Manchester City were crowned Premier League champions for the 2017/18 season on Sunday after second placed Manchester united lost 1-0 at home to bottom side West Bromwich Albion, coupled with the Citizens 3-1 win at Tottenham Hotspurs a day before. Liverpool and Chelsea also won on the weekend which saw only three of the top six register wins in their respective fixtures.
West Brom’s victory at Old Trafford takes them to within nine points of safety and it may not be all over as yet. All the three teams immediately above them failed to win their games which further boosts Brom’s chances of survival but Palace won 3-2 at home to Brighton propelling the Eagles to move a healthy six points away from the relegation.
Here are the eleven players that stood out according to PML Daily correspondent Shaban Lubega.
GK. Ben Foster (West Bromwich Albion).
The goalkeeper made four saves and kept a clean sheet against his former side Manchester United as West Brom ran out 1-0 winners at Old Trafford to confirm Manchester City’s title win.
RD. Trent Alexander Arnold (Liverpool).
His defensive play has been outstanding recently and the ball for Mohamed Salah to score his 40th goal of the season against Bournemouth was of the highest quality. He will surely be on the flight to Russia this summer and may be a main stay in the national team set up for a while.
CB. CraigDowson (West Bromwich Albion).
West Brom’s captain was exceptional against Man United this past weekend barely putting a foot wrong as he led his side to a rear victory over the Red Devils at Old Trafford. He was at the heart of whatever United threw at his side along with partner Ahmed Hegazi.
CB. Kevin Long (Burnely).
Long scored his first Premier league goal and in the process helped Burnely hold off Leicester City at the end to all but seal seventh spot this season.
LB. Kieran Gibbs (West Bromwich Albion).
He is widely viewed as an Arsenal reject but Gibbs seems to have found a side that can appreciate his talent and in return, the England international is rewarding the faith installed in him by West Brom with standout performances including one at Old Trafford over the weekend. A surge to the plane to Russia in June may be a little bit too late but if all goes Brom’s Way and they don’t get relegated, Gibbs will at least watch the World Cup on TV relieved that he helped his side beat the drop.
MF. Muhammad Diame (Newcastle United).
Against Arsenal, Diame was outstanding, as were the entire Newcastle team. What a pity the Magpies are not in the hands of someone who really appreciates what this club, their supporters and their manager have to offer.
MF. Wilfred Zaha (Crystal Palace).
Three goals in 25 minutes will give manager Chris Hughton sleepless nights. Neither Brighton nor Crystal Palace are out of the relegation woods just yet, but the two goals scored by Wilfried Zaha have given Palace a lifeline.
MF. Luka Milivojevic (Crystal Palace).
As well as assisting Wilfried Zaha’s second goal in a vital win over Brighton, the all-action midfielder attempted more passes (55) than any team-mate.
In completing his first-ever Premier League double, Wilfried Zaha netted his first-ever headed goal in the competition, giving a struggling Palace a much-needed boost.
FW. Muhammad Salah (Liverpool).
Besides, it would be ludicrous not to recognize arguably the best footballer in the league the week before Salah goes head to head with De Bruyne at the PFA awards dinner, I had to put the tricky Egyptian in the team. Justifies his selection with his 40th goal of the season against Bournemouth in Liverpool’s 3-0 home win.
FW. Jay Rodriguez (West Bromwich Albion).
Not his best display as a Premier League footballer but Rodriguez was up for the task from the first whistle at Old Trafford, running at defenders and tracking back from time to time. His goal that won the game for the Baggies was just capping a fine performance by the former Southampton striker.
FW. Olivier Giroud (Chelsea).
The French striker came off the bench to help bring Chelsea back from 2-0 down to win 3-2 with two goals of his own. He has now netted 19 times in the Premier League as a substitute, a haul only bettered by Jermain Defoe’s 24.
Coach: Darren Moore (West Bromwich Albion).
Could he pull off one of the greatest escapes in English football? Guess we will have to wait and see but what Moor did with his West Brom side as they won 1-0 at Old Trafford never gave any other manager a chance in my team of the week.
