Garth Crooks' Team of the Week: Coady, Kante, Salah, Wissa, Kovacic, Ake



Manchester City are 10 points clear at the top of the league.

Manchester United lost at home to Wolves, while the other two teams in the bottom half of the table lost at home to Burnley and Brighton.

West Ham won at Crystal Palace after trailing by two goals, while the other two teams won: Spurs beat Hornets and Brentford defeated Villa.

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

Jose Sa is a goalkeeper.

This was a tremendous victory for Wolves and they deserved it.

They dominated the first half and held their nerve in the second. The man that saved the day was Jose Sa.

The save by Sa from Bruno Fernandes in the final seconds of the game was top class and the reaction from his team-mates proved the point. I thought Wolves would struggle to replace him, but Sa has been outstanding.

Did you know? Ederson, Alisson, and Aaron Ramsdale have kept more clean sheets than Jose Sa.

Defendings - Nathan Ake (Man City), Nathan Coady (Wolves), and Davinson Sanchez (Spurs).

This is the second time this season that I've selected Davinson Sanchez. I saw him play in the Europa Conference League and he was terrible. Since that game, he has 888-492-0 888-492-0's in a Spurs shirt.

Eric Dier has been made a defender by Antonio Conte. The reason Spurs have climbed up the table is due to the work of both men. The question is, will any money be given to strengthen the squad in order to get a top-four spot? I think we will find out soon.

Did you know? In his past five games for Spurs, Davinson has scored two goals, more than he had in his first 100 games in the competition, and his goal in the last game of the season was the latest in a string of winning goals.

This might have been the first defeat under Ralf Rangnick but the victories over Burnley andNorwich did nothing more than paper over the cracks that exist at Manchester United.

The ease with which the Wolves were able to beat Manchester United was even more worrying.

This was a great team effort by Wolves. Manchester United look like a team of superstars who want the spotlight and don't get it. There is a problem in the dressing room that someone needs to fix fast after the post- match interview where they were suggested that they lack intensity, aggression and commitment.

Did you know? The Wolves player made more clearances than Coady.

The clearance off the line by Nathan Ake was a game-changing one. Ake was playing for Bournemouth and I have seen him produce moments like this before. He is a cool customer in these situations.

Ake's book could be used by Gabriel to keep a cool head. I don't know why they were so upset by Gabriel's sending off. He was caught on camera disturbing the penalty spot with his boot, a most despicable dirty trick, and then chases down the referee to tell him why his penalty decision was wrong. He blocked Gabriel Jesus after the City player turned the defender on the halfway line.

Gabriel lost his mind against Manchester City.

Did you know? Nathan Ake won all seven of his aerial battles against the Gunners on Saturday, his best ratio in a game in his career.

N'Golo Kante,Alexis Mac Allister, Mateo Kovacic, and Manuel Lanzini are all in the middle.

There was a moment in the game when N' Golo Kane appeared to outrun Mohamed Salah in a race towards his own goal. I didn't know that Kante was so quick but he seems more comfortable on the ball than I remember. Since those days, he's won a number of titles, including a World Cup. His performance against the Reds was outstanding and showed all the qualities of a player who has grown in to a world-class player.

I'm told he's a world-class individual.

Did you know? N'Golo Kante regained possession more than any other player. The Frenchman has won back possession on more occasions in a single match than any other player.

The Seagulls have not scored three goals all season. The Seagulls' record at Goodison has not been the best, so it's impressive to do it away. The star of the show was an Argentine named Alexis Mac Allister.

The distinct whiff of European football is what makes the ninth place place of BRIGHTON so special. The success at Goodison reflects badly on the other teams, particularly the ones who are six and eight points behind. I know there are injuries, but I'm not sure if it's worth the time for the new manager to fix it.

Did you know? In his 14 games in the premier league this season, Mac Allister has scored four goals, three more than in his two previous campaigns combined, and his opener against the Toffees was the fastest away goal in the league.

I've never been completely convinced that the right club is for Mateo Kovacic, but his performance againstLiverpool was a bit special. His goal was amazing, but the way he pulled the Blues back into the game might have been the difference in the game. He and Kante formed an excellent partnership.

It would appear that Thomas Tuchel is getting the best out of the Croatian, which is more than could be said for Romelu Lukaku. The latest row at Stamford Bridge in the Crooks of the Matter is covered in more detail below.

Did you know? The Croatian has been involved in seven goals for the Blues this season, two goals and five assists in 13 appearances, and has been involved in more goals in a single season across the big five European Leagues.

The feet of Lanzini are superb. Lanzini's control with his right followed by his left foot gave the opening for such a great finish. The Argentine smashes the ball past Vicente Guaita in the Crystal Palace goal after performing the most difficult skill by bringing the ball under control.

I am not a fan of the video assistant referee but the technology is there to correct obvious errors missed by the referees and the handball by Luka Milivojevic was missed by Michael Oliver. Can the Hammers get into the top four? Who knows, there are a couple of additions in the transfer window.

Did you know? In London derby matches, Lanzini has scored 13 of his 25 goals.

The forwards are: Mohamed Salah, Yoane Wissa, and Sadio Mane.

I heard that I didn't get to pick Mohamed Salah in my team of the year. I don't make any apologies for that. I made my team of the season, but Salah chased the Golden Boot award.

His selfishness had a negative effect on Sadio Mane in particular and, in my opinion, had an adverse effect on the campaign last season.

The goals are coming naturally for the man who looks like a team player again. He made my team of the week because he is no longer looking for cheap penalties and he is back to the player who helped them win the title.

Did you know? Kevin de Bruyne has scored against them four times in the competition, but it's the same number of goals that Mohamed Salah has scored against them.

I'm not entirely sure how the Bees are getting the results against the likes of the likes of Arsenal and Villa but they are and going to the Community Stadium is proving to be a problem for some teams. The Bees and their fans have made their ground a fortress.

The club's strategy is to make the atmosphere intimidating for the opposition. Yoane Wissa did exactly what you need to create some excitement of your own by providing a cracking equaliser. The honeymoon is over for Steven Gerrard and the team. We will see what Villa and Gerrard are made of.

Did you know? Yoane Wissa has six goals this season, more than any other player in the competition, and his goal against Villa was the first in the league.

I'm not entirely sure I agree with you but I'm happy that Sadio stayed on the field after his challenge on Cesar Azpilicueta. The Senegal international was booked for a foul but still behaved himself for the rest of the game and made a significant contribution to a classic football match.

A tough player but also an honest one, that's what Mane is. When referees are not sure if the offence was deliberate or not, they have to assess the character of a player, and in the case of Mane, his honesty seems to give him the benefit of the doubt.

It was an excellent performance by the last man before he left for the Africa Cup of Nations. I wonder what the title race will look like when he returns.

Did you know? Since the start of his first season with the club, only Harry Kane (40) has scored the opening goal in more games than Sadio Mane (37), while the Senegalese forward is the first player to score in consecutive appearances away to the Blues in the competition. He received the earliest booking in a premier league game.

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The criminals of the matter.

For the second week in a row, I am having a good time at Thomas Tuchel, which is disappointing as I am an admirer.

Romelu Lukaku's comment that he was not happy with his part in the team and a return to Inter Milan in the future was not out of the question, but he left the club because he was too disruptive by the German manager.

Is Tuchel getting carried away with his own self-importance? The bigger the match, the better, as all top players are desperate to play. Tuchel left him out of their most important game of the season. Why not allow the player to prove how much playing in the starting line-up means to him in order to benefit from the situation?

It's not clear what impact this latest decision will have on their relationship. It's not clear what happened in the game when the Blues missed a chance to keep up the pressure on Manchester City. Tuchel now has a bigger problem to solve, and that is how he patches up the rift with Romelu Lukaku, or lose the club's record signing permanently.

Tuchel is mistaken if he thinks he has all the cards. When top players have agents who are prepared to ask for a transfer on behalf of their client if they lose their car park space at the training ground, the modern game is alive and well.

Cool heads and a bit of wisdom are needed at the bridge. I suggest that Roman Abramovich needs to have a quiet word with his manager and remind him that his investment needs to be loved and protected, not chastised like an accidental mistake. It's important for the future success of the club in a number of areas.