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Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week

Sports Mole picks out the 11 most impressive performers from the 32nd round of Premier League action.

Following another huge weekend of Premier League action, Sports Mole picks out the 11 most impressive performers who make up our Team of the Week.

Thibaut Courtois (Chelsea)
He may have endured a few shaky outings of late, most notably in fixtures against Hull City and Stoke City, but the young Belgian stopper highlighted once more over the weekend just why he is so important to the Chelsea cause by producing one top-class save in particular to deny Matty Phillips.

Aaron Cresswell (West Ham United)
His side may have been denied victory right at the very death against Stoke, but Cresswell can be happy with his overall showing at Upton Park, which included an unstoppable free kick to make it two goals in the claret and blue of West Ham.
Toby Alderweireld (Southampton)
While his future on the South Coast may still be up in the air, there is no denying that the Atletico Madrid loanee is fast making a name for himself in the Premier League. Another solid performance at the back, keeping a 15th clean sheet of the season for the Saints, helped his adopted team claim three more valuable points in their pursuit of a European spot.
Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa)
Bar a short wobbly spell when he lost his central defensive partner Ciaran Clark to injury, Vlaar showed his leadership qualities by ushering his backline into place at White Hart Lane and seemingly heading away every single ball that came into the box. Harry Kane barely had a sniff all afternoon.
Antonio Valencia (Manchester United)
It was an impressive day all round for United on Sunday, and while the more attack-minded stars took away a lot of the credit, huge applause must also go to the players at the back who helped build the foundations for others to push on. Valencia intercepted the ball five times down the right-hand side, while also pushing into advanced areas to set Juan Mata on his way.

Yannick Bolasie (Crystal Palace)
The standout performer across the weekend of action was Crystal Palace winger Bolasie, who struck his side's first ever Premier League hat-trick inside the space of 11 second-half minutes. It was not just his goalscoring ability that caught the eye, either, with his all-round performance seeing him earn the praise of manager Alan Pardew.
Marouane Fellaini (Manchester United)
Just a year on from being jeered by certain section of his fanbase following an abject display against arch-rivals Man City, Fellaini this time left the Old Trafford turf to a standing ovation. His turnaround in form has been remarkable in recent months, and it could be argued that he is now the most important player in Louis van Gaal's system.
Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
Much like his team as a whole, Fabregas has failed to play with the same swagger as witnessed in the first half of the season in a Blues shirt. The assists have dropped off, but he fired home what could be a title-sealing goal to down West London rivals QPR at Loftus Road, taking Chelsea one step closer to their first league crown in half a decade.
Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)
While Raheem Sterling may have grabbed most of the plaudits following his goalscoring performance against a down-and-out Newcastle United side on Monday night, it was Brazilian star Coutinho, who has been Liverpool's standout player all season, who truly orchestrated the win. Tricks and flicks aplenty, he could prove to be a real gem once Daniel Sturridge is fit and firing once again.

Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
The former Atletico Madrid striker ended his recent barren spell in front of goal in the only way he knows how - picking himself up and finding his feet once again. Another brace against Man United saw him take his personal tally against the Red Devils up to seven goals in seven games, while also reaching a ton for the Citizens.
Christian Benteke (Aston Villa)
A man in form under the guidance of Tim Sherwood, Benteke scored for the eighth time in six outings on Saturday to relieve some of the relegation pressure that had been building on Villa. It was a well-taken goal, too, leaping beyond Federico Fazio to guide the ball in off the back post in superb fashion.

Numpty of the week

Alex Bruce: Hull are in real danger of facing the drop this season, so when on top and looking good value for at least a point from their trip to St Mary's, they really could have done without Bruce lunging in and conceding a needless penalty.

James Ward-Prowse stepped up to tuck the ball away, before Graziano Pelle ended his scoring drought to put the icing on the Saints' cake.

Steve Bruce did not hold back after the game, lambasting his own flesh and blood for producing an "awful challenge" which he believes cost his side the game.

Goal of the week

Aaron Cresswell: It may not have been a matchday to rival the goals witnessed last time around, but the West Ham defender's sweetly-struck left-footed free kick gave Asmir Begovic little chance of keeping it out.

Sterling, Bolasie and Benteke all put their name forward for the award with impressive efforts of their own, but it was the guile shown by Cresswell to pick out the top corner which earns him the accolade on this occasion.

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Written by
Daniel Lewis
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Manchester United players congratulate Manchester United's Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera for scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford in Manchester, North West E
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool17133140172342
2Arsenal18106235161936
3Chelsea18105338211735
4Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest1810442419534
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle188553021929
6Bournemouth188552721629
7Manchester CityMan City188463026428
8Fulham187742623328
9Aston Villa188462629-328
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton186842726126
11Brentford187383232024
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs1872939261323
13West Ham UnitedWest Ham186572330-723
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd186482124-322
15Everton173861522-717
16Crystal Palace183871826-817
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves1843112940-1115
18Leicester CityLeicester1835102240-1814
19Ipswich TownIpswich1826101633-1712
20Southampton1813141137-266


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