It was yet another exciting weekend in the Premier League, a lot of goals, drama and surprises. And while teams like Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal secured convincing wins due to their collective effort, there were few players who clearly stood out from the rest.
Raheem Sterling
Manchester City continued their excellent run of form with a comfortable 3-1 win over Watford on Saturday, largely thanks to Raheem Sterling’s remarkable performance that saw him bag a hat-trick.
The former Liverpool star was simply unstoppable, following a stale first-half display where the defending champions struggled to break through the Hornets’ backline. Sterling was on fire, forcing the opener soon after the restart, before netting two more goals before the hour-mark.
The England international showed excellent intuition to capitalise on his chances and led the brilliantly with his mazy runs and quick link-up play with teammates in the final third. He will certainly play a key role for Pep Guardiola’s men as they look to retain their Premier League title this season.
Granit Xhaka
While Sterling carried Manchester City to a comfortable win over Watford, it was Granit Xhaka, whose incredible display in midfield helped Arsenal register an important 2-0 win over Manchester United.
The Swiss international stepped up to the plate in the absence of Lucas Torreira as his swerving effort in the first-half deceived goalkeeper David de Gea for Arsenal’s opener.
Aside from that, the former Gladbach star did his defensive duties well, often putting pressure on the likes of Nemanja Matic and Fred, which, in turn, restricted Man United from spreading the play and dominate their opposition.
Xhaka also used his physicality to fend off opposition defenders and it was, overall, a comprehensive display from the Swiss. Arsenal fans will certainly that he can keep up his good form as they aim for a top-four finish this season.
Ayoze Perez
In what was arguably the most frantic game from last weekend’s round of fixtures, Newcastle United produced a stunning display to beat Everton 3-2 at home.
It was a game where the Newcastle attackers simply proved too much for the Everton backline, especially Ayoze Perez, whose clever movements and quick feet made it difficult for the opposition defenders to keep a tight marker on him.
And after a decent first half, Perez was simply unstoppable after the restart, bagging two goals (including the winner) and an assist to help his side collect all three points.
His combination with Salomon Rondon, in particular, was excellent and coach Rafael Benitez will be certainly hopeful of the duo’s performances in the coming weeks.