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From Messi to Salah- The Best 11 Players of the 2020/21 season

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The football season in Europe is almost over with just 1 more week left for the major leagues. There are sure to be some exciting finishes especially in Spain where either Atletico Madrid or Real Madrid will be crowned champions.

As for England, congratulations to Manchester City who are the new champions, and in Italy Inter finally ended Juventus’ domination of the league in style.

But which players have shone and proved themselves this season above all others? And did you have any of these stars in your fantasy teams? The formation used is a 4-4-2 one and the leagues used are the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and Italian Serie A.

Goalkeeper: Jan Oblak- Atletico Madrid 116pts

Sometimes the points are very close between players but not a chance for Jan Oblak who has again underlined himself as one of the best goalkeepers in world football. Oblak has amassed 116 points and kept 18 clean sheets with only 24 goals conceded. He may just win the Spanish title this weekend too.

Defender: Achraf Hakimi- Inter- 92pts

Usually we see the same players in best teams of the season lists so it is refreshing to see the talent of Inter defender Achraf Hakimi make this list. Hakimi has certainly been one of the driving forces behind Inter’s title charge and was able to help to keep 13 clean sheets. However Hakimi has never been afraid to come forward and his stats are quite stunning- He has scored 7 league goals and also assisted in another 8. He made 23 points more than the next Inter defender.

Defender: Kieran Trippier- Atletico Madrid 90pts

Kieran Trippier has proven himself this season even if Atletico don’t win the league this weekend. He has been solid and superb and really grown as a player in defence. He hasn’t scored any goals but that isn’t his job, although he has set up six of them. But he has been part of a defence that has conceded 13 goals and has 16 clean sheets to his name. In short he has been Atletico’s best defender and few would have seen that coming.

Defender: Ruben Dias- Manchester City 75pts

Ruben Dias has just been named as the footballer’s writer’s defender of the season and really that came as no shock. Dias has been absolutely brilliant and his defending has been key as to why Manchester City were able to win back the title from Liverpool. An absolutely stunning season from Dias.

Defender: John Stones- Manchester City 75pts

John Stones, the revelation who upped his game several levels to keep his place in the Manchester City line up and won a title along the way. Possibly Stones’ best season as a professional player. Helped to keep 13 clean sheets and also scored 4 goals.

Midfielder: Mohamed Salah- Liverpool 118pts

Mohamed Salah is getting better by every year even when Liverpool dipped and saw their title easily taken away from them, Salah still scored the goals. 22 goals and 4 assists, Salah may just end up as top goalscorer for this season in the Premier League.

Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes- Manchester United 114pts

Bruno Fernandes hasn’t just had a terrific season he has changed Manchester United. If you want to know how and why United finished as runners-up in the league and are in the final of the Europa League look no further than the excellent Fernandes. He has scored 18 goals and assisted in another 12. Worth his weight in gold.

Midfielder: Marcos Llorente- Atletico Madrid 100pts

Atletico have been brilliant and consistent for the first time in La Liga since 2014 and Marcos Llorente has been outstanding in midfield with his anticipation and his superbly taken and timely tackles. Llorente has scored 12 goals and assisted in another 11.

Midfielder: Henrikh Mkhitaryan- Roma 92pts

For Roma this has been a season of what could have been but Mkhitaryan has had one of his best seasons of his career and has stayed reliable and consistent. He has contributed in an impressive 22 goals scoring 12 along the way.

Striker: Lionel Messi- Barcelona 130pts

Lionel Messi is one of the greats but did anyone really expect him to have the most points in European Fantasy League this season? At the beginning of the season he wanted to leave Barcelona but he stayed and they won the Copa Del Rey, not the best standard for the club. But Messi is Messi and he kept scoring and creating chances and has netted an amazing 30 goals and assisted in a further 9.

Striker: Cristiano Ronaldo- Juventus 117pts

The Messi and Ronaldo rivalry lives on despite their ages, they are ranked as the two best strikers in European Fantasy League. Ronaldo will end the Serie A season as top goalscorer and create a record- no other player has finished top of the goalscoring charts in England, Spain and Italy before. No league title for Ronaldo this time but he did win the Coppa Italia and will be raring to go next season. He has scored 29 goals and assisted in another 3.

Premier League: Best 11 Players of Week 35

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Somehow Manchester City blew the chance to win the Premier League this week as Sergio Aguero’s embarrassing ‘paneka’ penalty was easily saved. City were beating Chelsea 1-0 when Aguero had the penalty chance, but he blew it. Chelsea came back and won the game 2-1, will it foreshadow what happens in a couple of weeks in the Champions League final?

Chelsea look good for the top 3 now but Leicester lost 4-2 at home to Newcastle and the pressure is on them to make the top 4 after they blew that chance last season. West Ham though lost to Everton to dent their top 4 chances and Tottenham lost also. And alas suddenly we have the emergence of Liverpool who could well break into the top 4 if they can finish the season strongly.

It’s goodbye to West Bromwich Albion who were relegated after losing 3-1 at Arsenal and that means that manager Sam Allardyce has finally been relegated.

After another exciting week in the Premier League let’s take a look at the team of the week, did any of your chosen players make the grade?

Goalkeeper: Alisson- Liverpool 7pts

On the face of it Liverpool beating Southampton 2-0 seems like a straight forward home win for the Reds. But the truth is that goalkeeper Alisson was made to work hard and had 6 shots on target that he had to save. Alisson was kept busy and richly deserved his 8th clean sheet of the season to earn 7 points. He now has a total of 39 points.

Defender: Gary Cahill- Crystal Palace 7pts

Not only did Gary Cahill keep a clean sheet but he also assisted in Palace’s 2nd goal as they beat Sheffield United 2-0 away from home. Cahill was minus points but now he has 4 in a season which has been plagued by injuries.

Defender: Trent Alexander-Arnold- Liverpool 5pts

Alexander-Arnold put in an overdue solid appearance in what has been a disappointing season for the champions. He was able to keep a rare clean sheet for the club as they beat Southampton 2-0.

Defender: Michael Keane- Everton 5pts

Everton probably put in their best defensive game of the season as they denied West Ham and beat the Hammers 1-0 away from home. Michael Keane in defence set up a great partnership with Lucas Digne as they denied West Ham time and again. Keane has 9 clean sheets to his name and is ranked as the best defender for the club with 38 points.

Defender: Lucas Digne- Everton 5pts

Lucas Digne has 7 clean sheets now as Everton were under pressure against West Ham who were trying to win for a top four chance. Digne linked up superbly with Keane to build a wall and this actually led to West Ham having zero shots on target.

Midfielder: Sadio Mane- Liverpool 6pts

Sadio Mane has not been firing on all cylinders this season but he scored his 9th goal of the season against his former club Southampton as Liverpool won a vital game 2-0. Mane now has 63 points in total.

Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes- Manchester United 4pts

Fernandes opened the scoring as he converted a penalty for Manchester United who beat Aston Villa 3-1 away from home. Fernandes has been superb this season and those 4 points get added to his tally which stands at 109 points and currently he is the best midfielder in the Premier League with the fantasy rankings.

Midfielder: Bertrand Traore- Aston Villa 4pts

Bertrand Traore opened the scoring for Aston Villa against Manchester United and that was his 6th goal this season and he has been involved in 11 different goals in what has been a solid campaign for the midfielder.

Midfielder: Stuart Dallas- Leeds United 4pts

Stuart Dallas earned 4 points as he scored the opening goal for Leeds as they beat Tottenham 3-1 to dent the Londoners top 4 chances. Dallas has scored 8 goals so far and his value is just 6m which looks a bargain on reflection.

Striker: Callum Wilson- Newcastle United 8pts

Callum Wilson picked up a fantastic 8 points as Newcastle stunned Leicester away from home to win 4-2. Wilson scored 2 goals in 9 second half minutes and the talented striker now has 12 goals this season which is a superb return considering how Newcastle have overall struggled this season.

Striker: Dominic Calvert-Lewin- Everton 4pts

Calvert-Lewin has not been as good in the second half of the campaign compared to the first but he was the difference at the weekend for Everton as he scored the only goal of the game as Everton beat West Ham 1-0. The striker now has 16 goals and has a total of 63 points in arguably his best season with the club.

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Man Utd 6-2 AS Roma: Three things we learnt from the first leg of the Europa League Semi-finals

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Manchester United continued their dominant and ruthless showing in the Europa League, as they demolished a Roma side, who were forced to make three substitutes in the first half of the game due to unfortunate injuries. With this 6-2 victory at Old Trafford, it leaves the Red Devils with one foot into the Europa League finals and not much to worry about for the second leg in Italy next week.

The hosts got off to the perfect start with a goal in the ninth minute through Bruno Fernandes, who was smartly found by Edinson Cavani before chipping the ball over Pau Lopez. However, the team conceded two cheap goals through individual errors and poor defensive awareness as the Italian side were able to achieve two away goals and most importantly the lead, ten minutes before the break.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men meant business and came out with the right mindset after the half-time break, leading to a crucial equaliser from Cavani three minutes into the second half, who produced a world-class finish. From there onwards, it was all Manchester United as Roma found it too difficult to keep up with them and handle them, with the English team scoring four goals in the last 25 minutes of the match, as the goals came from Cavani again, Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Mason Greenwood.

Here are the three things we learnt from United’s latest Europa League fixture…

One foot into the Europa League finals

Despite failing to get past the semi-finals of three competitions during the 2019-20 season, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United are 90 minutes away from finally experiencing their first final under the 48-year-old Norwegian international. It may seem like a long time coming, but the manager and the players have shown the maturity and understanding to comeback from the downfall they had suffered from last season, resulting in a campaign ending with zero silverware.

With one foot in the Europa League final, both the manager and the players will still have a lot to takeaway from the first leg against Roma, as a number of individuals had lost their heads once the opposition took the lead, and the coach is always criticised for his in-game management skills. Though, on this occasion, Solskjaer did not change the line-up after trailing to Roma, as the team managed to turn things around in the second half as they showed their pure brilliance and quality.

The big characters in midfield and attack stepped up

After Edin Dzeko had given the visitors the lead in the 34th minute of the game, nothing was going right for United, who were failing to string a couple of passes together and were not making the clear effort on both sides of the pitch. However, with the half-time break arriving at the perfect time for the side, the huge characters in the team in Bruno Fernandes, Edinson Cavani and Paul Pogba effectively stepped up in the second half, leaving Roma with no chance of defending their 2-1 lead.

With experienced players who have played at the highest level of football for quite some time like the above trio, they are the type of individuals who are able to create a chance or score a goal from half a moment. When a manager has born winners and players who step up when the side need them the most, it leaves Solskjaer with very little to do or to change in order to turn the game around, as individuals such as Cavani, Fernandes and Pogba are able to do this single-handedly.

Man Utd remain favourites to win the Europa League

For sure, Manchester United were seen as the clear favourites to win the Europa League after they were knocked out of the Champions League group stages, though, the side had to take their performance levels and results up a notch in order to prevent themselves from being regarded as bottlers. As the club have not won a trophy since May 2017, which was the Europa League under Jose Mourinho, everyone at the club will want to re-write history by becoming two-time winners.

With the opposition for the final yet to be confirmed between Arsenal and Villarreal, the Red Devils should have more than enough class and individual brilliance to see out either of the sides in the Europa League final. Not only that, but the side also have one of the best form away from home in Europe, as the team have shown their pure class of elite mentality and intelligence to win games. In the end, it would be seen as a huge shock if the Red Devils fail to win the competition and a lot of questions and doubts will be raised on whether the manager/players are good enough for the club.

Roma smashed for 6 goals as Manchester United run riot in the Europa League

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The week had begun with Roma fans very unhappy with Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s comments about the club. Solskjaer had said that he hadn’t watched much of Roma and didn’t really know too much about the club in response to his preparation of United’s game against them.

Roma fans were livid and put up banners where the players train which some read ‘give them something to remember us by’. Well that didn’t quite go to plan and Roma who had lost 7-1 at Old Trafford 14 years ago went down 6-2 and are surely out of the Europa League now.

It was a devastating result and it showed the quality that Manchester United can still possess on their day. It is odd in some ways though because this game had shifted back and forth and for a time Roma were leading 2-1 and looking good for it too. Oh how football can be so cruel.

Perhaps the Gods had acted too quick in announcing this would be a forgettable night for Roma once again in Europe. Within a few minutes of the game kicking off one of Roma’s best players this season Jordan Veretout had to go off with an injury. Five minutes later Roma were trailing 1-0 through a Bruno Fernandes goal. It was a great chip that Fernandes produced to put United in charge of the game. At this point the rest looked inevitable, but Roma would surprise first before hitting the canvas.

Just five minutes after the goal the Giallorossi hit back. Paul Pogba handled the ball in the area and they were awarded a penalty. The impressive Lorenzo Pellegrini who is ranked 3rd in the best Roma players in the fantasy football standings converted with no trouble and it was 1-1.

But still the total non luck continued for Roma when they lost a further two players to injury. First it was Pau Lopez and then Leonardo Spinazzola had to leave the field. The good news was that Roma would take the lead. Pellegrini was able to set up Edin Dzeko for an easy goal and Dzeko a former Manchester City player would have been happy with that. The first half ended with Roma in the lead full time would not be so kind.

Within 3 minutes of the restart Edinson Cavani had made it 2-2 though VAR did question the goal it stood. Just past the hour mark Cavani made it 3-2 to United and his 2nd of the night after latching onto a rebound. And then it was 4-2 ten minutes later with a Fernandes penalty. Chris Smalling had made the foul, the former Manchester United player, it all seemed written in the stars and this game was over for Roma, the problem was there was more goals to come.

On the 76th minute it was 5 goals for the home side, Fernandes turning provider this time and the ball found Paul Pogba’s head for sheer joy for the Red Devils. Mason Greenwood just rubbed salt into the wounds to make it 6-2 for the night and put, let’s face it, two feet into the final for Manchester United.

Roma need to win 4-0 to advance to the final, they will be at home of course for the 2nd leg but this seems quite a stretch to believe that they have any chance of making it. It has been a nightmare of a season for Roma simply because it had started so well, but this match proved that the club are in dire straits and that coach Paolo Fonseca will surely be replaced in the summer.

After going their last 3 games without a win Roma are in 7th place in Serie A which means that they would have to go through a qualifying round just to participate in next seasons Europa League. They could also finish 8th and have no European football next season, which is a real possibility. At the weekend the Giallorossi will face Sampdoria.

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Man Utd: Three players that need to do much better after the international break

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As the international break is a couple of days away from ending, the majority of Manchester United supporters will be wondering how the manager and the players will prepare for the final four to six weeks of the season. Sitting in second place, along with remaining in the Europa League, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men still have a fair amount to play for in the remaining short period of the campaign.

Following the club’s departure from the FA Cup to Leicester City two weeks ago, the chances of winning a piece of silverware this season is through the Europa League route only, which still has the likes of Arsenal, Ajax, Roma and Villarreal in the intense competition. Nevertheless, the Red Devils are still favourites to win the trophy, and if the manager goes two seasons without delivering a league title or trophy, a lot of doubts and questions will be raised by the Old Trafford faithful.

With no further ado, here are the three players that need to improve after the international break…

Anthony Martial

From having his most prolific campaign in a Manchester United shirt last season, scoring 17 goals and producing six assists in 32 league appearances, to being on the worst form of his professional career, Anthony Martial has contributed to only seven league goals directly in 1488 minutes of Premier League football. The Frenchman’s issues in front of goal and lack of consistency, has led to the links to Erling Braut Haaland, who was wanted by both the club and manager, over a season ago.

Given how Manchester United play under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Martial is a key individual for his system, especially with his hold-up play and his ability to bring the midfielders and the other attackers into the game. On the other hand, the 25 year old’s stiff movement in the final third of the pitch and his consistency to hide away in games is showing to be a huge problem, and if these weaknesses are not ironed out, it would not be a surprise to see him slowly drifted away from the starting line-up, as the top teams in European football have a number nine that is complete and dominant.

Bruno Fernandes

For sure, many will wonder why Bruno Fernandes has made this list, someone who is proving to be one of the key performers for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United this campaign. However, the Portuguese international has not been himself since the start of 2021, as he has found it difficult to effect and influence the game in the way he normally does so. Not only that, but he has been playing week in and out without an actual rest, causing a massive hinderance on his day-to-day impact and output.

Over the last few months, Fernandes has been showing some inconsistency and flaws in his game, where he tends to overdo his passes, spam constant crosses as well as lead a single and unnecessary press, allowing the opposition to take advantage of the space that he leaves behind. The good news happens to be, he is suspended for Portugal’s final fixture of the international break, resulting in his return to Manchester a couple of days ago, which will allow him to enjoy the final days of resting before playing in the Premier League again.

David De Gea

Without a doubt he is regarded as a fans favourite and someone who has individually helped Manchester United during their decline after the Sir Alex Ferguson-era, though, David De Gea is now holding back the football club from playing their best football and most importantly from competing for titles and trophies under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The fact that he can no longer produce his outstanding reflexes, he is not vocal enough as a goalkeeper and is seriously unconvincing at playing out from the back, makes him a huge defensive liability.

Furthermore, Dean Henderson has been given a number of chances to prove himself in De Gea’s absence, in which he has outdone the expectations of the manager as well as the supporters with quality performances against the like of Manchester City, Real Sociedad in both legs and AC Milan in the second leg. And if he continues to perform at a high level as well as minimise the weaknesses in the Harry Maguire and Victor Lindelof partnership, then the Spaniard’s time at Old Trafford will most certainly look to be over.

The Best 5 Premier League players so far in 2020/21

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Domestic football is on a break until the beginning of April, so there are no Premier League team of the week.

This is a chance then to see which Premier League players have been performing the best this season based on their fantasy points and gives you the chance to see if you have any players.

Together with picking out the top 5 we will also have honourable mentions of other players who have performed well this season and could well make their way into the top 5 by the end of the season.

The top 5 best Premier League players so far this season:

1. Bruno Fernandes- Manchester United 101 pts

If you had Bruno Fernandes in your team at the beginning of the season what a pick that would have been given that the midfielder costs just 8.5m. He has been such an important player for Manchester United that we can say that the club would not be 2nd without his input. And let’s talk about his contribution so far the Portuguese star has scored 16 goals and assisted in another 10 goals. If you want to know why United are doing well in the Premier League this season, look no further.

2. Ederson Moraes- Manchester City 98pts

When Manchester City win the league this season people will talk about how well Ilkay Gundogan has performed alongside Phil Foden. But the key to City’s title will be in their defence and Ederson in goal has had a terrific season. So far he has helped to keep 16 clean sheets, which is a fantastic record. On top of that Ederson has even assisted in a goal, which is a remarkable fact. He continues to get better by each season.

3. Harry Kane- Tottenham 93pts

By far England’s best striker Harry Kane may not win any trophies this season (the Carabao Cup withstanding) but even if he doesn’t what a personal season it has been again for Kane. Kane’s record for Tottenham in the league is nothing short of mind blowing and he has been involved in 30 of the clubs league goals. Tottenham have scored 49 goals, just let that sink in. Tottenham will be doing everything in their power to keep their star forward this summer as he will surely be in demand.

4. Mohamed Salah- Liverpool 90pts

It almost feels like this has been a quiet season for Salah given his presence over the Premier League in the last 2 seasons. But actually Salah has been as busy as ever, it’s just that Liverpool as a team faced such an implosion that nobody could have seen it. Still for Salah he has scored 17 times and assisted in 3 goals, that is hardly a poor season and the Egyptian international himself is actually having another solid and brilliant campaign.

5. Edouard Mendy- Chelsea 86pts

In truth Edouard Mendy was scripted to be the 2nd goal keeper at Chelsea, but once given his chance he has impressed enough to become the clubs number 1 shot stopper. It’s encouraging for him that new manager Thomas Tuchel has kept him on and can also, like former manager Frank Lampard, see his immense qualities. Mendy has kept 14 clean sheets so far and is turning out to be a real star with the Blues.

Honourable mentions:

John Stones is having his best season as a professional player and is such an important part of the set up at Manchester City. Before this season his place was genuinely under threat but he has stepped up to the mantle and is not just defending well but is good to score goals too- he currently has 4 so far.

Ilkay Gundogan another Manchester City player, like Stones is having his best season. Gundogan can be provider but he has also scored some very important goals this season and has 12 so far. Ruben Dias is yet another City player in defence which has held everything together and looks like the perfect replacement for club legend Vincent Kompany. Dias has 73 pts so far.

Let’s not forget about Harry Kane’s strike partner, Heung-Min Son who has been unfortunate lately having his injury and missing some key games. But Son has had brilliant spells this season and has scored 13 goals and assisted in another 9. Indeed Kane and Son are arguably the best striker partnership in Europe when they are firing on all cylinders.

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Man Utd: Two questions ahead of the West Ham United clash at Old Trafford

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United face a difficult fixture on Sunday evening, as West Ham travel up north to Old Trafford with the interest of continuing their shocking pursuit for a top-four finish. Currently sitting in fifth-place, David Moyes has got the Hammers walking in his wonderland, who have won more league games than the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur.

Looking at Manchester United’s form at home so far this campaign, in 13 league games, the side have won six, drawn three and lost on four occasions. The side’s results could certainly improve, especially if they were to be more effective in controlling the game from start to end, as well as giving the opposition very little space and time on the ball, two key aspects of United’s current flaws that need addressing.

On the other hand, West Ham’s record away from home is similar to Man Utd’s results at home, however, they have done more than enough in the fixtures at the London Stadium in order to be in the position where they are today. An interesting fact for those that are into their statistics is that David Moyes’ side have the second-best home form in the league, achieving 27 points out of 42.

Here are the two questions which should be considered ahead of Sunday evening…

Can Ole Gunnar Solskjaer improve the side’s performances and results at Old Trafford?

Despite being in second place at the moment, Manchester United’s performances and results at home in recent months simply haven’t been good enough, especially if they want to turn Old Trafford into a fortress, like it was during the Sir Alex Ferguson era. Since then, the opposition teams have been able to come to the theatre of dreams with the confidence of walking away with a result.

With key matches coming up in the final months of the season against the likes West Ham, Burnley, Liverpool and Leicester City, the squad will have to take their individual output up a notch, or they will fall into a dangerous trap of falling into a battle for the top four positions. For sure, the schedule of fixtures has been all over the place, where all the teams in the Premier League are playing a game every few days, but the Red Devils have to give a last push to end the season on a high note.

Will Bruno Fernandes be able to deliver the goods on his own with key individuals being injured?

Given the fact that the crucial players in Anthony Martial, Edinson Cavani, Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba are expected to miss the West Ham fixture, Manchester United will totally be dependent on Bruno Fernandes, who has incredibly helped the side week in and out. In 28 Premier League appearances this season, the Portuguese international has contributed directly to 26 of Manchester United’s 55 goals, showing how essential and important he truly is to manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The 26-year-old is clearly proving to be one of the best Premier League players of the season, and if he continues to help his team finish in the top three positions in the league table, he will be regarded as the clear favourite to win the PFA Player of the Season award. Although he has been quiet in recent fixtures and he has shown quite some inconsistencies, Bruno Fernandes will aim to return to his fine form once again, as he is the type of player to create or score out of nothing.

 

Premier League: Best 11 Players of Week 27

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Manchester City finally lost a game and to all of the teams who could have been against they wouldn’t want to lose to their arch rivals Manchester United but that’s exactly what happened as United ran out 2-0 winners. It doesn’t change the league standing much and City are 11 points in front of their rivals. Nevertheless it was a great result for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side and they now look a shoe in for a top 4 place.

Liverpool lost their 6th game at home in a row in what is now a stunning downfall for the current champions. They have dropped to 8th place as Fulham beat them 1-0.

Let’s take a look at the players who made the grade this week in the fantasy football team for the Premier League, the formation being used is 4-4-2.

Goalkeeper: Alphonse Areola- Fulham 7pts

Fulham didn’t just beat Liverpool at Anfield they also kept a clean sheet as they won the game 1-0. Areola had to make some good saves and keep focused throughout and that was the keeper’s 9th clean sheet so far and he has a total of 39 points.

Defender: Matt Doherty- Tottenham 6pts

Matt Doherty put in a strong performance for Tottenham as his confidence grows as they easily beat Crystal Palace 4-1. On top of his performance the player also assisted for the clubs 3rd goal and set his side well onto victory. Doherty’s value is 6m.

Defender: Luke Shaw- Manchester United 8pts

Luke Shaw had a weekend to remember as Manchester United beat their rivals in the famed derby 2-0. Not only did United win but they won at the Etihad and also Shaw scored the 2nd goal to win the game. It was Shaw’s first goal of the season and what a time to get it. The defender now has 45 points so far.

Defender: Ola Aina- Fulham 5pts

Especially in the second half of the season Ola Aina for Fulham has come on, if he isn’t scoring goals which he can do from the back four he is doing his prime job of defending. The player was under considerable pressure against Liverpool but put in a sterling job to shut the champions out. Aina has 41 points and has helped to keep 8 clean sheets so far.

Defender: Michael Keane- Everton 5pts

Michael Keane has been one of Everton’s best defenders and helped to keep his 7th clean sheet of the season as Everton beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in their last game. Keane has been in good form this year and has 32 points so far.

Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes- Manchester United 6pts

Bruno Fernandes is so pivotal to Manchester United and he proved once again how important he is by scoring a very early penalty as Manchester United beat Manchester City 2-0 away from home. That was Fernandes’ 16th goal of the season so far.

Midfielder: Gareth Bale- Tottenham 9pts

Gareth Bale is on fire right now and following his fantastic performance against Burnley, Bale turned it on again to score another 2 goals as Tottenham beat Crystal Palace 4-1 at home. Bale now has 5 goals and has amassed 29 points.

Midfielder: Mason Mount- Chelsea 6pts

Mason Mount keeps scoring important goals for Chelsea and he has been one of the Blues’ most important players so far in this campaign. Mount has scored 5 goals and has 48 points in one of his best seasons as a professional.

Midfielder: James Ward-Prowse- Southampton 6pts

James Ward-Prowse started the season very positively but in recent months had taken a step back and of course a few weeks out due to injury didn’t help. But he stepped up to open the scoring with a penalty as Southampton recorded a 2-0 win over Sheffield United.

Striker: Harry Kane- Tottenham 12pts

It was another stunning weekend for England’s number 1 striker Harry Kane. Kane scored 2 goals and also assisted in another. Kane has now scored an incredible 16 goals but also assisted in a further 13 and he has 89 points. That makes Kane the best player in all of the fantasy leagues competitions so far.

Striker: Kelechi Iheanacho- Leicester 4pts

Kelechi Iheanacho scored his 3rd goal of the season to help Leicester come back against Brighton and eventually win the game 2-1. The forward isn’t normally a regular but has been given the chance because of injuries and has scored a few goals lately. He currently has 10 points overall but could get more opportunities and his value is 6m.

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In Europe Manchester United are bullish and brilliant but in the Premier League they have lost direction

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The difference seemingly can’t be measured when Manchester United play in Europe and then switch to domestic football. Here we have a club whose form this season in the Premier League has been amongst the best, but United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer keep having their dips in form.

Every team of course has form problems and can go on an average to bad run, the problem with Manchester United is that it seems to hang around longer. The flipside to this is that they can pull out 5-6 game winning runs. But in this moment it feels as though the Red Devils have lost some direction in the Premier League.

Perhaps this is down too the fact that their city rivals Manchester City have shot away from the rest of the league and are now 14 points in the lead over United who are in 2nd place. It seems as if United have given up the chase and let’s face it they will not claw those points back now. However at the same time any United fan and anyone associated with the club would love to see them finish 2nd if being champions was always going to be too much for them to achieve this season.

The truth is, at this point, United will have a challenge on their hands to finish in the top four. Currently they are in 2nd and have 51 points and the gap to 5th where Liverpool currently are is 8 points. The Reds have a game in hand and those points could be reduced in midweek.

Manchester United have won just once in their last 5 games and have earned just 15 points from their last 30. With their standing that just isn’t good enough. Leicester could be poised to take 2nd place from United too and they have a chasing pack of West Ham, Chelsea, Liverpool, Everton and Tottenham to contend with. Jose Mourinho’s side do not look a threat at present being 12 points behind United but they have 2 games in hand and all could change rather quickly if teams find more consistency.

In drawing 0-0 with Crystal Palace, United also have gone their last 2 games without a goal and when one looks at their strike force including Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial, Bruno Fernandes and Edinson Cavani one would expect better. After all Palace were not fighting for anything when the clubs met this week.

United fans will know this form isn’t just a blip, not under Solskjaer who has had a good 5 dips of form since becoming manager of the club, those dips have stretched out for two months at a time. And that form would have cost Solskjaer his job at many clubs especially a club like Chelsea which Frank Lampard found out just a few weeks ago.

So in the Europa League when United were pitted against Spanish side Real Sociedad it was thought that the club were going to struggle and could get knocked out of the competition. Sociedad had led La Liga this season for several weeks and had taken points from the bigger teams. In Portu Sociedad have their own Bruno Fernandes, a versatile attacking midfielder who also scores plenty of goals. Just last weekend his goal helped the club to take 2 points from Real Madrid away from home as that match finished 1-1. In short Sociedad are a very good side. And yet Manchester United in poor form beat Sociedad 4-0 and knocked them out of the Europa League.

It feels as if United have that fire in the belly and man for man one could say that United have the better team than Sociedad, but one would also have to agree that they thought this match up would have been very close and not settled with such a large score. In Europe in this cup competition under Solskjaer United seem to have found their footing, their place where everything clicks and they should be among the favourites to go on and win the competition.

The players seem more focused in Europe and there is a goal to reach, and perhaps domestically United understand that they need an extra push to stay in the top 4 but apart from that not much can be achieved now, but in Europe and also the FA Cup the fire in the belly remains.

United will play Milan in the quarter finals of the Europa League and should be content in the fact that this isn’t the Milan of 15 years ago. Milan are a good side of course but United over two legs, one would think, would have too much for the Italians.

But Solskjaer needs to be mindful this his side do not lose focus in the Premier League, it is a tough and competitive league that takes no prisoners. If you start to lag and stop winning you will be punished and United are not certain for a top four place. They would be foolish to put all of their eggs in one basket and go for the Europa, they need to maintain some desire to pick up points in the Premier League also.

The next few months will reveal the story more and Solskjaer will be well aware that his job despite an overall good season is far from safe.

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Premier League: Best 11 Players from Week 25

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Everton beat Liverpool for the first time in 11 years and the first time at Anfield since 1999 as they won 2-0 against a very odd looking Liverpool side who seem to have imploded and they could well struggle to finish in a top 4 place this season.

Tottenham have lost 4 out of the last five games and their latest defeat came against the impressive West Ham  who have climbed to 4th as a result. The chase for a top 4 spot is on and it’s looking very exciting, let’s see which players dazzled the league this week and made the team of the week.

Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford- Everton 7pts

Jordan Pickford has been missing for a few weeks with a rib injury but England’s Number 1 was back to his best as he kept a clean sheet at the champion Liverpool and Everton won an historic match 2-0.

Defender: Ruben Dias- Manchester City 5pts

Ruben Dias has been superb this season and he kept yet another clean sheet his 14th of the season as Manchester City beat Arsenal 1-0 away from home. Dias now has 66 points and his 3rd in the defenders list in the fantasy points for the Premier League.

Defender: James Tarkowski- Burnley 5pts

James Tarkowski has now kept 9 clean sheets and has had a solid season especially when you consider that Burnley have struggled this season and the player earned another 5 great points at the weekend.

Defender: Michael Keane- Everton 5pts

Michael Keane was arguably the man of the match as Everton beat Liverpool 2-0. Keane has had a solid season and was rock solid in defence for Everton making numerous great tackles. Keane’s value is 6.5m.

Defender: Lucas Digne- Everton 5pts

When Lucas Digne defends like he did at the weekend v Liverpool in the classic Merseyside derby then his switch from Barcelona to Everton makes perfect sense for the Premier League side. Digne’s value is 7m.

Midfielder: Raheem Sterling- Manchester City 6pts

Raheem Sterling scored the only goal of the game as Manchester City beat Arsenal 1-0. Sterling scored early on and that was 9th goal of the season. The player seems to get better every season and is having a solid campaign.

Midfielder: James Rodriguez- Everton 4pts

James Rodriguez earned another 4 points in midfield and he has a total of 29 points and is ranked as Everton’s best midfielder of the season so far. His value is 9.5m.

Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes- Manchester United 5pts

Manchester United were given a scare by Newcastle by eventually powered through and Bruno Fernandes sealed the winner as the Red Devils won 3-1. That was Fernandes 15th goal of the season and he has been involved in a total of 25 league goals so far, in an incredible season for the Portuguese.

Midfielder: Jesse Lingard- West Ham 4pts

Jesse Lingard has been brilliant for West Ham after his switch in the winter transfer window from Manchester United. Lingard scored again for the Hammers as they surprised Tottenham to win the game 2-1.

Striker: Richarlison- Everton- 4pts

Richarlison has started the season slow but he is scoring goals for Everton now and he got one of the most important of his Everton career as he opened the scoring against Liverpool in the derby. Richarlison now has 4 goals and 17 points this season.

Striker: Takumi Minamino- Southampton 4pts

Takumi Minamino became the first player to score against Chelsea with Thomas Tuchel as manager as he put Southampton in the lead early on. The game finished 1-1 but Minamino played a very good match and his switch from Liverpool looks like a good one for the Saints.

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