WhoScored’s Premier League Team of the Week: Isak leads XI featuring Salah, Jesus and Diaz
After the final round of Premier League matches before Christmas, we’re taking a look at the standout performers from gameweek 17.
Represented in our Team of the Week are Bournemouth, Wolves, Liverpool, Newcastle, Aston Villa and Arsenal.
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Kepa (Bournemouth) - 8.41
The first of three Bournemouth players to earn a place in our XI following Sunday’s 3-0 win at Old Trafford is goalkeeper Kepa. The 30-year-old made a total of seven saves, helping the Cherries to a third clean sheet of the season.
Illia Zabarnyi (Bournemouth) - 7.66
Kepa is joined at the back by Bournemouth defender Illia Zabarnyi, who managed three tackles, five clearances and six ball recoveries at Old Trafford, while he also won all five of the duels he contested, to return a WhoScored rating of 7.66.
Dean Huijsen (Bournemouth) - 8.36
Our Bournemouth trio is completed by teenage centre-back Dean Hujisen, who netted his second Premier League goal of the season when he headed the Cherries in front after 30 minutes at Old Trafford. Huijsen also completed 34 of the 38 passes he attempted on Sunday afternoon, while making two tackles, three blocks, six clearances and two interceptions.
Toti Gomes (Wolves) - 7.80
Completing our back three is Wolves defender Toti Gomes, another player who helped his side to a 3-0 away victory on Sunday afternoon, at the King Power Stadium. In his first game under new boss Vitor Pereira, the 25-year-old made four tackles, four clearances, four ball recoveries and one goal line clearance , while he also won all but one of the 10 duels he contested.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 9.95
The game of the weekend came from the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Liverpool claimed the spoils in a nine-goal thriller, and star man Mohamed Salah was directly involved in four of those, scoring twice and providing two assists. In doing so, the Egyptian became the first player in Premier League history to reach double figures for both goals and assists before Christmas, taking his tallies to 14 and 11, respectively.
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle) - 8.53
Earning a place in our midfield is Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes, who starred for the Magpies in the 4-0 thrashing of Ipswich on Saturday. The Brazilian midfielder provided the assist for Alexander Isak’s second of the afternoon in first-half stoppage time, while he also made four key passes, three tackles and seven ball recoveries, on his way to a WhoScored rating of 8.53.
Matheus Cunha (Wolves) - 8.53
Forming a Brazilian partnership in the midfield is Wolves star Matheus Cunha, who continued his fine season with a ninth league goal of the campaign in Sunday’s 3-0 win at Leicester. Cunha also managed three key passes, three accurate crosses and four accurate long balls, to help himself to a WhoScored rating of 8.53.
Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) - 9.27
Aston Villa attacker Morgan Rogers ran riot against former side Manchester City on Saturday afternoon, and was directly involved in both of the home side’s two goals in a 2-1 victory at Villa Park. Rogers unselfishly teed up Jhon Duran for Villa’s opener after 16 minutes, before doubling the hosts’ lead 20 minutes into the second half. He also managed five successful dribbles, and three ball recoveries, while winning eight of his 12 duels.
Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal) - 9.72
After bagging a hat-trick against them in midweek, Gabriel Jesus inflicted further misery on Crystal Palace when he netted a brace inside the opening 15 minutes at Selhurst Park on Saturday evening. The Brazilian found the net with two of five attempts on goal, to continue his recent renaissance and surely secure his starting spot when the Gunners host Ipswich on Friday evening.
Alexander Isak (Newcastle) - 10.0
With a perfect WhoScored rating of 10.0, Newcastle striker Alexander Isak is our Premier League Player of the Week following his hat-trick in Saturday’s 4-0 win against Ipswich. The Sweden international wasted no time, opening the scoring inside the first minute at Portman Road, before going on to add his second and third goals of the afternoon either side of half-time.
Luis Díaz (Liverpool) - 9.22
Rounding off our Premier League Team of the Week is Liverpool attacker Luis Diaz, who scored his first goals since September as the Reds romped to a 6-3 victory over Tottenham on Sunday evening. Diaz expertly headed the visitors in front on 23 minutes, before adding his second - and their sixth of the evening - five minutes from time.
