Snubbed England trio White, Gallagher and Smith Rowe make team of the week
Emile Smith Rowe and Conor Gallagher were both overlooked by Gareth Southgate in last week's England squad announcement, but the young duo gave a timely reminder of the quality as they impressed for Arsenal and Crystal Palace, respectively, in wins over Watford and Wolves. Manchester City, Liverpool and Leeds are also represented in the final Premier League team of the week ahead of the international break.
Norwich go into the international break on the back of securing their first Premier League win of the season as they came away from Brentford with a 2-1 win. Victory was made possible due to an inspired Tim Krul performance between the sticks as the Canaries shotstopper saved six of the seven shots on target he faced. Victory wasn't enough to keep Daniel Farke in the job, the German relieved of his duties on Saturday evening, but Krul's WhoScored rating of 7.59 sees him make the Premier League team of the week.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool) - 7.84
Liverpool may have fallen to a 3-2 loss at West Ham on Sunday evening, but right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold still put in a solid shift for the Reds in the capital. The England international had a direct hand in Liverpool's two goals, following up his first half strike with the assist for Divock Origi late on, those coming from respective returns of two shots and four key passes. With an additional four interceptions, Alexander-Arnold was good value for his WhoScored rating of 7.84, despite ending up on the losing side.
Benjamin White (Arsenal) - 8.15
The first of two Arsenal players to feature in the best XI, Benjamin White put in a man of the match display as the Gunners held out to beat Watford 1-0 on Sunday. White was solid at the heart of the Arsenal defence, putting his body on the line for the good of the team. To go with his six clearances and three interceptions, the 24-year-old also blocked three shots to help earn a WhoScored rating of 8.15.
Ethan Pinnock (Brentford) - 7.81
Ethan Pinnock may have been on the losing side at the Brentford Community Stadium on Saturday, but the Brentford defender still did all he could to keep the Norwich offensive at bay. The 28-year-old won seven aerial duels in the 2-1 loss to the Canaries, while six tackles, one interception and one clearance saw Pinnock return a WhoScored rating of 7.81 despite being unable to help his side to victory in west London.
Joao Cancelo (Manchester City) - 8.32
The first of two Manchester City players to make the cut rounds off the defence. Joao Cancelo was superb in the Manchester Derby as the full-back won the WhoScored man of the match award with a rating of 8.32. The 27-year-old provided the assist for Bernardo Silva's goal, that coming from his sole key pass, and was solid in possession as he found a teammate with 89.3% of his 103 attempted passes in City's 2-0 win at Manchester United.
Leeds would be in a more perilous position were it not for Raphinha's goalscoring exploits this season. The winger bagged his fifth league goal of 2021/22 in their 1-1 draw with Leicester on Sunday, and it means he has now scored 45.5% of their 11 goals. The Brazilian's strike at Elland Road came from one of three shots and he was unfortunate not to add an assist having made four key passes, and that sees him occupy the right wing spot with a WhoScored rating of 7.72.
Conor Gallagher (Crystal Palace) - 8.60
With a WhoScored rating of 8.60, Conor Gallagher is our Premier League player of the week. Gallagher won his third man of the match award of the season as he played a key role in Crystal Palace's 2-0 win over Wolves. The 21-year-old wrapped up the three points for the Eagles with 12 minutes to play as he scored his fourth league goal of 2021/22, finding a way past Jose Sa with one of two shots, and the youngster was impressive both on and off the ball as he made four key passes, four tackles and two interceptions to cap another excellent performance.
Cheikhou Kouyate (Crystal Palace) - 7.96
Gallagher's Crystal Palace teammate Cheikou Kouyate also features in the middle of the park. Kouyate was a ball winning machine in the win over Wolves, making nine tackles in the 2-0 victory; no player has made more in a Premier League match this season. The 31-year-old also won all three aerial duels he contested to feature in the middle of the park with a WhoScored rating of 7.96.
Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) - 7.65
Emile Smith Rowe scored for the third Premier League game running in Arsenal's 1-0 win over Watford on Sunday as he completes the midfield with a WhoScored rating of 7.65. The 21-year-old got the better of Ben Foster with one of two shots at the Emirates and was solid in possession as he returned a 91.7% pass success rate to feature on the left.
Bernardo Silva (Manchester City) - 7.93
Bernardo Silva scored just his third league goal of the season in Saturday's Manchester Derby win over Manchester United, hitting the back of the net with one of two shots at Old Trafford. The Portugal international was solid in the final third, completing two dribbles and creating one goalscoring chance in the 2-0 win over United, all the while picking out a teammate with 94.2% of 69 passes to land a WhoScored rating of 7.93.
Adam Armstrong (Southampton) - 7.88
Joining Silva in attack is Southampton's big money summer arrival Adam Armstrong. The former Blackburn man scored just his second league goal of the season in Friday night's 1-0 win over Aston Villa, a result that cost Dean Smith his job at the Villa Park helm. Armstrong beat Emiliano Martinez with one of two shots and was difficult to stop once he gained a head of steam, completing three dribbles, contributing to his inclusion in this XI with a WhoScored rating of 7.88.
