Tag Archives: Player of the Week

Premier League: Player of the Week: Nicolas Pepe

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It has been a slow start for Arsenal’s Nicolas Pepe who was being thought of as the next best player to come from Ligue 1 football. Pepe had just completed a brilliant season with Lille, who had finished 2nd in the French league to inevitable champions PSG. To further that Pepe had scored 22 goals in the league and was a major reason that Lille qualified for this seasons Champions League. Despite qualification Pepe chose to join Arsenal in a deal that cost the Premier League club £72m.

This past weekend Pepe showed the best side of his game, something that Arsenal fans had been waiting for since August. Arsenal beat Newcastle 4-0, a rare result for the Gunners this season given that they have drawn 13 games and have only won 7 games so far. But this was more than a result, it seemed like a statement, even if the club had only really started playing in the 2nd half, given that the match was all square at 0-0 in the first.

Pepe was given the man of the match after a dazzling spectacle that all kicked off in the 54th minute when he set up Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Arsenal’s first goal. Two minutes later Pepe himself was making it 2-0, and it was crucial not just to get the second goal but the fact it came so close after the first, Arsenal were going to triumph here and Newcastle had just been shocked into submission.

Pepe then assisted Alexandre Lacazette when the game was at 3-0 to the home side and Lacazette duly obliged by making it 4-0 in the fifth minute of injury time. It was a great result for Arsenal but a fantastic display by Pepe.

The Ivory Coast international earned 8 points at the weekend, the most of any player in the Premier League, even with reduced fixtures given that there was a winter break on.

So far Pepe has a total of 21 points and is valued at 8m, if he starts his form now that could be a great price as Arsenal try to recover their season from 10th place. The attacking winger has scored 4 goals so far and assisted in a further four and has received 3 yellow cards.

Maybe Pepe’s career with Arsenal has started slow, one remembers though the same applied to both Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry and they ended up being club legends. Also in the fantasy rankings Pepe is the 3rd best Arsenal player of the season so far but is more than double the points behind Aubameyang.

Something says that Pepe is going to get better and better this season,and the Gunners next game will be at home to Everton at the weekend who lie just in front of them in 9th position.

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Premier League: Player of the Week: Mohamed Salah

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Two players earned 10 points last weekend which was by far the most in the Premier League: West Ham’s Robert Snodgrass who was able to score 2 goals and Liverpool’s attacking midfielder Mohamed Salah. We chose Salah based on the fact that his goals ended up contributing to a win. For Snodgrass even though his goals helped West Ham go 3-1 up when playing Brighton, the away side came back and the game ended 3-3. 

Mohamed Salah’s goals this past weekend were very welcome because compared to the last few seasons it could well be argued that the Egyptian international was not scoring enough goals and was going quite a few games without them. At the same time perhaps people have missed his contributions to games, his deft running, his turns, his holding up the ball and letting other players in. Salah really hasn’t stopped and he has become invisible sometimes but in a brilliant way where he is losing his man. The bottom line is his work rate has been second to none.

This past weekend though on top of all of that he did score and he got 2 goals, and this was important for Liverpool who have Sadio Mane out injured for a couple of weeks.

Liverpool were 2-0 up at the time but there was still 30 minutes to play and in the Premier League what we have noticed is that 2 goals is not always enough if you are going for victory. And Southampton played some very good football, they did remain a threat. But the Saints fire was distinguished when Salah grabbed the 3rd goal with just over 20 minutes remaining. A brilliant in swinging pass by Jordan Henderson was met by Salah who lost his marker and he neatly chipped the ball over the keeper for his first goal.

The 3rd goal killed the game and then in the final minute Salah added a 4th goal, a bit scrappy but it went in. In truth 4 goals past Southampton was harsh on the visitors who played much better than that. How many teams for example get 17 attempts on goal at Anfield? They actually had one more than Liverpool. Although what was telling is that Liverpool had 9 shots on target compared to the Saints 4. But the away side did have 11 corners compared to Liverpool’s 6, which proves that they were in attacking mode, perhaps they just left themselves very wide open and it is true Liverpool were waiting to counter them each time they came forward.

As for Salah that was 2 goals certainly needed and moved him up to joint 3rd in the goalscorers table with 14 so far, also he has 6 assists, so has been involved in 20 of Liverpool’s league goals so far. That equates to 33% of all of Liverpool’s league goals this season. Considering the club have goal scorers such as Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane in their side that is really impressive from Salah.

As far as fantasy points go those 10 points have helped Salah to go to 89 points and he is in fact placed in 1st position in the overall Premier League players, 11 points ahead of teammate TrentAlexander-Arnold. In all leagues he is in 2nd place, with the top spot going to Ciro Immobile in Serie A.

Salah is sure to have a strong finish to the season and when he has played for the club he has helped in 11 clean sheets, with the most recent against Southampton. If you want him in your team he is one of the most expensive players- and for good reason valued at 15m.

Liverpool’s next league game is away to bottom club Norwich, where there could well be ample opportunity for him and his team mates to add to their goals.

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Ligue 1 Player of the Week: Opa Nguette

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Opa Nguette amassed 10 points this week and that is the most of any Ligue 1 player as the Metz striker helped his relegation threatened side to a fantastic 3-1 victory over Saint Etienne.

Nguette was on hand to score the opening goal. Then he assisted Habib Diallo, another player who is in great form for the second. Nguette then scored the 3rd goal which ended the tie and gave his club a much needed victory. It was a good one too even if, in the build up, it took some luck a ricochet in this instance. The cross met Nguette who slotted home well and he had to readjust himself quickly to do so as the pace off the ball wasn’t what he was expecting.

The win puts Metz in 16th place and they have climbed 7 points above the relegation zone, they should be fine this season. The club are in great form too having gone their last 5 games unbeaten including winning 3 games in a row, and are in their best form of the season, just at the right time.

Metz bought Nguette from Valenciennes in 2016 and the player who is now 25 has sometimes been used more as an attacking midfielder but also someone that can move up to the striker position if needed.

He is a very popular player with the team although his one drawback is not scoring enough goals from his position. Last season though he scored his most for a league term with 7 goals from 33 league appearances.

This season Nguette has amassed a total of 19 points from 19 starts. The player has scored 4 goals and assisted in a further 2 and it is clear that he has been under performing and this week has been his best this season in a Metz shirt. His current value is just 4.5m and he could be worth adding to your fantasy team, as this could be the beginning of something special for him as Metz will try and kick on and finish in the top half of the table which is very possible.

Whilst Nguette has found form and earned 10 points, that’s 55% of his total amount of points earned in just one game he could be a doubt for Metz’s next game. He has a niggling injury, and could be 50/50 to play in it, this is unfortunate as those goals would have installed a lot of confidence in a player that really needed them.

The objective is good though and the plan is working out and between him and Diallo Metz will have no problems in staying up this season.

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Premier League: Player of the Week: Mohamed Salah

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There was only one game in the Premier League in the week because last weekend the FA Cup 4th round took over domestic proceedings. The featured game was between West Ham and Liverpool, with both clubs having a game in hand because of December’s World Club Cup scheduling meaning that Liverpool were away.

The game was tipped to be in favour of Liverpool and unsurprisingly it was. David Moyes selected five players at the back as his intention was to frustrate the visitors and maybe sneak a counter goal or just draw the game. With half time closing in it did look like Moyes’ plan was working with Liverpool having all of the domination and yet the score was 0-0.

However with the pace going up another level the inevitable happened. If Liverpool were not going to score from open play then they were going to force mistakes and they were awarded a penalty. Now this was an important moment for Mohamed Salah. One of the finest and deadliest strikers in Europe is not having the vintage season that was predicted of him. In short he needed this goal.

He stood up and wanted to take it and slotted it home. The cheers from the Liverpool fans were loud not only because their unbeaten side had found a goal but also for Salah, and the hope will be that he will start to score more regularly now.

Of course it’s not all doom and gloom for the striker who does have 12 goals this season. Also he has assisted in a further 6 goals, meaning that he has contributed 18 of Liverpool’s 56 league goals so far. That is about 35% of every goal this season, pretty impressive.

Salah would cost you 15m based on his two previous brilliant seasons but he does have 79 points so far and believe it or not that places him 2nd in the fantasy rankings of all players in the major European leagues combined. An added bonus is that he hardly picks up bookings and he has just 1 yellow card so far this season.

It wasn’t just his penalty goal though that made Salah the difference in midweek. His work rate is second to none and he run the Hammers defence ragged at times, he is always looking for a creative space and he played to his strengths. His pace is simply electrifying. That is why in local press in Liverpool he was easily voted man of the match. Liverpool will be hoping that with the title run in and the Champions League restarting that the player is only now just finding his best form of the season.

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Ligue 1: Player of the Week: Neymar

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One of the best players to ever grace Ligue 1 is the player of the week and that is PSG striker Neymar.

The Brazilian star has been brilliant this season even though he has missed two chunks of it. When he plays he usually scores, and this past weekend he came up trumps against a very good Lille side.

The last time PSG played Lille at Stade Pierre-Mauroy they were so close to sealing the league title and just needed a win, at the time Lille were in 2nd place but couldn’t catch them but the club still had a parting gift and that was to inflict a heavy and rare defeat on them, Lille ran out 5-1 winners.

This season no one was publically talking about revenge but it was clear PSG were after it. They beat Lille 2-0 and there was only one team in it. It was a victory that took the champions 10 points clear at the top and both of the goals came from Neymar. The added satisfaction from PSG’s point of view is that it was Lille’s first defeat at home this season.

Neymar has had his ups and downs this season but at the end of the day he has now scored 13 goals and is just 1 behind Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder. He has also assisted in a further 5 goals, so he has contributed 18 goals from his 13 games that he has played and that is a brilliant return.

He ranks in 5th place of Ligue 1 players in the fantasy rankings with a combined score of 55 points and his 2 goals at the weekend earned him the most points which was 8. His value is 14.5m and for good reason. He just produces the goods time and again.

The game against Lille marked Neymar’s 50th league game in France where he has now scored an incredible 47 goals. Neymar’s first goal of the game came just before the half hour mark as he played a neat one-two with Marco Verratti before unleashing a brilliant shot from 18 yards. The game was wrapped up early in the second half when the visitors were awarded a penalty and Neymar took it, the ball crept in with the power of the shot and that was his 2nd goal of the game. In a very touching moment Neymar paid tribute to Basketball legend Kobe Bryant who he had previously met, Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash earlier that day.

After a summer of discontent when Neymar tried to force a move away from the club, some fans suggested that it would take an almighty effort from Neymar this season for them to forgive him. Well he is doing just that, and he is making it look all too easy. Then again that’s what you get when you spend over 200 million euros on a player.

 

 

Premier League: Player of the Week: Alisson

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Alisson earned 8 points and is our player of the week in the Premier League.

The Liverpool goalkeeper much like his team has been unbelievable this season, and the Brazilian put in another magnificent display at the weekend. Liverpool were playing a potential difficult game when they came up against old rival Manchester United at Anfield. In the reverse fixture earlier in the season Manchester United had held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw. That draw remains the only blemish on Liverpool’s unbeaten season so far. They have won every other game and have 64 points from a possible 66. We can talk about the quality that Liverpool possess up front, in midfield and in defence but there is no denying that Alisson has been the bedrock of this side.

Against United he made some sterling saves and important ones and rode the storm well. In the end Liverpool won the game 2-0 and got even more bragging rights over one of their greatest rivals. Alisson naturally earned another 7 points as a result, but he got even more as he assisted in his sides last minute goal, a rarity for a goalkeeper. Kicking the ball out, it found striker Mohamed Salah who has been quiet for his standards this season and the Egyptian international made no mistakes in sealing the win. The goal was important for killing off the game, as at 1-0 it was always going to be on a knife edge.

In the fantasy rankings Alisson has 49 points and is ranked as number 1 in the Premier League goalscorers list. He has 10 more points than 2nd placed Kasper Schmeichel. Alisson is good value to add to your team and would cost 10m. From 14 starts this season he has kept 7 clean sheets and so every time he plays Liverpool has a 50% chance of not conceding, and that is an impressive statistic.

Whilst Alisson has picked up no yellow cards he has received a red card this season but that is a rarity for the player. Liverpool have also only conceded 7 goals this season when he has been between the sticks. An early season injury did keep him out for over a month when Adrian filled the position.

If we count all major European leagues Alisson would rank as 5th but this is down to the fact that he missed a chunk of the season through his injury.

Liverpool have two testing games coming up. Both are away and the first is against Wolves tonight. They will finally play their game in hand against West Ham on January 29th and the club has a 13 point lead over 2nd placed Manchester City.

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Ligue 1: Player of the Week: Stephy Mavididi

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With Ligue 1 taking a break last weekend it was back to the Coupe de France. There were not many shocks and most of the Ligue 1 sides that you would expect to go through to the last 16 did so. Although one of the stand out shocks was Pau FC beating Bordeaux 3-2.

Our player of the week though goes to a young Englishman who has started his trade in foreign waters. Stephy Mavididi is only 21 and has spent his time on loan at such diverse clubs like Charlton, Preston North End and Juventus. Whilst most of Mavididi’s career at the Italian giants was with the under 23s he did play one game for the senior side. He has been a player constantly on loan and now he is with Ligue 1 side Dijon. This past weekend Dijon were involved in the cup and played fellow Ligue 1 side Nimes. With two Ligue 1 teams clashing there was no guarantee that Dijon would advance.

However Nimes ended up being no match for Dijon even though the game was only 1-0 to the hosts for the majority of the game. An incredible 4 goals though were scored in the last quarter of an hour and the match ended up with Dijon winning 5-0.

Mavididi was the central part of winning the game as the 21 year old scored not one but two goals. It would have given his confidence a massive boost. There were some other players who stood out this week such as Montpellier’s Andy Delort who also scored 2 goals, but Delort is more of a veteran of the game compared to Mavididi and it felt more impressive for the youngster to help his team reach the last 16.

So far Mavididi does not appear in the fantasy rankings being a last minute loan switch to the Ligue 1 side. He has only made 6 appearances for the club in the league so far and scored one goal. His best season remains for Juventus Under 23 side in the season 2018/19 when he managed 6 goals from 32 games.

It is clear that the player is still learning- he is no Kylian Mbappe for example. But what is interesting is all of the very different clubs he has played for so young into his career and that could well bode well for the future. Whilst some players can peak between 24-26 it could be true of him that he peaks a little later and shows the world’s game how good he can be into his 30s. For now Dijon will be happy that they have Mavididi on their books and they may just become the first club to believe in the player and sign him up on a permanent deal.

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Ligue 1: Player of the Week: Arnaud Nordin

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With Ligue 1 taking a break for a week it was time to concentrate on the cup matches. At the weekend in France the focus changed to the Coupe de France and in midweek the Coupe de la Ligue entered the quarter finals and that will be the final edition of that cup competition as it is being phased out to ease the amount of games on players.

But back to the Coupe de France where Saint Etienne has a famous history and they were playing a third tier side in FC Bastia-Borgo. Obviously Etienne were the massive odds on favourites to win and they duly obliged with a 3-0 victory that took place away from home.

The hero of the hour was Arnaud Nordin, the Saint Etienne midfielder rose to the challenge and scored 2 of his clubs three goals in a match where it could well have turned into a ‘banana skin’ for the club. The home side produced some good chances but Nordin’s goals ended up being the difference.

Saint Etienne have now moved into the round of 32 where they will play another away match this time to Paris FC and will again begin as the big favourites to get through to the last 16.

As for Nordin that match highlighted what has been an average season so far for the midfielder. He joined the club in 2015 but even last season was being loaned out to Nancy but his progress has improved well enough to make the first team again and at 21 he has plenty of time on his hands.

In the fantasy rankings he is the 4th best midfielder for Saint Etienne and he has 10 points so far 14 behind Romain Hamouma. He has been used more as a substitute this season where he has started 7 games but came off of the bench on 8 occasions. Whilst he hasn’t made any assists yet which is poor from his point of view he has scored a goal in the league and has been involved in the team when they have kept 4 clean sheets this season.

He has picked up 2 yellows and he can be included in your fantasy team for just 4m although you would have to bear in mind that he seems to start games from the bench more.

Nordin’s goals in the cup were crucial, they opened and closed the game and he could be one to include in your Ligue 1 fantasy team. After all those goals would have given him plenty of confidence. Saint Etienne play Nantes at home at the weekend, and returning to play in front of his home fans is another reason that could spur on the player.

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Sarri’s Blue Belgian Puts Cardiff to the Sword

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Eden Hazard

After an exceedingly exciting weekend in the Premier League, only Chelsea remain as unmatched as Liverpool. But while the ladder faced a tough away match at Wembley, the former enjoyed a day out in the sun at Stamford Bridge tearing Cardiff City apart.

Maurizio Sarri’s front three of Willian and Eden Hazard led by Olivier Giroud  all finished the game with success, but it was the Belgian who claimed our Player of the Weekend – finishing with Man of the Match and a tidy hat-trick. Continue reading →