Manchester City are represented in the latest Premier League team of the week that has been selected by BBC pundit Garth Crooks.
Actually Garth is now down as a ‘Football Analyst’ these days, a posh term for a pundit then!
The performances by Benjamin Mendy, Kevin de Bruyne and Raheem Sterling in the two one victory over Bournemouth at the weekend at Dean Court was enough to earn them a place in the side alongside the other, in the opinion of the former Spurs striker anyway, most impressive performers in the topflight over the latest weekend.
I think we’ll already know ourselves, and not just based on the latest performance, why Crooks, we’ll also not argue with it, selected the trio as part of his team but explaining his choice he told the BBC.
Mendy:
‘Benjamin Mendy is an absolute beast. We saw his strength and power when he performed magnificently for Monaco in the Champions League last season. If the first-time ball he crossed for Gabriel Jesus – who put it wide – in Manchester City’s 2-1 win at Bournemouth is anything to go by, then City have a real talent on their hands. There are very few full-backs in the Premier League with the courage to deliver a first-time cross. However, to do it on the volley is quite something. That wasn’t the only element of his game that impressed me either. The Frenchman was always in line with the ball every time City appeared to be in control of possession, particularly in advanced areas, and he always seemed available to receive the ball. I only saw him fluster once in the entire game and even then he recovered the situation. I can’t help feeling that Mendy might be better suited in a back three as opposed to a four, but with Pep Guardiola in charge he might even play him up front!’
De Bruyne:
‘The king of the assists is back. De Bruyne’s performance against a very unfortunate Bournemouth was superb. The variety of passing, not to mention the precision of his through balls, was just immense and without the Belgian City would have been sunk. De Bruyne’s abilities are perfectly suited for the likes of Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling, whose darting runs were like cruise missiles piercing the heart of the enemy and provided the finishing touches to the Belgian’s marvellous creativity. It was this football that created the excitement and expectation for City fans and the gut-wrenching anxiety for their hosts, resulting in the visitors’ celebrations at the end of the game. It was during that euphoria that I witnessed a member of the local constabulary utterly defuse a situation and calm Sergio Aguero down after he had been spoken to by a steward as though he were a child. I would like to personally thank the police officer for acting so sensibly and not imposing the ‘letter of the law’. If he had arrested the Argentine striker, I dread to think the mayhem it would have caused – carting such a high-profile player off to Bournemouth police station, as he was perfectly entitled to do according to the ‘letter of the law’. Thank goodness the officer didn’t exercise such bullish behaviour. Perhaps referee Mike Dean might learn a thing or two about acting in the best interests of all concerned.’
Sterling:
‘A travesty is what it was. There is no other word to describe Mike Dean’s handling of Sterling’s goal celebration, which resulted in the official sending City’s match-winner off the field. It was such a distortion of the official’s role it has made a mockery of the game. Technically Dean could have sent Bournemouth’s Charlie Daniels off for kicking the corner flag during his goal celebrations but he chose not to and quite rightly. Is this what the game has come to? At a time when transfers are spiralling out of control and taking the professional footballer further away from the man on the street, who pays every penny he has to see his hero perform for his team? Dean, the world’s most prolific spoiler, rips the heart of the most precious moment in football by insisting the player can no longer celebrate a goal with the fans. And why? Because the ‘letter of the law’ allows him to. It always did, yet I can’t remember great luminaries like British World Cup referee Jack Taylor or Italian official Pierluigi Collina behaving so pompously. Both were immeasurably better referees than Dean. I hope that the sending-off of Sterling is sufficient and that a lack of common sense doesn’t prevent the player appearing in City’s next game against Liverpool, although I won’t hold my breath. It’s always good to see the club represented in this way, and well played to Ritchie for his recognition, but the most important thing about the weekend was of course the win.’
It’s always good to see the club represented in this way, and well played to the trio for their recognition, but the most important thing about the weekend was of course the win.
Full Team:
Kasper Schmeichel (Leicester City), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Joel Matip (Liverpool), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Matt Ritchie (Newcastle United), Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea), Raheem Sterling (Manchester City), Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Tammy Abraham (Swansea City), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
