It was another fascinating week in the 2019-20 Premier League campaign and there were indeed a few surprises in terms of results in Matchday 3.
Aston Villa, Crystal Palace, and Newcastle United went into their respective fixtures as the underdogs, but picked all three points.
Liverpool remain the only side to have a hundred percent win record so far this season following their win over Unai Emery’s Arsenal.
We take a look at the three best defenders from matchday 3.
Tyrone Mings
Tyrone Mings produced a colossal performance against Everton and is already proving to be worth every penny that the Villans paid to secure his signature in the summer transfer window.
The former Bournemouth man was the defensive spine of his side in the game. He has formed a resilient partnership with Bjorn Engels in the central defence, and through their heroic defending, the Lions earned a win and a cleansheet against Everton.
Mings maintained his composure as he confidently made clearances and also dominated in the air, winning 3 aerial duels. He was quick, athletic and could be an instrumental player for Dean Smith this season.
Fabian Schar
Newcastle United picked up a shock 1-0 away win against Tottenham thanks to some top defending.
Fabian Schar impressed in particular as the 27-year-old looked calm under pressure. The likes of Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son found it hard to get past him as he read the game well, and was decisive with his tackles.
Notably, Schar won 4 tackles, which was more than any other player on the pitch. Further, he also made 2 interceptions, 6 clearances and blocked 3 shots as he put his body on the line.
Joel Matip
Joel Matip had a memorable outing on Saturday as Liverpool secured a 3-1 win over Arsenal at the Anfield to keep their winning run intact.
Matip popped up with a bullet header just before the interval to give his side the lead, and it was especially crucial as Arsenal deployed the low-block and denied Liverpool too many opening.
The centre-back was solid at the back as he kept a close eye on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, and never really allowed him to settle. Besides, he also made a brilliant recovery challenge on Aubameyang to help his side preserve their lead.
Matip won 4 aerial duels and made 3 tackles, which is why he was easily one of the best players on the pitch. Although the Gunners had pace up front, they could not make the best use of their artillery, and had to come away from Anfield with another loss.
Statistics Credits: Whoscored
