Liverpool are represented in the latest Premier League team of the week that has been selected by BBC pundit Garth Crooks.
Actually Garth is now down as a ‘Football Analyst’ these days, a posh term for a pundit then!
The performances by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane in the four three victory over Manchester City at the weekend at Anfield was enough to earn them a place in the side alongside the other, in the opinion of the former Spurs striker anyway, most impressive performers in the topflight over the latest weekend.
I think we’ll already know ourselves, and not just based on the latest performance, why Crooks, we’ll also not argue with it, selected all three as part of his team but explaining his choice he told the BBC.
Oxlade-Chamberlain:
‘I’m delighted to see this player finally starting to settle down in his new role at Liverpool. I was a big admirer of this young emerging talent when he was at Southampton and expected even bigger things from him at Arsenal. However what I saw in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s performance against Manchester City was a player who believed in himself again. So much so that the England international went toe to toe with Kevin de Bruyne and came out on top. I’ve no doubt his glorious strike that put Liverpool ahead went a long way to calming the nerves and sharpening the focus. The big question now is can Oxlade-Chamberlain step into Philippe Coutinho’s shoes? With Steven Gerrard retired and Coutinho now playing for Barcelona, Anfield demands another midfield star. Oxlade-Chamberlain has the ability and now the stage to be that star in a way he never had at Arsenal. I wonder if he will seize the opportunity.’
Firmino:
‘When a close team-mate leaves a club it can feel like you’ve sustained an injury and it can take a little time to recover. Roberto Firmino would have been devastated to see Coutinho leave Liverpool for Barcelona, and said as much. But you wouldn’t have known it looking at his performance against Manchester City. In fact I think I saw the Brazilian assume far more responsibility in the absence of his former team-mate than I have seen before. With Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Firmino in the side all that is required is for Oxlade-Chamberlain to start hitting the back of the net on a regular basis and a new fab four will be born.’
Mane:
‘Sadio Mane’s strike was glorious and it should have put the game way beyond Manchester City’s reach – but this was no ordinary game and Manchester City are no ordinary team. Five minutes longer on the clock and City would have equalised. Sadio Mane may not be having the same goal return as last season but he is working incredibly hard to make up for it. In fact I can’t remember seeing Mane work as hard. Of course manager Jurgen Klopp built his reputation on such endeavours at Dortmund, but he had a defence then. Once again Liverpool went perilously close to blowing a great victory over City because of suspect defending. I know injuries to players are unfortunate but Liverpool need Virgil van Dijk fit and back in the team sharpish otherwise there will be many more games finishing 4-3, and not necessarily in Liverpool’s favour.’
It’s always good to see the club represented in this way, and well played to all three for their recognition, but the most important thing about the weekend was of course the points.
Full Team:
Wayne Hennessey (Crystal Palace), Andreas Christensen (Chelsea), Harry Maguire (Leicester City), Jonny Evans (West Bromwich Albion), Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Liverpool), James Ward-Prowse (Southampton), Manuel Lanzini (West Ham), Marko Arnautovic (West Ham), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
