After every weekend of the Premier League, BBC football pundit Garth Crooks gathers his thoughts and gives you his Team of the Week.
Here are this week’s choices. And as ever, Garth also discusses the game’s big talking points in the Crooks of the Matter.
Ederson (Manchester City): The pass from Ederson to Bernardo Silva towards the end of the first half couldn’t have been better delivered by Colin Bell, Yaya Toure or David Silva. None of Manchester City’s former midfield geniuses could have produced a better pass. Ever since the Brazilian joined Manchester City, he has taken the standard of goalkeeping to another level. Keepers around the world, in every park and playground, are no longer expected to just make saves but to play football, which Ederson can clearly do, but now he’s adding defence-splitting passes to his repertoire and against Liverpool no less. Where will it end?
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool): With the exception of Kevin de Bruyne, there can’t be a cleaner striker of a ball anywhere in the Premier League than Trent Alexander-Arnold. Erling Haaland will almost always find the corner of the net but his strikes are nothing like as clean as Alexander-Arnold’s. The Liverpool defender is a throwback to the days when former greats like Chris Lawler and Alec Lindsey not only loved to get to get into the attacking third of the pitch and score goals, but struck the ball just as sweetly. This was a good performance by Liverpool at Manchester City, although Darwin Nunez tried his best to spoil it. Nunez should really spend his time concentrating on why he’s not scoring more goals instead of picking fights and venting his frustrations with the opposition manager because he’s been substituted.
Jamaal Lascelles (Newcastle): I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like it: Reece James sent off for two of the most pathetic and unnecessary bookings you will ever see, Thiago Silva playing as though his head was somewhere else and Chelsea sent packing, having had four goals put past them. One of those goals was scored by Jamaal Lascelles who has waited patiently to not just get back into this Newcastle side but is now featuring as one of their main contributors. Against Bournemouth, just before the international break, some Newcastle fans were questioning the team’s commitment amid a catalogue of injuries. I wonder what they are saying this week?
Nathan Ake (Manchester City): I saw this lad play for Chelsea as an 18-year-old protege. He looked capable of having a career in the game but had a lot of work to do if he intended to be a top-class defender, an international or even play for the beat team in Europe and that was no doubt why Chelsea let him go. The fact the Dutchman has now achieved all of the above tells you just how hard he has worked. The way he took two players out of the game and then delivered the perfect pass for Erling Haaland to finish against Liverpool was quite brilliant. This is yet another indication of the quality of Manchester City’s recruitment process. City didn’t pay a fortune for him but still managed to uncover a gem.
Declan Rice (Arsenal): Mikel Arteta can whittle on all he likes about keeping a clean sheet and the professionalism of his team’s performance against Brentford but Arsenal got away with this win. The way Declan Rice spotted that Aaron Ramsdale was in some difficulty, got behind his goalkeeper and positioned himself perfectly to clear the ball off the line was pure genius. Rice is proving to be as influential as Martin Odegaard proved to be for the Gunners last season. The win takes Arsenal to the top of the table and they now have a decent run of games before they face Villa and Liverpool away and Brighton at home. None of which will be straightforward but if they can remain top going into the new year anything is possible.
Michael Olise (Crystal Palace): I’m not entirely sure how Luton won this match against Crystal Palace. Losing Cheick Doucoure and Eberechi Eze so early in the game clearly had something to do with Palace’s defeat. However, they have a player in Michael Olise who is clearly going to be as important to Crystal Palace as Wilfried Zaha was during his time at the club but hopefully without the attitude. His 74th-minute equaliser was sensational and should have been enough to secure the Eagles a point. Meanwhile, Roy Hodgson’s concise, dignified and measured contribution in his post-match interview leaves him as the doyen among managers. He was cutting and biting towards the officials without breaking any of the rules. It’s time this man was knighted for the contribution he has made to the game.
Mohammed Kudus (West Ham): David Moyes must have been spitting feathers when he heard that Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, two of his best players, had come back from international duty injured. Fortunately Mohammed Kudus returned from a trip to the Indian Ocean in order to play for Ghana against Comoros in a World Cup qualifier. I don’t know what happened in Comoros as Ghana lost 1-0 but it didn’t seem to affect Kudus who was outstanding on his return for West Ham against Burnley. On two separate occasions Kudus produced moments of magic that resulted in goals for the Hammers and he was their standout player on the day. Meanwhile, Burnley sit at the bottom of the table with the confidence oozing out of them with every defeat.
Anthony Gordon: (Newcastle) This player continues to thrive at Newcastle under the direction of Eddie Howe. The ball for Jamaal Lascelles to head home was fabulous while his finish to put Newcastle 4-1 up was taken brilliantly. The former Everton player looks like he was born to play for the Geordies and has taken to his new environment like a duck to water. However, the Magpies have the most punishing schedule ahead of them. They play Paris St-Germain on Tuesday and return to face Manchester United at home on Saturday. They then travel to Everton, Tottenham, host Milan and then play Chelsea again in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals. If you want to be a big club that’s the price you have to pay.
Alejandro Garnacho (Man Utd): I saw it but I’m not sure I could believe it. The overhead bicycle kick by Alejandro Garnacho for Manchester United against Everton was amazing. The timing and execution of the technique was as good as I’ve seen. It will probably win goal of the season and we are only in November. It was that impressive. The goal also settled Manchester United down and they looked comfortable for much of the first half. The mere fact that lad did very little else throughout this match should tell you just how good the goal was. It’s goals that count and this was a belter.
Joao Pedro (Brighton): What a good game this was between Brighton and Nottingham Forest. When you play like Brighton did and win away from home you’re entitled to celebrate with your fans. Joao Pedro came on for Ansu Fati after just 21 minutes and changed the game for the Seagulls. A brilliant header and coolly taken penalty by the Brazilian provided the visitors with the points. Steve Cooper was just as unhappy with the result as he was with Brighton manager Roberto de Zerbi forgetting to provide a handshake after the game, having got carried away in the euphoria. I’m sure it was nothing personal but a call on Monday morning offering Mr Cooper an apology wouldn’t go amiss.
Erling Haaland (Man City): You can’t give a top-class striker three touches in the box and expect anything less than to see the ball end up in the back of your own net. Erling Haaland accepted Liverpool’s gifts and reminded Virgil Van Dijk and Joel Matip what happens to defenders who give a striker in Haaland’s class space and time in the penalty area. The way Haaland celebrates his goals tells you all you need to know about his desire to put the ball in the back of the net. The Norwegian has now scored 50 goals quicker than any other striker in Premier League history.
The Crooks of the Matter
The game at Tottenham took on a different complexion having heard the news shortly before the game that former player and manager Terry Venables had died.
I had always held a particular fondness for Terry as it was he who gave me my England Under-21 debut against Bulgaria. I was racked with nerves and had the worst training session imaginable leading up to the game and convinced myself that I had just played myself out of his starting line-up. Forlorn and dejected, I found myself picking up all the balls that I had scattered all over the Leicester City training ground from my appalling finishing when I saw Terry walking towards me. I was convinced he was about to tell me he was leaving me out of the team.
With my arms full of balls he slowly took one of them and without alerting anyone quietly said to me: “Calm down, I know what you can do. You are playing tonight, so just relax.” He then turned around, with the ball he had just taken from me, threw it on to the pitch and we all continued with the training session as if nothing had happened and with no-one any the wiser.
I was flabbergasted. Not simply because of the faith he had placed in me but that he had seen the pain and agony I was going through and was prepared to put a stop to it without alerting my team-mates.
I felt a million dollars and was equally determined to repay the faith the manager had shown in me. We beat Bulgaria 5-0 and I scored a hat-trick. I am absolutely convinced that no other manager in charge of that team would have dealt with the situation quite like he did. I’ve been in his company many times since then but that occasion was never raised again.
Almost every player I have encountered that has played for Terry Venables has a similar story. He was more than a player or a football manager, he was a great communicator. He could make connections with players few could match. He was special and the game will be poorer without him.
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