Thirteen may be lucky for some following gameweek 27 of the Premier League season, as Liverpool increased their insurmountable advantage over Arsenal at the top of the table to that exact amount of points courtesy of their 2-0 win over Newcastle United.
Arne Slot's men capitalised on the Gunners being held to a goalless draw by Nottingham Forest in the second vs. third battle, but North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur did not fare any better in their 1-0 loss to Manchester City.
However, Chelsea and Manchester United both belatedly got back on track, as the Blues stormed to a 4-0 win over Southampton, while the Red Devils survived going down to 10 men to triumph 3-2 over Ipswich Town.
Bournemouth's top-four aspirations suffered another hit in a 2-1 defeat to fellow continental chasers Brighton & Hove Albion, though, as did Aston Villa's as Crystal Palace ran riot in a 4-1 romping.
In contrast, Fulham are dreaming of Europe after edging out Wolverhampton Wanderers by two goals to one, while West Ham United strolled past Leicester City in a 2-0 success, and Everton came from behind to nab a point in a 1-1 stalemate with Brentford.
Here, Sports Mole selects its Premier League Team of the Week for gameweek 27 of the 2024-25 campaign.
DEFENCE
© Imago
Amid reports that he could be one of several long-serving Man City players sold when the summer transfer window rolls around, Pep Guardiola's number one Ederson may have given the board a reason to think again, having excelled in the slender win at Tottenham with six vital saves in North London.
Spurs' bitterest rivals Arsenal endured their own evening of frustration and failure at the City Ground, but were it not for William Saliba's crucial last-man tackle on Chris Wood, they could very well have left without a single point to their name. As well as that pivotal intervention, the Frenchman also won all six of his aerial battles and made seven clearances, making it easy to see why Real Madrid have apparently taken such a strong interest in him.
From a defender who could realistically command an £80m fee to one who has already been transferred for such a gargantuan sum, Harry Maguire got Ruben Amorim out of jail with the decisive header in the five-goal thriller with Ipswich, where his seven clearances, three blocks and two tackles were also crucial in earning his side an increasingly rare Premier League win.
Maguire's former club Leicester, however, are on a one-way street back down to the second tier, having failed to get the better of West Ham and an inspired Aaron Cresswell. Now 35 years young, the long-serving Hammer completed a terrific 102 of his 114 passes on Thursday night, in addition to creating two big chances - one of which led to Tomas Soucek's opener - and putting in four interceptions in nothing short of a defensive masterclass.
MIDFIELD
© Imago
Formerly a persistent goal threat during his time at Lyon, Everton new boy Jake O'Brien opened his Toffees account with a fine header back across goal at the Gtech Community Stadium, in addition to putting in nine clearances and three tackles to help the Toffees continue their resurgence under David Moyes.
Everton were previously denied a memorable win over Man United thanks in no small part to Bruno Fernandes, who alongside Maguire also had to save the Red Devils' bacon against Ipswich; the Portuguese playmaker delivered the set-pieces for all three of his team's goals at the Theatre of Dreams and unsurprisingly took home another Man of the Match prize for his collection.
Elsewhere in the North, the Duracell Bunny that is Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai somehow defied his post-match collapse against Man City to run Newcastle ragged on Wednesday evening. The Hungarian's low finish set the Reds on their way to victory, and he was a constant menace all over the park, winning eight of his 10 ground duels as he put in five tackles and succeeded with both of his dribble attempts; a performance befitting a Premier League champion.
Chelsea's Marc Cucurella will not be ending the season with a top-flight winners' medal around his neck, but the marauding left-back could hardly have enjoyed a finer evening against Southampton, where he clinically rounded off the scoring with a crisp strike into the bottom corner and only lost one of his nine ground duels in West London.
ATTACK
© Imago
There are few better birthday gifts for footballers than a Premier League brace, and Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr will not forget his 27th in a hurry; the former Watford man was in the right place at the right time to open the scoring before steering a smart volley into the far corner in the thrashing of Villa, whom he also created four chances against.
Sarr comprises one-third of an all-London attack, as makeshift Chelsea striker Pedro Neto once again proved his worth in the number nine role during the battering of Southampton, adding to his account with a thumping drive at Aaron Ramsdale's near post before delivering a sumptuous free kick onto the head of Levi Colwill.
Neto's strike against the Saints was set up by Christopher Nkunku, who has thus far failed to replicate his brilliant Bundesliga form in the Premier League but put in one of his finest top-flight performances yet in midweek, laying off his Portuguese teammate after peeling away at the back post for the deadlock breaker.
SPORTS MOLE'S PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week (3-4-3): Ederson; Saliba, Maguire, Cresswell; O'Brien, Fernandes, Szoboszlai, Cucurella; Sarr, Neto, Nkunku
Ben Knapton
