Sunderland, Chelsea, Stoke City, West Brom, Fulham, Swansea City, Manchester City and Arsenal players feature in our Premier League team of the week.
The Premier League Team of the Week: 18/08/12 – 19/08/12
Gk – Simon Mignolet (Sunderland) No goalkeepers really shone on the opening weekend but Mignolet was solid at the back for Sunderland and that’s why I’ve gone with the Belgian. On hand to stop Arsenal’s shots from distance and closed down Giroud well to force the strikers shot wide. Composed and confident, Sunderland have a talent on their hands.
Unlucky to miss out: Petr Cech (Chelsea)
Rb – Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea) Ivanovic’s selection is not purely based on his goal, which in itself was a fantastic burst of energy to break so quickly, but also on his defensive strength. Proved to be a rock at the back and is arguably Chelsea’s best defender currently.
Unlucky to miss out: Liam Ridgewell (WBA)
Cb – Robert Huth (Stoke) Stoke fans will have been disappointed to see their team concede a fairly late equaliser Huth ‘s performance will have given them optimism. The German defender proved reliable in keeping Pavel Pogrebnyak at bay and could do nothing to prevent the penalty that Reading scored from.
Unlucky to miss out: James Collins (West Ham)
Cb – John O’Shea (Sunderland) A draw away against Arsenal in the opening game of the season would most certainly have been taken before kick off and O’Shea played a key role in keeping Arsenal’s attacks limited largely to efforts from range. His presence and experience shone through throughout.
Unlucky to miss out: Alex Pearce (Reading)
Lb – John Arne Riise (Fulham) Riise has largely struggled to replicate his Liverpool form with the Cottagers but the opening fixture saw a rejuvenation in the Norwegian. Attacking with gusto when Fulham broke forward Riise was a real live wire and kept things tight defensively.
Unlucky to miss out: Kieran Richardson (Sunderland)
Dm – Youssouf Mulumbu (WBA) Facing the talented midfield three of Allen, Gerrard and Lucas, West Brom fans may have been fearful that the Liverpool midfield could prove too much of a handful. Not with Mulumbu prowling. The Baggies midfield dominated Liverpool and much of this came down to Mulumbu who’s tackling and harrying constantly pressured the visiting side.
Unlucky to miss out: Mohamed Diame (West Ham)
Cm – Santi Cazorla (Arsenal) Already the summer signing from Malaga looks like a shrewd piece of business based on the opening game. Looked dangerous throughout the game and not afraid to take a shot. His through ball to fellow new boy Giroud was perfection and he was unlucky to not gain an assist for his efforts.
Unlucky to miss out: Craig Gardner (Sunderland)
Am – Michu (Swansea) The spaniard’s transfer has largely fallen under the radar this summer but his performance in Swansea’s 5-0 demolition over QPR will certainly raise his profile. Two well taken goals and a constant creative goal threat to the opposition. Gylfi who?
Unlucky to miss out: Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
Rw – Nathan Dyer (Swansea) Last season Dyer was often left in the shadow of teammate Scott Sinclair, but with Sinclair left out of the starting lineup, Dyer took his chance to showcase his abilities. His two goals helped Swansea romp home and his tricky wing play impressed when he received the ball out wide.
Unlucky to miss out: Hatem Ben Arfa (Newcastle)
Lw – Samir Nasri (Manchester City) One of the few Man City stars to turn up yesterday. Much criticism has been thrown at Nasri since his switch from Arsenal but no complaints could be made against Southampton as his high work rate and ability to squeeze out of tight spots showed the Frenchman in his finest light. His goal was just rewards for a strong performance.
Unlucky to miss out: Gervinho (Arsenal)
St – Mladen Petric (Fulham) Replacing Pogrebnyak, Dempsey and Zamora was always going to be a tough task but Petric looked at home on his debut. Two goals to his tally, similarly to Pogrebnyak’s debut last season, indicate that Fulham fans should not worry about a lack of goals this year.
Unlucky to miss out: Carlos Tevez (Manchester City)
There are plenty unlucky to be left out following a fantastic start of the season, but they will no doubt appear further down the line. Who would feature in your team of the weekend?
images: © Ronnie Macdonald
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