Our weekly Premier League awards honour the best – and worst – of the football action from the past seven days.
Moment of the Week
Going into the weekend’s Manchester Derby, the form guide suggested there would only be one winner. Manchester United said “sod that” to that notion, putting in a stellar performance to soundly defeat their local rivals.
Manchester City were caught cold in the opening minutes, as a clumsy Gabriel Jesus challenge on Anthony Martial gave Bruno Fernandes the chance to open the scoring from the spot in the second minute.
Luke Shaw doubled United’s lead in the second-half to end City’s 21-game winning run, while extending their unbeaten away run to 22 Premier League matches. It also saw an end to City’s 28-game unbeaten run in all competitions.
Honourable Mention: Fulham’s first win over Liverpool at Anfield since 2012.
The longest winning runs by teams from Europe’s big five leagues
Player of the Week
Harry Kane has produced a few really top performances this season, but this one is right up there. The England striker was involved in all of Tottenham Hotspur’s goals in their 4-1 win over Crystal Palace, scoring two and assisting two.
Runners-up: Luke Shaw (Manchester United); Gareth Bale (Spurs)
The slow death of the selfish number 9: Why centre-forwards are going out of fashion
Goal of the Week
That man again, Harry Kane‘s first strike was simply stunning. Not many strikers can score a goal quite like this.
I just had to include Southampton’s Che Adams here though, as his bullet of a hit rattled the net on Saturday in their 2-0 win over Sheffield United.
Runner-up: Mario Lemina, Fulham (vs Liverpool)
Five Championship strikers Premier League clubs will be interested in this summer
Pass of the Week
Who needs James Maddison when Leicester City have Youri Tielemans delivering delicious assists like this?
Just a casual no-look assist from Youri Tielemans ????
Kelechi's finish wasn't bad either ???? pic.twitter.com/F2qlGuqcKM
— Leicester City (@LCFC) March 7, 2021
The top ten players with the most assists in Premier League history
Miss of the Week
Romain Saiss might just have secured himself the miss of the season award on Saturday. There were a host of big misses when Aston Villa and Wolves played out a goalless draw, but this was by far the worst of them.
The most unfair Premier League results so far this season based on xG
Stat of the Week
PL goals per game by month this season
Sept: 3.68 F UN!
Oct: 2.85. A CTION
Nov: 2.50 T ITLE RACE!
Dec: 2.53. I NJURIES THO
Jan: 2.40. G OALS… FADING
Feb: 2.52. U H OH
Mar: 1.58 E NERGY CRITICAL
IS
REAL— Duncan Alexander (@oilysailor) March 6, 2021
Quote of the Week
Chris Wilder isn’t going to let this season get him down.
"He rolled out with a big headband and thought he was Terry Butcher…more like Pat Butcher!"
Chris Wilder believes Oli McBurnie could 'do a job' in defence for #SUFC amid their injury troubles at the back! ????
Watch #SHUSOU live on Sky Sports Premier League now! pic.twitter.com/OejxrObKpH
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) March 6, 2021
Why the media will always seek to diminish a successful Manchester City
Howler of the Week
Arsenal were the better team on Saturday, but gifted Burnley an equaliser that cost them two points. Granit Xhaka obviously deserves criticism for his bizarre attempt to get the ball away, but what is Bernd Leno doing giving him the ball there anyway? He put his teammate in a really awkward position.
A disaster at the back for Arsenal results in a gift of a goal for Burnley ????
Chris Wood will never score an easier goal in his life! pic.twitter.com/h4jYPBebWN
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 6, 2021
Granit Xhaka’s impressive form marks another redemption story at Arsenal
Donkey of the Week
Fulham were denied a precious point in their battle for Premier League survival when Josh Maja’s excellent goal was ruled out due to a handball in the lead-up. As we have likely all seen by now, the ‘handball’ by Mario Lemina made absolutely no difference to the play as his arms were by his side and the ball would have hit him on the hip.
The very next day IFAB announced that they were changing the handball rule so that accidentally handling it in the lead-up to a goal would no longer see the goal ruled out.
While it is a welcome change, that is of no use to Fulham now. It’s also incredulous that they should come to such a decision midseason like this when it’s not as if there haven’t been examples of perfectly good goals being disallowed due to innocuous handballs.
Read: Fletcher Moss Rangers: Manchester’s amateur football club pumping out England internationals
See Also: Noughties Nostalgia: When Peter Reid’s Sunderland were challenging for Europe
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