The eighth game week of the Premier League further fuelled up the battle of supremacy as well as the race to finish above the bottom three, in the process of which five players, in particular, caught the eye of the viewers with their eye-catchy performances. Here are our picks for the top five players from the top tier of English football this week.
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Maarten Stekelenburg
Penalty conceded? No problem, Stekelenburg is here.
The Dutchman made two outstanding saves to deny Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero as Manchester City shared points with Everton after a 1-1 draw at the Etihad stadium.
Ronald Koeman’s man with the gloves made a series of impeccable saves, including his stupendous reaction to prevent Kelechi Iheanacho from scoring from five yards out as well as an incredible save in the dying minutes to deny De Bruyne’s long range shot to sum up a perfect day between the sticks.
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N’Golo Kante
N’Golo Kante revealed his former self when he faced his former employers at the Stamford Bridge and showed why he was a wanted entity in the summer transfer window. Chelsea’s new midfield dynamo was in a vintage mood, shielding the three men at the make and at the same time, fetching the ball forward and not refraining from surging up the pitch when the circumstances could afford him to.
For the price the Blues forked out for him, this is the kind of polished and industrious display was exactly what the doctor ordered.
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Theo Walcott
Arsenal fan must have had plenty of ‘heart in the mouth’ moments when the Gunners faced Swansea on Saturday. It was undoubtedly a rollercoaster ride, but thankfully, Arsenal held on to their marginal lead. Theo Walcott stole the show with his brace, the way he found himself in the right areas and tried to shatter Bob Bradley’s troops with his blistering speed.
Moreover, he created many chances for himself and should have scored at least a couple more. Nonetheless, it was a magnificent performance from the winger.
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Junior Stanislas
Not many would agree to disagree on the perception that Eddie Howe has assembled a side which vividly elaborates class, flair and a winning mentality that takes the Cherries yards above the prospective relegation battlers. The 6-1 demolition of Hull City at the Vitality Stadium is the latest reminder of that.
Junior Stanislas was the star of the show as Bournemouth ran riot, scoring with a penalty and then scored in what was a wonderful team move to take the game away from the Tigers.
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Ander Herrera
The anticipation of a fierce game from Liverpool’s clash with Manchester United didn’t go down as expected. Rather, it was a goalless stalemate as Jose Mourinho side frustrated Jürgen Klopp’s men.
Ander Herrera, however, rose to the occasion, covering every blade of the grass of Anfield as he continues to go strength to strength under Mourinho. He was present when his side strode forward and at the same time, did track back when Liverpool surged towards David De Gea.
In short, he drove the team and was always on Liverpool’s faces which summed up an all action display from the Spanish international.
