight interceptions and six ball recoveries, while also winning 12 of his 15 duels. 

 

Matthijs de Ligt (Manchester United) - 7.79 

 Manchester United centre-back Matthijs de Ligt also saw his side beaten to all three points over the weekend, but makes our XI following a positive individual display at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Dutchman made three tackles, four blocks, seven clearances and two interceptions, while he also won all seven of the duels he contested. 

Djed Spence (Tottenham) - 7.85 

 Djed Spence’s impressive turnaround under Ange Postecoglou this season continued on Sunday, when the 24-year-old was named Player of the Match by Sky Sports for his efforts in the 1-0 win over Manchester United. Spence managed a key pass, three successful dribbles, two tackles and four ball recoveries, to land a WhoScored rating of 7.85. 

 

Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal) - 9.69 

 Arsenal teenager Ethan Nwaneri continues to deliver performances far beyond his years, and did so again in the Gunners win at Leicester on Saturday. The 17-year-old completed more successful dribbles than any other player on the pitch (7), while he also made two key passes, with one of those a perfectly weighted cross that found Mikel Merino to break the deadlock in the 81st minute. 

 

Ryan Christie (Bournemouth) - 8.90 

 Bournemouth’s Ryan Christie takes up a midfield berth in our XI having scored and assisted in the Cherries’ 3-1 win at south-coast neighbours Southampton on Saturday. The Scotland international precisely found the head of Dango Ouattara with a fabulous cross for the visitors’ opener, before firing home a low, driven effort from outside the box only two minutes later. 

 

Carlos Alcaraz (Everton) - 8.58 

 After arriving late in the January window, former Southampton attacker Carlos Alcaraz could hardly have hoped for a better first Everton start than that which he enjoyed against Crystal Palace on Saturday evening. The 22-year-old provided the assist for Beto to open the scoring for the Toffees late in the first half, before firing home what transpired to be the winner for David Moyes’ side 10 minutes from the final whistle.

Omar Marmoush (Manchester City) - 9.40 

 It might have taken him a handful of games to get settled, but Manchester City’s big-money January signing Omar Marmoush truly announced his arrival in the Premier League over the weekend. The Egyptian attacker netted a hat-trick in just 14 first-half minutes in the 4-0 win over Newcastle, finding the net with three of his four attempts on goal. 

 

Beto (Everton) - 8.86 

 Everton striker Beto made it four goals in his last three Premier League appearances when he calmly found the net against Crystal Palace on Saturday. The 27-year-old Toffees forward has looked a player reborn since the return of David Moyes, and also won more duels than any other player on the pitch in south London (18). 

 Mikel Merino (Arsenal) - 7.94 

 Rounding off our Team of the Week for gameweek 25 is Arsenal super-sub Mikel Merino, who threw his hat in the ring as the answer to the Gunners’ attacking injury woes with a match-winning brace off the bench at Leicester on Saturday. Occupying the No 9 role for the 21 minutes he was on the pitch, Merino surprised supporters with his impressive movement and positioning, and found the net with each of his two shots on goal to seal a big three points for Mikel Arteta’s side.