Premier League team of the week including Man City and Liverpool stars

The Premier League gave us nothing short of a spectacular send-off before the international break on matchweek seven.

Capped by a colossal clash between Liverpool and Manchester City on Sunday, the weekend saw every team put to the test, with only one game decided by a two-goal margin.

That was Chelsea ‘s win at home to Southampton which came after Manchester United slipped up against Everton, making it just two victories from six games for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and co.

Saturday saw Wolves defeat Newcastle and Leeds beat Watford, following which losing manager Xisco Munoz was sacked.

Burnley and Norwich played out a stalemate at Turf Moor before Brighton held Arsenal down on the coast coast.

Tottenham Hotspur edged Aston Villa on Sunday, while Crystal Palace fought from 2-0 down to draw with Leicester City as Brentford left it late to snatch victory at West Ham.

With all of those fixtures in mind, Mirror Football selects the Premier League Team of the Week for matchweek seven.

David Raya

Although not one of the five goalkeepers who kept clean sheets over the weekend, Raya’s display at the London Stadium was crucial in ensuring Brentford were still in the game claim all three points in stoppage-time.

Three superb saves just as West Ham were beginning to turn the screw saw the Spaniard well and truly earn his money before late substitute Yoane Wissa scored a 94th-minute winner and sent the Bees soaring into seventh.

Honourable mentions go to Nick Pope and Tim Krul of Burnley and Norwich respectively.

Cesar Azpilicueta

On paper, Chelsea’s 3-1 win against Southampton may have seemed straightforward – but it was anything but.

The Blues may have taken the lead through Trevoh Chalobah after just nine minutes but James Ward-Prowse’s second-half penalty levelled the scores after an hour.

Then captain and wing-back Azpilicueta stepped up, providing the assist for Timo Werner to strike the decisive goal with six minutes of normal time remaining.

10-man Saints, who had Ward-Prowse dismissed seven minutes prior, then saw Azpilicueta play a part in their downfall again, cannoning a shot back off the crossbar to allow Ben Chilwell to bury the rebound in style.

Diego Llorente

Having been winless after six games before 3pm on Saturday, Leeds needed a victory and got one thanks to Diego Llorente’s early goal.

The defender showed a predatory instinct to dispatch a corner after Watford’s Juraj Kucka failed to clear.

Llorente then had defensive duties to attend to as he boasted a 100% tackle success rate, made seven recoveries and won two duels, leading to his Spanish compatriot and opposing manager Xisco receiving the sack on Sunday.

Ethan Pinnock

Things just keep getting better on the pitch for Pinnock, who was playing non-league football five years ago with Dulwich Hamlet.

The towering 28-year-old has been a rock from Thomas Frank’s side this season and once again proved his worth against West Ham, producing a performance of true Premier League quality.

Following his goalscoring exploits last weekend against Liverpool which also saw him substituted before half-time due to injury, Pinnock recovered and helped Brentford record another surprise win in the top flight.

Marc Cucurella

Plucked from Getafe this summer, Barcelona academy graduate Cucurella has slotted right into Graham Potter’s team.

The one-time Spain international created a game-high four chances against Arsenal and made the most tackles (three) as the rain poured down on the Amex.

The long-locked wing-back has been a breath of fresh air down Brighton’s left flank and at 23, he looks another savvy piece of business from the Seagulls after costing them £15.4 million in August, penning a five-year deal.

Andros Townsend

This man loves playing at Old Trafford – which might not be the same for Manchester United’s stars after Saturday.

Although Demarai Gary and Abdoulaye Doucoure more than played their part in Everton’s equaliser, it was Townsend who finished the counter attack and scored at the Theatre of Dreams for the second successive campaign.

The winger followed up his goal for Crystal Palace last term by making it 1-1 after 65 minutes, even replicating Cristiano Ronaldo’s iconic celebration, something he claimed was more of a tribute to his “idol” than making fun of him.

Despite squandering chances to even win the game, it was certainly the Toffees who were laughing as they left Manchester, much thanks to the 30-year-old.

Bernardo Silva

Although it begin in tepid fashion and threatened to underwhelm, the weekend’s headline match certainly lived up to expectations.

And it was sparked into life by Bernardo’s incredible run after a cagey opening 20 minutes, beating five Liverpool men to slot Phil Foden in (more on him later) and force a strong save from Alisson.

From then on until a spell in the second half, it was all City, who produced a performance that Pep Guardiola would have likely dreamed of given their previous trips with fans in the stadium.

His Portuguese midfielder, who almost left during the summer transfer window, was key in yet another big game as the two title contenders went toe-to-toe at Anfield.

Heung-min Son

With Harry Kane enduring to his early-season struggles and manager Nuno Espirito Santo under increased pressure following a loss in the North London derby, it was Son who came up trumps to give Tottenham three points before the internationals.

Spurs scored two goals either side of Ollie Watkins’ equaliser and both were assisted by their current talisman, who created three chances to boot.

Returning to the top half of the table, Nuno’s job is safe for now and Son made sure of it.

Who was the player of the week? Give us your pick here.

Mohamed Salah

What more can be said of such a player?

Salah’s spellbinding goal – and assist – would have likely gone to the winning side if Liverpool were not facing opposition of Manchester City’s calibre.

The Egyptian affirmed his status as the modern king of Anfield and arguably the world’s most in-form player.

Supporters can enjoy Salah for now but the looming issue of his contract has fans speculating over the winger’s future, who will be desperate to witness more of his magic on the biggest stage.

Hwang-Hee Chan

Since Raul Jimenez established himself as Wolves’ leading striker, the men in charge at Molineux have been searching for some competition for the Mexican and they look to have finally found their man.

Ex-RB Leipzig striker Hwang scored twice in his team’s victory over Newcastle as Jimenez played the role of provider on both occasions.

Adama Traore replaced him after 93 minutes to a rapturous ovation and although the powerful wide man will still feature heavily, Bruno Lage may have found his front three thanks to Hwang’s showing.

Phil Foden

Another player who we are quickly running out of superlatives for, Foden earned Gary Neville’s joint Man of the Match award with Salah which tells you all you need to know.

It is rare that a 21-year-old shows such skill and bravery at Anfield but the City starlet had the experienced James Milner – fortunate not to be sent off – twisting and turning.

Foden’s goal, however, topped it off, demonstrating composure beyond his years and cancelling out Liverpool’s opener before setting up Kevin De Bruyne for the second equaliser of a stunning match.