It was a busy few days in the Premier League to end 2019 and BBC pundit Garth Crooks is back with his selections for their team of the week.
With every team playing twice over the past week over a hectic festive period, Crooks has picked his line up on the basis of performances across both games, but also for those who had a stand-out outing, as per his BBC Sport column.
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It appears as though Man Utd forward Anthony Martial did enough against Newcastle Utd with his brace to impress Crooks, who conceded that he may be proven wrong after having doubts that the Frenchman could successfully lead the line for the Red Devils.
Martial is joined by teammate Harry Maguire in the XI, as he marshalled the defence well to help United to wins over Newcastle and Burnley, as they also kept a clean sheet against the latter.
Elsewhere, Liverpool ace Trent Alexander-Arnold is selected at right-back after his stellar performance against Leicester City, while he followed that up with a solid outing against Wolves on Sunday.
However, it was his display against the Foxes which earned him an immediate spot, having grabbed two assists and a goal in a brilliant performance.
Crystal Palace ace James Tomkins and Everton’s Mason Holgate complete the back four, while Adama Traore makes up a third of the midfield trio after he played a key role in Wolves coming from behind to defeat Man City in a thriller.
Another player who had a big influence coming off the bench this week was Jorginho, and the Chelsea midfielder gets the nod after he was pivotal in turning things around against Arsenal as the Blues were being dominated by their rivals before his introduction.
Kevin De Bruyne completes the midfield, with Crooks reserving high praise indeed for the Belgian international, labelling him the ‘best player in the country’.
In-form Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin is selected up front in an attacking trident as he continued his good form, while Harry Kane completes the line up as he continues to deliver for Tottenham when they need him.
In turn, it’s fair to say that every player selected by Crooks has a genuine argument to support their inclusion, as they were key in positive results for their respective sides.
However, given the opinionated nature of such a feature, there will no doubt be some who disagree, and perhaps after Liverpool’s big win over Leicester, many would have expected more Reds players to be included as they continue their relentless march towards the Premier League title this season.
BBC Premier League team of the week: Foster; Alexander-Arnold, Maguire, Tomkins, Holgate; Traore, Jorginho, De Bruyne; Calvert-Lewin, Kane, Martial.