Premier League Team of the Week: Toney hits back after England snub
A number of players stood out over the weekend as clubs played their final games for the foreseeable future, although a lot of the usual suspects didn't perform to their normal high standards.
GK - Danny Ward (29, Leicester City)
Ward's redemption arch continued on Saturday, making six saves as Leicester beat West Ham 2-0 to move up to 13th in the table.
Despite a shocking opening seven games where the Foxes conceded 22 goals, they have now kept six clean sheets from their last eight Premier League matches and eased any worries of a potential relegation battle.
DEF - Joe Worrall (25, Nottingham Forest)
Forest kept just their third clean sheet of the season in their 1-0 win against Crystal Palace on Saturday, and much of that hinged on Worrall's return to the side.
The defender built on an exceptional EFL Cup showing against Spurs during the week to ensure that Forest picked up a vital win going into the World Cup break, winning seven points from their last four games
DEF - Sven Botman (22, Newcastle United)
Newcastle continued their superb run of form with a 1-0 win against Chelsea, making it five wins from their last five matches and seeing them sit comfortably in third place in the Premier League.
Botman has been a major contributor to their strong performances and was no different in yet another resilient showing against Chelsea. The Dutchman still hasn't lost in a Newcastle shirt.
DEF - Andy Robertson (28, Liverpool)
Liverpool showed signs of their former selves on Saturday, beating Southampton 3-1 in comfortable fashion. One player who also looked to be back to his best was Robertson, who provided two assists as the Reds cruised to victory.
The full-back has had to battle injuries throughout the early stages of the season, but was fantastic against the Saints and will look to continue that form after a lengthy break for the World Cup.
MID - Joao Palhinha (27, Fulham)
Despite being on the wrong side of a dramatic late winner, Fulham were brilliant against Manchester United on Sunday and deserved something from the game. Portuguese midfielder Palhinha showed why a number of big clubs have been linked to him in the past, dominating the midfield.
His performance earned him the player of the match award, but ultimately counted for very little as Alejandro Garnacho (18) scored a 93rd-minute winner.
MID - Christian Eriksen (30, Manchester United)
While Palhinha excelled for Fulham, his United counterpart Eriksen put in a similar showing for the visitors.
The Danish midfielder scored his first Premier League goal for the Red Devils to put them in the lead, and then provided the assist for Garnacho's dramatic late winner to ensure United went into the World Cup break on the back of a win.
MID - Rodrigo Bentancur (25, Tottenham Hotspur)
Bentancur scored twice - including the winning goal - as Spurs came from behind on three separate occasions to beat Leeds 4-3 on Saturday. His brace ensured that Antonio Conte's side put a stop to their poor run of results.
The Uruguayan has been quietly improving all season and has formed a solid partnership with Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (27).
MID - Martin Odegaard (23, Arsenal)
Arsenal will be top of the league at Christmas thanks to a brace from Odegaard in their 2-0 win against Wolves.
The Norwegian scored both his goals in the second half as the Gunners overcame their latest test in what has been an expectation-defying season so far.
FWD - Ivan Toney (26, Brentford)
Toney channelled the disappointment of his exclusion from England's 26-man World Cup squad into his performance in Brentford's shock 2-1 win against Manchester City on Saturday.
The striker netted twice, including a 98th-minute winner in front of the away supporters, as the Bees claimed a historic victory against the reigning Premier League champions.
FWD - Rodrigo (31, Leeds United)
Another player who excelled in the Spurs v Leeds match, Rodrigo scored two times and was unlucky not to be on the winning side.
His strikes on either side of half-time were both well taken and highlighted his importance to a Leeds side that has struggled so far, taking him to nine league goals already for the season.
FWD - Darwin Nunez (23, Liverpool)
A common theme in this edition of the Team of the Week, Nunez also scored two goals as Liverpool beat Southampton 3-1.
Despite early criticism in his career at Anfield, the Uruguayan striker has proved plenty of doubters wrong and now has nine goals in all club competitions this season - which could bode well for Nunez heading into the World Cup later this month.
