Hello! Welcome to Team of the Weekend, where we take the best and worst of the cast of this weekend’s games. Even though the FA Cup took centre stage we are still only considering Premier League players for our team. In a weekend of shocks, did anybody shine to take their place in our team?
Goalkeeper
Julian Speroni – The Premier League’s oldest player had a wonderful day against Tottenham. I gave him a bit of stick for his errors against Liverpool but he was fantastic here. To come away with a clean sheet having faced 19 shots probably says more about Tottenham than it does Speroni but I’d rather go for a positive. The alternative was digging Jordan Pickford out again for some… questionable positioning.
Defenders
Kevin Long – Stupidest penalty of the weekend goes to Kevin Long. At 4-0 down things were already pretty rough but this ludicrous display of shirt pulling made it 5-0.
Matt Doherty – Wolves were seconds away from exiting the FA Cup but for Doherty’s late, late header. He’s been one of the best attacking wing backs in the league this season so Nuno will be hoping he can help Wolves to that 7th place…or winning the FA Cup.
Arthur Masuaku – It’s our Diver of the week. West Ham had a rough night against Wimbledon but Masuaku blotted his personal copybook with a hopeless dive which rightfully earned him a yellow card. He won’t do it in the 5th round, that’s for certain.
Kieran Trippier – Top pen, Kieran. Tottenham had a half to forget against Crystal Palace, finding themselves 2-0 down. Just as you thought things were about to improve, Trippier sent his penalty wide of Speroni’s goal. Rather now than last summer, I say. Tottenham are out of their second cup in four days.
Midfielders
Kevin De Bruyne – Erm, I think he’s back. De Bruyne has been so unfortunate with injuries since the World Cup but he was in sensational form against Burnley. His goal from distance underlined his performance but Man City are starting to look scary again. Liverpool better keep winning because I’m not sure Pep’s men are likely to lose any time soon.
Felipe Anderson – Even in West Ham’s losing effort, he still netted a direct free kick which guarantees his place in our squad. His introduction at half time probably helped West Ham in general but not enough.
Callum Hudson-Odoi – This young winger has cottoned on very quickly that he will never get the chance to shine at Chelsea. His attempts to push through a move to Bayern Munich are admirable but he took his goal excellently. He’s clearly got a lot of talent and I’m curious to see if Chelsea accept his request to go.
Forwards
Romelu Lukaku – Lukaku put a real shift in for the team on Friday night. Operating from a position on the right wing, Lukaku picked up two assists in as many minutes as Man Utd eased past Arsenal. All of Man Utd’s players seem to be in form now, so there’s that to look forward to.
Andre Gray – If you haven’t scored since September, playing against Newcastle will probably be a great help to you. Gray got Watford on their way to the fifth round by breaking that duck early in the second half.
Connor Wickham – When you score your first goal for 799 days, the relief must be palpable. Wickham has had terrible luck with injuries but now he’s fit again he might save Palace a fortune. It’s a 5th round place for Roy Hodgson and with so few Premier League clubs still in, there’s no reason why they can’t go deep in the tournament with the right draw.
Manager
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer – This has been some impact, hasn’t it? Every time it looks like another big hurdle is coming along, Ole and his team jump well over it. It’s making the Champions League clash with PSG look all the more appetising. Furthermore, who would bet against Man Utd finishing in the top four? I certainly wouldn’t.
That’s all for this special FA Cup edition but I’ll be back on Thursday to cover the midweek games. Bye for now.
