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Premier League Team of the Week - Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah, Dejan Kulusevski

Sports Mole picks its Premier League Team of the Week, including Harry Kane, Mohamed Salah and Dejan Kulusevski.

The Premier League title race has been blown wide open following the weekend's fixtures, with leaders Manchester City suffering a shock 3-2 defeat at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

Liverpool - who have a game in hand - have now cut the gap at the top to six points after seeing off Norwich City 3-1, and Chelsea kept their fleeting hopes of glory alive by beating Crystal Palace 1-0.

Manchester United ended the gameweek in fourth after a thrilling 4-2 success over Leeds United, with top-four rivals West Ham United dropping points in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United.

Arsenal kept their Champions League dreams very much alive with a 2-1 London derby win over Brentford, while Wolverhampton Wanderers remain in contention for Europe after ending the weekend with a 2-1 success over Leicester City.

Elsewhere, Southampton eased past Everton 2-0, Watford ran out 1-0 winners at Aston Villa and Burnley turned up the heat to sink Brighton & Hove Albion 3-0 at the Amex.

Here, Sports Mole selects its Premier League Team of the Week for the latest round of matches.


DEFENCE

Wolverhampton Wanderers goalkeeper Jose Sa celebrates on February 20, 2022© Reuters

Wolves number one Jose Sa continues to stake his claim for the Goalkeeper of the Season award, and with good reason too, as the Portuguese played a vital role in his side's narrow win over Leicester at Molineux, coming up with six saves and four high claims in front of the home crowd.

Chelsea may be cursing their decision to allow Tino Livramento to head for the South Coast amid Reece James's injury woes, as the 19-year-old once again starred in the success over Everton, claiming one assist as well as making four tackles, three clearances, two interceptions and winning five of his six ground duels.

Standout centre-back performances were somewhat at a premium this weekend, and while Craig Dawson's goal and nine clearances went unrewarded as West Ham drew with Newcastle, the Englishman is worthy of a place nonetheless.

A sense of new-found defensive solidity has embodied Watford since Roy Hodgson's appointment to the dugout, and Craig Cathcart put in a man-of-the-match display at Villa Park, making four clearances and three blocks as well as posting an 88% pass accuracy.

Finally, he may have ballooned a gilt-edged opportunity over the bar in the early exchanges against Norwich, but Kostas Tsimikas recovered to claim an assist, win six of his eight ground duels and make four tackles to ensure that Andy Robertson could rest easy on the sidelines.


MIDFIELD

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their second goal on February 16, 2022© Reuters

He may have been unable to equal a goals and assists feat last achieved by Didier Drogba, but Mohamed Salah's 150th Liverpool goal was as well-taken as we have come to expect from the scintillating Egyptian, who was unlucky not to set one up after playing six key passes to his teammates.

Salah's teammate Jordan Henderson was a worthy mention for this Team of the Week, but it was impossible to look past two of his compatriots, starting with Burnley's Josh Brownhill, who chipped in with a goal, five tackles, three interceptions and two blocks in an all-action performance against Brighton.

There are no prizes for guessing who is at the heart and soul of Southampton's sudden surge in form, with dead-ball talisman James Ward-Prowse creating three big chances against Everton and posting a 91% pass accuracy - catching the eye at St Mary's despite not bagging a goal or assist for himself.

Tottenham boss Antonio Conte has always been quick to stress that there is a lot of improvement for Dejan Kulusevski to make, but a goal and an assist against Man City is no mean feat, as the on-loan Juventus attacker just edges out teammate Son Heung-min for this spot.


ATTACK

Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane celebrates scoring their third goal on February 19, 2022© Reuters

Wout Weghorst's introduction to life in the Premier League has been met with unbridled optimism by the Burnley fans, and rightly so, with the Netherlands international netting a powerful strike at Brighton before assisting Brownhill's effort after some strong hold-up play - par for the course given his 6ft 5in frame.

As impressive as Weghorst was at the Amex, it was Harry Kane's showing against admirers Man City that was on everyone's lips on Saturday night, as the England skipper - who the Citizens had four summer bids rejected for - produced his finest performance of the season with a brace at the Etihad, and he was in the right place at the right time to cap off a dominant display with an unforgettable last-minute winner.


SPORTS MOLE'S PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK

PL TOTW GW26

Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week (4-4-2): Sa; Livramento, Dawson, Cathcart, Tsimikas; Salah, Ward-Prowse, Brownhill, Kulusevski; Weghorst, Kane


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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool16123137162139
2Chelsea17105237191835
3Arsenal1796234161833
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest179442319431
5Bournemouth178452721628
6Aston Villa178452626028
7Manchester CityMan City178362925427
8Newcastle UnitedNewcastle177552721626
9Fulham176742422225
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton176742726125
11Tottenham HotspurSpurs1772839251423
12Brentford177283232023
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd176472122-122
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham175572230-820
15Everton163761421-716
16Crystal Palace173771826-816
17Leicester CityLeicester173592137-1614
18Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1733112740-1312
19Ipswich TownIpswich172691632-1612
20Southampton1713131136-256


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