Premier League Team of the Week - Round 8
By Tom Gott
We're eight games into the new Premier League season. Leicester are winning the title, Burnley are going down and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer may or may not be a good manager.
For the most part, the ridiculous scorelines which we saw earlier in the season have calmed down. Matchday eight brought a few shocks, and it also brought a number of top individual performances.
Let's see who made it into 90min's Team of the Week.
1. Goalkeeper & Defenders
Kasper Schmeichel (GK) - Schmeichel may not have been the busiest goalkeeper this week, but he came up with the goods when Leicester needed him most. He pulled off an excellent save to deny Ruben Neves late in the Foxes' 1-0 win over Wolves.
Matty Cash (RB) - Has anyone checked Cash's pockets to see if Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is lost in there? The Aston Villa man was on top form against Arsenal, dealing with every threat which came his way.
Thiago Silva (CB) - Chelsea's run of clean sheets may be over, but Silva's good form certainly is not. He led the Blues to a commanding 4-1 win over Sheffield United, popping up to head home his first goal for the club in the process.
Wesley Fofana (CB) - What a signing Fofana has been for Leicester. The 19-year-old was dominant against Wolves, excelling both in the air and on the ground, and chipping in with some outstanding passing for good measure.
Ben Chilwell (LB) - Marauding down the left side of Stamford Bridge, Chilwell netted another goal for Chelsea this week, and he pulled off a ludicrous cross-field pass to Reece James which merits a spot in the TOTW itself.
2. Midfielders
Bruno Fernandes (CM) - What's that? Another stellar performance from Fernandes? The United man bagged two goals and assisted another in the 3-1 win over Everton, helping Ole Gunnar Solskjaer breathe easy for a little while longer.
Stuart Armstrong (CM) - Southampton made Newcastle look like amateurs, and Armstrong's dominant performance was a large part of that. He netted his side's second goal but could have had about 50. He was that good.
Ross Barkley (CM) - Yes, this is a very attacking midfield. So, sue us. Actually, don't sue us. Ross the Boss has been a revelation on loan at Villa this season and picked up an assist in the win over Arsenal.
3. Forwards
Hakim Ziyech (RW) - Creating a league-high six chances this weekend, Ziyech pulled the strings to devastating effect against Sheffield United. He finished with two assists and probably should have had a few more.
Ollie Watkins (ST) - Eyebrows were raised at Aston Villa's decision to pay £28m for Watkins, but he followed his hat-trick against Liverpool with two goals against Arsenal this week, climbing his way up the league's scoring charts as a result.
Ebere Eze (LW) - The Premier League finally saw the best of Eze this week. The 22-year-old ended Crystal Palace's 4-1 win over Leeds with a goal and an assist, with his glorious free-kick the undisputed highlight of the game.