Liverpool forward Sadio Mane silenced critics with a double against second placed Tottenham Hotspurs at Anfield on Saturday evening. Alexis Sanchez was the hero Arsene Wenger has been looking for since 2004.
For this and more, take a look at eleven players making Sokkaa Premier League Team of the week today;
System: 3-4-3
Goalkeeper
Petr Cech- Arsenal
Arsene Wenger will certainly thank his number one for saving the day for him. The match on Saturday against Hull City was not going to be easy. The French boss was in serious pressure after two consecutive defeats. He needed his warriors. Cech made two great saves in both halves to hand his manager all three points.
Defenders
Alfie Mawson -Swansea
Alfie Mawson has scored more goals than Wayne Rooney and Daniel Sturridge in 2017. The centre back hammered a screamer against Leicester City to take his New Year tally to three goals. Only Marcos Alonso of Chelsea is on his level. He fully deserves his place in the team.
Michael Keane- Burnley
Manchester United fans must be wondering just how their Club allowed Michael King to leave. The Burnley defender came through Red Devils academy until Louis Van Gaal allowed him to go. He has now established himself as one of the very best in the Premier League.
On Sunday, he kept League leaders Chelsea at bay with bold defending. He made two successful blocks came out victorious in 83% of his duels.
Eric Bailly- Man United
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho must be a very excited man right now. His main man is back. Ivory Coast 22-year-old defender Eric Bailly is back to his best. He had a tournament to forget with his country in Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon in January. Now Red Devils fans can afford a smile because they are spoilt for choice at the back. Chris Smalling and Phil Jones will need to fight for a chance to partner the big defender.
scored a great goal to ensure the Welsh side continued their recovery.
Ander Herrera- Manchester United
Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has showed great trust in holding midfielder Ander Herrera. The former Athletic Bilbao star was always on the bench during the reign of former boss Louis Van Gaal. He is however a regular under the Portuguese. He had a great day against Watford on Saturday with a 90% pass completion rate.
N’Golo Kante- Chelsea
Chelsea midfield maestro N’Golo Kante had another great day at work against Burnley on Sunday. He did what he has done so efficiently in the last two years. Joey Barton tried his best to take charge of the midfield but none of that stopped the Frenchman from stamping his authority in the match.
Ryan Bertrand- Southampton
Southampton defender-cum-midfielder Ryan Bertrand was the man who crafted their first goal against Sunderland on Saturday. He also played a key role in the third goal to push the match far away from the home side. He was a threat at the wing and the Black cats did not have a solution to his constant threats.
Alexis Sanchez- Arsenal
Arsenal fans will be willing to listen to offers for Mesut Ozil. However am not sure they even want to entertain the idea when it comes to Alexis Sanchez. He is a legend of the club already. He works so hard for the team. You can see the disappointment on his face when the Gunners fail to collect all three points.
On Saturday, when the entire Emirates family needed someone to stand up, the Chilean rose up. He grabbed a very important double to relieve manager Arsene Wenger some pressure.
Manolo Gabbiadini- Southampton
Italy has been struggling in front of goal in the last couple years. However, that may come to an end if Manolo Gabbiadini continues like this. He grabbed a brace against Sunderland at Stadium of Light to pile more misery on David Moyes.
He has been compared to the King poacher himself Filippo Inzaghi and his second goal says it all. Three goals in two games, if anybody at Southampton doubted the decision to spend the millions, the answer is right there.
Sadio Mane- Liverpool
It was a tough decision to leave out Manchester United striker Anthony Martial who was amazing against Watford. However, he scored and assisted but Sadio Mane literally killed Tottenham Hotspurs. A deadly double in quick succession to deny Spurs a chance to close down on leaders Chelsea.
The game was a must win for manager Jurgen Klopp and he needed his most expensive acquisition to deliver. The Senegalese forgot AFCON sorrows and did what the Kop wanted.
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