Premier League Awards: Derby drama and Arsenal agony

Goal of the Week

Rayan Cherki is a special footballer. The Manchester City schemer skipped through the Arsenal defence to score one of the solo goals of the season, and put the Citizens on course for a massive win.

Cherki’s close control and fleet feet saw him dance into the box and fire home, a 10th goal of the season for the Frenchman, who is the only player in the Premier League to reach 10+ goals and 10+ assists in all competitions.

Crucially, his latest intervention might just have swung the title momentum irreversibly in City’s favour. A win at Burnley in midweek can take City to the top for the first time since the opening weekend.

Save of the Week

There were some super saves in the Premier League this weekend, with Emi Martinez’s last-gasp stop against Sunderland vital, and Karl Darlow’s rapid reflexes on show for Leeds.

It’s Bernd Leno who takes this award, however, after the German goalkeeper’s late heroics for Fulham. His 90th-minute stop from Dango Ouatarra ensured the Cottagers escaped Brentford with a point.

Stat of the Week

Eddie Howe and Bournemouth will be forever linked, but the former Cherries coach must be sick of the sight of his old side.

Howe has never beaten Bournemouth in a league fixture since leaving the south coast. Another defeat for struggling Newcastle extended his winless record against Bournemouth to eight games.

Tweet of the Week

A week to forget for…

Mikel Arteta. Arsenal failed to get the job done at Manchester City, and a damaging defeat at the Etihad has opened the door for City to burst through. A win on Wednesday will take Manchester City top of the table on goal difference, and the title race could go down to the wire.

Arsenal have failed to find the definitive performance often associated with champions, and the questions around their big-game mentality continue. Arteta has insisted his team retain belief, but after four consecutive domestic defeats, their season is in danger of falling apart.

Arsenal invested more, by net spend, than any other Premier League team last summer, but did the Gunners get their business right? That Arteta chose to leave marquee signing Viktor Gyokeres on the bench until the final six minutes was telling. The pressure is on.

Read – Premier League Team of the Week – Silva, Gibbs-White, Cherki

See more – Arteta insists Arsenal still have title belief despite Man City setback

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