Our weekly Premier League awards honour the best – and worst – of the football action from the weekend.
Moment of the Week
All eyes were on Ivan Toney ahead of his return for Brentford and the forward delivered on some rather extravagant pre-game build-up to impress against Nottingham Forest.
Toney scored a crucial, and controversial, equaliser for the Bees as Thomas Frank’s team came from behind to edge a five-goal thriller in West London.
The 27-year-old stepped up to bend a free-kick around the Forest wall and bring Brentford back into the game, having shifted the ball’s placement from its initial position. The Bees had lost seven of their last eight games in the Premier League to slide towards relegation but looked a different prospect with Toney leading the line.
Brentford have gone full WWE here.
Undertaker-esque entrance for Ivan Toney incoming ???? pic.twitter.com/zW7OAxlMmP
— Aadam Patel (@aadamp9) January 20, 2024
His free-kick was his third scored in the Premier League since the start of last season, the joint-most in the division alongside West Ham’s James Ward-Prowse.
Back with a bang.
Player of the Week
This week, we paid tribute to some of the Premier League’s unsung heroes, with Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães our nomination from Mikel Arteta’s squad. The Brazilian received his flowers after a standout showing in the club’s 5-0 win over Crystal Palace this weekend, after tormenting the Eagles with his threat in the air.
The 26-year-old rose highest to nod in the opener from a corner kick, before losing his man at another set-piece to head in a second. The latter goal was harshly adjudged as a Dean Henderson own goal, though Gabriel’s power in the penalty box led to the Gunners’ second of the afternoon.
Gabriel bullish in the air yesterday ???? pic.twitter.com/qYEmehcc9c
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) January 21, 2024
Aside from those moments, he was a towering presence defensively, winning five aerial duels. His partnership with William Saliba has a fantastic blend of attributes and can be the bedrock of Arsenal’s title challenge. This was a weekend in which Gabriel stepped out of the shadow of his centre-back partner.
Goal of the Week
Ivan Toney’s return might have hogged the headlines at Brentford this weekend, but it was Neal Maupay who stole the show late on.
The Frenchman can be wasteful around goal, but he wonderfully took his match-winner this weekend. The touch, turn and technique were all sublime from Maupay, whose stunning strike snatched the points for the Bees.
The technique. Phenomenal.
Neal Maupay’s winner ???? pic.twitter.com/UphLglsGku
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) January 20, 2024
Stat of the Week
Sheffield United earned a point against West Ham in a thrilling draw at Bramall Lane, with a bonkers stoppage-time period seeing red cards for both teams and a late, late equaliser from the Blades.
West Ham had looked set to claim a hard-fought away win, but Oli McBurnie slammed home a last-gasp spot-kick to earn Sheffield United a point. McBurnie’s penalty was timed at 103 minutes, the latest goal ever scored in the Premier League.
103 – Oli McBurnie’s 103rd-minute penalty for Sheffield United is the latest goal scored on record in the Premier League (from 2006-07), overtaking Dirk Kuyt’s penalty for Liverpool against Arsenal in April 2011 (101:48). BAFTA. pic.twitter.com/6jAUAnn1ct
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) January 21, 2024
Tweet of the Week
Fox outside the box? Useless.
What would Francis Jeffers think of this?
Wasting a cheetah at fullback is a disgrace. CBs too slow. And you haven’t put the fox in the box. Awful https://t.co/haqTSWjtnX
— baby gronk rizzed up richard dunne (@bootcutgenes) January 17, 2024
Read – Tweets of the Week: Deeney’s rant, Toney returns, Henderson flees
See more – Viktor Gyokeres: The Premier League’s big regret
