Garth Crooks' team of the week: Firmino, Salah, Mendy, Ndombele, Soyuncu

Chelsea maintained their position at the top in the Premier League with a 1-0 win over Brentford on Saturday.
The second-place Liverpool performed admirably as they beat Watford 5-0, while Manchester City defeated Burnley 2-0.

Leicester City won 4-2 against Manchester United with late goals, while Wolves prevailed to win a thrilling 3-2 match against Aston Villa.

The new era of Newcastle United following their takeover ended in a 3-2 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur at home. Southampton beat Leeds United 1-0, while Norwich City drew with Brighton.

You can check out my team of week, and make your own selections at the end of the article.

Goalkeeper: Edouard Mendy, (Chelsea).

Edouard Mendy - Gone are the days of goalkeepers putting their bodies on line every week. They do their job, and then they go home. Edouard Mendy, on the other side, had the ball smashed into his face in such a way as to knock out mere mortals. The Senegal international just shook his head and then jumped to his feet to make some incredible saves. Christian Norgaard's overhead kick landed the tip above the bar. It was truly amazing.

Thomas Frank, Brentford's manager, said that he believed Chelsea were fortunate in his interview after the match. Mendy was exceptional.

Did you know? Did you know that Edouard Mendy has prevented at least three goals in the Premier League this season? This is based on the expected goals-on-target model. That's more than any other goalkeeper in the competition.

Defenders: Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Caglar Soyuncu (Leicester)

Angelo Ogbonna This was a remarkable performance by West Ham by any standard away. Since last season, the Hammers appear to have gained an additional layer of confidence. Their defensive unit was impressive, particularly the partnership between Angelo Ogbonna (left) and Kurt Zouma (right). They were sometimes nearly impossible to penetrate against Everton.

To be honest, I wasn't sure Zouma would do so well. I remember giving him a huge build-up after his debut for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Ogbonna has become a premier league defender, and Zouma should follow his lead.

Did you know? Did you know that all eight West Ham defender Ogbonna's Premier League goals came from set pieces? Seven of them were from corners, with one free kick. All eight goals were also scored against an opponent.

Virgil van Dijk - This was a masterclass for Liverpool's red arrows. Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah were back at their attacking best, but they also had the kind of collaboration that earned them the title two years ago. Virgil van Dijk is as powerful as ever. Joel Matip, along with him, looked quite impressive, too.

Watford got what they deserved. I don't think any club can expect sympathy from anyone who can fire their managers so frequently.

Did you know? Did you know? He completed more long passes against Watford (66) and Norwich (77) than against Manchester City (seven).

Caglar Soyuncu - It takes courage to make five changes to Manchester United. But it didn't seem like that made any difference to a Leicester team full of determination, grit and a lot more ability. Manchester United's star-studded side, however, lacked grit.

Caglar Soyuncu is clearly not affected by stardom. He seems to do better against better opposition. This is the second occasion I have seen Turkey's centre-back score against an opponent expected to win, but who didn't turn up.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is facing a problem. Sir Alex Ferguson would need all of his managerial skills to get the best from this group of superstars. Solskjaer is not Ferguson.

Did you know? Did you know that Soyuncu scored two of his three Premier League goals against Manchester United? The Turkey defender also scored in back-toback matches against Manchester United.

Midfielders: Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Declan Rice (West Ham), Bernardo Silva (Manchester City), Tanguy Ndombele (Tottenham)

Kevin de Bruyne - I don't think Kevin de Bruyne plays the best football, but if you can hit the ball with both feet as well as he does, it doesn't mean you have to be a genius every week. Burnley lost the game the second De Bruyne stepped in and hit the ball with his left foot. The Belgium midfielder did not even need to look at the target.

De Bruyne is familiar with the situation from many times he has been there. He knows where the goal lies and has the confidence and ability to achieve it. It was amazing, just like the strike. It was a bit like De Bruyne in an off-day.

Did you know? Kevin de Bruyne made consecutive Premier League appearances in a single year for the first-time since July 2020.

Declan Rice: Declan Rice is the player who took over from Mark Noble as West Ham's captain. Every game he improves. You can be sure he will give 100% every week and covers more ground than any other member of his team. It's clear that David Moyes and Gareth Southgate regard him as such. Rice displayed all those redeeming qualities against Everton.

Although West Ham fans will not like my statement, how long can the East London club keep him? This youngster should be playing Champions League football. It's only a matter time.

Did you know? Declan Rice was the Hammers' only player to complete more than one block, with 71% of his passes.

Bernardo Silva: This youngster is enjoying a fantastic start to the season. Manchester City doesn't seem to be in too much pain. Portugal's playmaker Silva was simply running the show against a Burnley team that, had they taken their chance, might have won a point.

Sterling is a different player than De Bruyne. He has lost some confidence playing for City, but not for England. Since a while, I've felt that Sterling and Pep Guardiola are not the same.

Perhaps Sterling should move on. Where will Sterling go?

Did you know? In the match with Burnley, Riyad Mahrez (44) had more shots than Bernardo Silva (33) while no one created more chances than the Portugal midfielder (3).

Tanguy Ndombele - The win against Newcastle was troublingly easy for Tottenham. It gives a clear indication of the challenges facing St James' Park's new owners. It doesn't matter what the score is - I was most concerned about Newcastle's performance.

The atmosphere was electric and the Magpies could not have started off with a better start. The game progressed, but Spurs quickly took control of the match and Newcastle was left wanting. Tanguy Ndombele scored an excellent equaliser and stood out at midfield, but it was because nobody offered any resistance. Newcastle were ripped to pieces by Tottenham, who were for once in the mood.

Below, you can read more about my thoughts on the Newcastle takeover.

Did you know? Did you know that Tanguy Ndombele has scored eight goals for Spurs in his last eight matches away from home? He managed five against Newcastle, which is the most he has ever scored in a Premier League match.

Forwards: Roberto Firmino, Harry Kane (Tottenham), Mohamed Salah(Liverpool).

Roberto Firmino. It's not often that a Premier League player scores a hat trick and isn’t named man-of-the match. Roberto Firmino was one of those people. Brazil's forward was in blistering form in defeat to Watford, but not in the same league as Salah. Firmino will not care much about who was the best player on the pitch, but he will be focused on the hat-trick. Liverpool is second and Firmino is back among the goals.

Did you know? Roberto Firmino, a Brazilian forward for Liverpool, is the first to score more than one hat trick in the Premier League. Firmino also scored three against Arsenal in December 2018.

Harry Kane: It's nice to see Harry Kane again playing as a centre forward and not an attacking midfielder. He must lead the line and be ready to strike against Newcastle, as he did against Newcastle.

Kane has had to wait a while to get back to the man he was when he was wearing a Tottenham shirt. Kane clearly suffered from gross mismanagement in a transfer that should have been made. All of that seems like a nightmare and the England captain seems to be enjoying his club football once again. Newcastle and his new owners were disappointed by his return to form. They had hoped for a positive result, and a party to go with it.

Did you know? Only Wayne Rooney (94) has more away goals than Harry Kane (88), who scored his fifth goal during his three previous visits to St. James' Park.

Mohamed Salah: I was astonished at the ball that Salah received for Sadio Mane, which resulted in Liverpool's first goal against an outclassed Watford. I'm not sure why Danny Rose would want to go toe to toe with Salah, and not insist that at most one of his team-mates provide him with some assistance on that side. Rose didn't see Salah defeat four top-class defenders against Manchester City, and then finish with frightening composure.

Craig Cathcart needed a ticket to return in the ground after Salah had thrown him off his backside. He then slid towards the touchline, before completing a magnificent solo performance. Salah is unplayable right now.

Did you know? Mohamed Salah scored in eight of his most recent Liverpool games in all competitions. This is the longest streak of consecutive scoring for Liverpool since February 2014, when Daniel Sturridge (eight) was involved.

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The Crooks of the Matter

Amanda Staveley, the new part-owner, confirmed on Friday that Steve Bruce would remain in charge of Newcastle's Premier League match against Tottenham. PIF had taken over Mike Ashley's club. It is very kind of her, considering Bruce was at Newcastle before she arrived at St. James' Park. He is also the man who kept the club in the top division which made it attractive enough to purchase for her and her colleagues.

Bruce was given the opportunity to lead Newcastle for his 1000th match. It was her least act. Bruce was born and raised in the region and suddenly, due to no fault of his own finds his career at club in shambles by the takeover. After Rafael Benitez and Brendan Rodgers said that they will not be leaving their managerial positions anytime soon, Staveley may have to stay with Bruce for a while.

Although a win against Tottenham was essential, it did not buy the manager much time. However, if his team or his team fails, his doubters and knockers (and he has many) will be calling for him to leave. No one can survive in such conditions. Bruce won't be taking Newcastle to the 'big-time'.

If the club can stop this pathetic pretence of stating that he is not a 'caretaker manger', the better for everyone. Let him go. It's the least you can do for him and the best thing for everyone.