Garth team of the week

The first domestic trophy of the season was won by the Reds in a penalty shoot out.

The Reds have a game in hand and Manchester City have a six-point lead at the top of the league.

After losing to Spurs at home and being sacked as manager of the Elland Road club, the other two teams in the bottom three were also victorious.

Manchester United was held to a0-0 draw by struggling Crystal Palace, while West Ham beat Wolves and the other teams won.

Who made my Team of the Week? You can make your own selections at the bottom of the article.

Garth Crooks' Team of the Week
Garth Crooks' Team of the Week

Goalkeeper - Caoimhin Kelleher (Liverpool)

Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher

I must say, whenever I see him play in goal, he looks unflappable. He goes about his job as if saving goals is the most important thing on his mind, and yet I have never seen the Republic of Ireland international let down. The Carabao Cup final was full of tension and anxiety, but for Kelleher it seemed like a training session. I am pretty sure it wasn't, but throughout this brilliant football match Kelleher didn't only keep his nerve but actually won the match. I have never seen anything like that before. Kepa Arrizabalaga missed the final penalty in the shoot out and it must have scared the living daylights out of him.

Did you know? During the final, Kelleher made four saves and then scored the winning penalty. The third highest number of saves was made by him.

Defenders - Matty Cash (Aston Villa), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Fabian Schar (Newcastle), Matt Doherty (Tottenham)

Matty Cash, Virgil Van Dijk, Fabian Schar and Matt Doherty

This was an impressive performance by Villa, having had a shaky period recently. The full-back got hold of a difficult-looking ball and steered it past a desperate Robert Sanchez in the Seagulls goal, after coming to Villa's rescue a couple of times. When Cash scored, he ripped off his shirt to show his support for his teammate Tomasz Kedziora, who is stuck in the Ukraine capital under siege. Cash got booked for his celebration but no one seemed to care.

Did you know? Cash scored his second goal of the season in his 27th game away from home. Villa's first shot was his opener.

Mr Dependable was everywhere in the cup final. This was a game of football that was played by grown-ups. It was one of those games that American sports lovers like to watch and can't understand how a game with no goals can be so good. The penalty shootout would have saved an American audience, but I can do without it. Even though they lost a football match, they can walk away from Wembley with their heads held high. We have to find a different way to end great games.

Did you know? Van Dijk won more aerial battles than any other player. The two of them won possession back nine times.

Another clean sheet for the Magpies and an excellent performance by them. It has been a long time since I have seen him in my team of the week. I was compelled to include the central defender after his brilliant intervention to set up Joe Willock. After defending a corner in his own penalty area, Schar fought off a challenge, looked up and played the ball to Willock, who scored. What is Eddie Howe doing?

Did you know? In addition to an assist to his name, Schar attempted more dribbles than any other player. He made more clearances than any other player.

I don't know which Spurs I'm watching at the moment. Is it any wonder Antonio Conte is threatening to walk out of the club on a Wednesday night, only to find himself rowing back from his comments on the Saturday, after a superb win againstLeeds like the one against Manchester City? Matt Doherty, a player that Conte never signed, had an outstanding game. The Republic of Ireland international was full of running and made up ground in order to finish a great run by Ryan Sessegnon.

Did you know? He scored his first goal for Spurs in his 26th appearance in the competition, while he also assisted in a game for the first time.

Midfielders - Joelinton, Joe Willock (both Newcastle), Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham)

Joelinton, Joe Willock and Dejan, Kulusevski

Josh Dasilva made a terrible tackle on Matt Targett. It is difficult enough trying to get the West London club to win with 11 men, never mind having a player dismissed for trying to show how good you are. There is no sending-off if Dasilva tries to win the ball in a conventional manner. Under Howe,Newcastle are professional, calm and winning. The player who seems to be thriving under the new regime isJoelinton. I would have thought you were in need of some sort of assistance if you had told me at the beginning of the season thatJoelinton would be playing on the left side of the midfield. Since Howe's arrival,Joelinton has been a revelation.

Did you know? In each of the past three seasons, a player from the other side has scored in both home and away meetings with the other side.

Since this young man arrived at St James Park he has found it difficult. Sickness and injuries have made it hard for him to get into a consistent form at the club. We have seen some of what he can do, and he has an eye for goal. He had the eye for the spectacular. His performance gets better with each game. Howe said after his performance against West Ham that this was a player with the right development who could go a long way. I think he is correct.

Did you know? Willock has scored more goals for the club than any other player, since he made his league debut.

When I selected this kid for my team last week, I said he looked very comfortable in a Spurs shirt. He is becoming a favourite of mine. The way Dejan Kulusevski took his goal was simply class. The game against Spurs was going to make it worse for the Rhinos, just when you thought it had been a difficult week for them. No one could have predicted that he would be fired after the game, but he had done a good job.

Did you know? Kulusevski has scored two goals in five appearances for Spurs, as many as he did in his final 44 games for the Bianconeri.

Harry Kane, Phil Foden, and Luis Diaz are forwards.

Luis Diaz, Harry Kane and Phil Foden

From the moment I clapped my eyes on this player in a shirt, I thought they had bought another red arrow. A player who is quick, a team player, can score goals and fit in with the current regime, and if need be take over from the outgoing ones. The player looked great against the team. He had a chance to win the match and knew it as he beat the ground in frustration as his shot went straight into Mendy's hands. The situation in Ukranian affected the final preparations for the Wembley final, according to Thomas Tuchel. His team did a great job. He is nothing to be ashamed of.

Did you know? The only two people who took more shots were Salah and Diaz, both of whom had the most touches inside the area. The player with the most dribbles was also the player with the most duels.

The finish by Harry Kane was even better than the ball from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Kane has a vision that is only matched by his touch and quality of pass. This player has everything when he is playing well. The pass for Son Heung-min was just wonderful, while the South Korea international accepted the gift from his striking partner. It couldn't go on like this. Their players gave everything they had to win, but were leaking goals faster than a burst water main. The relationship had to end. Who is this person now?

Did you know? Kane has scored 11 goals in nine games in Yorkshire. The England captain has scored more times as a visiting player than Alan Shearer.

Phil Foden said that once you got over the emotional scenes at Goodison Park, you knew this was going to be a difficult match for City. The match was still interesting despite the fact that both players never entered. Phil Foden might have scored shortly before the referee made an appalling decision by not awarding a penalty when Rodri clearly moved his arm towards the ball. The decision was compounded by the incompetence of the VAR operator, who cannot tell when a player is using his arm to control a ball. Foden was the one who moved towards Jordan Pickford. That is a scorer.

Did you know? Foden has scored 10 of his past 12 goals away from home. He has scored three goals against the other teams in the competition.

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The Crooks of the Matter

Those who hold the view that sport and politics should not mix have never lived in the real world. It is similar to salt and pepper. These are strong ingredients, but they also give an unpredictable dynamic. In the modern world, it would appear that you can't have both sport and politics without the other. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia had nothing to do with football until it was appreciated that the final of the European Championship would be held in St Petersburg.

That might have been the last thing on Putin's mind when he ordered his troops into the two rebel-held regions. The international football community closed its ranks in support of the Eastern European country after a full-blown invasion was announced.

Nadine Dorries, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said the British government will not allow Putin to exploit events on the world stage to legitimise his invasion of Ukraine. Neither should they. Russia has been ordered to stop playing football in neutral territory and not have a flag or anthem. I don't think that goes far enough.

Footballers are people with families like everyone else and can't be expected to ignore the harsh realities of the real world. When he said "No-one should ever be allowed to appropriate his country", he summed it up perfectly. Try to tell him that politics and sport shouldn't mix.

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