Troy Deeney's Team of the Week: Schar, Merino, Salah, Diaz, Delap
2025-01-02
Category: sports

After every round of Premier League matches this season, BBC football pundit Troy Deeney will give you his team and manager of the week.Here are this week's choices. Do you agree? Give us your thoughts using the comments form at the bottom of this page.
Martin Dubravka (Newcastle): He's done well since he stepped in and against Manchester United, even though they dominated, he was excellent with his feet, setting off the attacks. I thought he had a really solid performance and it's not something that I have said about him over the years.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool): We're going to have to keep putting him in the team when he keeps delivering like this. Liverpool are flying and playing unbelievably well. It looks like he is off to Real Madrid so for the rest of us, enjoy it over these next four or five months because, when he's playing like he did against West Ham, it's excellent to see.Fabian Schar (Newcastle) and Jacob Greaves (Ipswich Town): I thought both of them were solid, made really good tackles when they needed to.A lot of the work was done in front of them but any work they were called upon to do, they did really well. They were solid in the tackle, they're not both known for being good footballers but were neat and tidy and did everything you want from a centre-half.Leif Davis (Ipswich Town): I'm not completely sold on this guy if I'm being totally honest with you at the moment, but when he plays like he did the other night against Chelsea, going forward he was excellent.He took a nice yellow card for the team as well when he needed to, and showed a level of growth and maturity. There are still question marks about him defensively but for this week he was excellent and a great left-back - one that hopefully we start seeing in an England shirt and see what he can do on an international level.
Mikel Merino (Arsenal): He was quality. I'm not sure if he's going to be up to the level of Arsenal but I'm going to give him until next year with a pre-season. He's neat, tidy, very fluid in the way he plays. He can go as a six, he can go as an eight, he just keeps the ball ticking over really well. I bet as a team-mate he's excellent to have in your team.Joelinton (Newcastle): We had him in last week, back-to-back weeks now. I just keep thinking how did anyone think he was a number nine? This guy is a monster. He runs over people. That ball got put in the box and there was no chance little Lisandro Martinez from Manchester United was getting that. Arm across him, get out the way, goal. I thought it was a big powerful display.Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham): He was solid, obviously had a bit of time off for his ban. He's come back, new haircut, looks ready and looks like he has got the bit between his teeth. He looks like somebody who was a bit frustrated and annoyed. 
Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz (Liverpool): Another game, another goal, another assist. Both of them just look like football is too easy for them.They're really enjoying themselves, Liverpool are enjoying themselves. We're in the midst of seeing something special with this team on 45 points with a game in hand at the turn of the year. They could break 100 very, very easily and they could run away with the title.Liam Delap (Ipswich): I believe this is the first time for Team of the Week. I was toying with Alexander Isak again or even big Chris Wood, but having watched the Ipswich game against Chelsea - and expecting Chelsea to do a number on Ipswich - if I'm being totally honest.He was really good, that's the type of Delap I have been wanting to see. He used his physical attributes, he's still raw, that's fine because he's young. He was cute in the link-up play but when his team really needed him, he did the hard yards defensively. When his team shifted the ball up to him, he kept it and looked after it.He made the Chelsea defenders, who are not that great, look bang average and that's what can happen. If Ipswich stand any chance of staying up, it is all on that fella. It is on how ugly and aggressive he can be. He got a nice goal and nice assist.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           
Nuno Espirito Santo (Nottingham Forest): Every time you keep thinking his side are going to drop, he doesn't. He just keeps them going. Excellent team performance, real good victory against a stubborn Everton team. They made them look levels above and they go into the new year in the top four and rightly so. Fair play to them.
Do you agree with Troy's selections? Who would be in your Team of the Week? Have your say using the comments form below: