Nacho Monreal- There have been numerous times when the Spaniard was called into criticism for his mistakes at the back, and Sunday turned out to be a bag of a mixed display. Arsenal went behind Manchester City, courtesy to Monreal’s nightmarish marking of Sergio Aguero, who was left with the entire half to sprint and score one-on-one with the goalie. Monreal’s marking went horribly wrong after Aaron Ramsey lost the ball in a crucial area.
However, Monreal made amends for it soon as he drove past a right footed shot from a mouth-watering Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cross. City’s Jesus Navas had to cover Olivier Giroud leaving the 31-year-old free for the goal. The sudden shift to a three-man defence wasn’t easy for the aged full-back to adapt, given the enormous amount of work rate involved in operating as a wing-back. Of course, Chamberlain went away with the man of the match performance, but Monreal’s display couldn’t go unnoticed.
Martin Kelly- Liverpool’s voodoo against Crystal Palace continued as the Eagles came from behind to score twice and win a significant game at Anfield. The loss left Liverpool with just a two-point lead over Manchester City with two games more played.
Palace are on a roll at the moment and a good defensive performance was expected from them. However, the absence of Mamadou Sakho from the line-up, who has been an inspiration for Eagles’ late revival, was a huge concern and Kelly made sure it didn’t bother the side. Starting alongside James Tomkins, the 26-year-old was at his disciplined best. He hardly put a foot wrong the whole game and did the crucial job of keeping Roberto Firmino quiet, brilliantly.
Harry Maguire- It is quite known now that Marco Silva’s side could be really impressive at home; even the star-studded Manchester United had to bow at KCOM stadium when they came earlier this year. And one of the biggest strength that the Portuguese gaffer brings in the team, is belief.
It has been the same with the young Harry Maguire. The 24-year-old has undoubtedly been one of the revelations this season and the manager’s strong belief in him has made all the difference. His giant physique has been Hull’s biggest asset at times and it was no different against Watford. There were numerous instances in the game when the Sheffield-born centre-half rose above all and cleared the danger. It looks like Hull will be staying in the top flight this season, but even if they don’t. Maguire is bound to get picked up by the elites.
