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A Pulse Sports XI of the most outstanding players from the Premier League game week 23
Game week 23 of the Premier League provided excitement and a pair of results that blew the title race wide open again.
Kelechi Iheanacho played a starring role for Leicester City as the Foxes bullied Tottenham into submission.
Rodri and Ivan Toney also had stand-out performances in the latest round of Premier League fixtures.
Manchester City coasted to victory against Aston Villa to close the gap on leaders Arsenal, who dropped points for a second successive game.
Brentford continued their unbeaten run to earn a draw with the Gunners, while in-form Manchester United won 2-0 at Leeds.
Goal keeper: David Raya (Brentford) vs Arsenal
Thomas Frank's side, Brentford continued their impressive form this season with a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Arsenal at the Emirates.
David Raya was in sparkling form, producing excellent saves to deny Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard as Arsenal piled on the pressure in search of an equalizer. He has been a huge part of their fine form this season and will be a big miss if he does decide to leave in the summer.
Centre-Back: Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham) vs Chelsea
Angelo Ogbonna was at the heart of a West Ham defence tasked with keeping Chelsea’s expensive attackers in check. Apart from the one time Joao Felix got away to score, the blues found themselves unable to break down the hammers' backline.
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Ogbonna cleared, blocked and anticipated everything that came into the box. A huge reason Chelsea had to settle for a point.
Centre-Back: Tim Ream (Fulham) vs Nottingham Forest
Fulham continued their excellent return to the Premier League as they dispatched Nottingham Forest 2-0.
Tim Ream, continued his remarkable form, oozing composure and spreading confidence across the team. The defender completed 90% of his passes, 8/11 accurate long balls, and regained possession on 13 occasions.
Centre-Back: Luke Shaw (Man Utd) vs Leeds
What a revelation Luke Shaw has been at centre-back this season. Shaw was once again at his best for the Red Devils, showing composure and elegance in a tense atmosphere. He broke the lines with his passing and provided a neat assist for Marcus Rashford to open the scoring.
The England international has been superb since recovering from a wobbly start to the season and looks to be a fixture in Erik ten Hag’s side.
Central Midfielder: Rodri (Man City) vs Aston Villa
Rodri set the tone for Manchester City against Villa at the weekend, as he lost his marker to head home the opener for the champions at the Etihad.
The early goal that led to a dominant first-half performance from Pep Guardiola’s side, who closed the gap on Arsenal ahead of their huge showdown in midweek. He was assured in possession as he always is, setting the tempo and constantly making his case as Europe’s finest defensive midfielder.
Central Midfielder: James Maddison (Leicester vs Tottenham)
Leicester suffered four straight losses with Maddison out injured but have now picked up seven points in the three games since he’s been back.
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He was fantastic against Spurs, drifting into dangerous areas, attracting defenders with his runs and contributing a goal and an assist in an overall clinical performance.
Central Midfielder: Fred (Man United) vs Leeds
Considering Manchester United’s midfield issues recently, Fred has become even more important than usual. He put in a shift against Leeds, earning himself the man of the match award.
His teammate Bruno Fernandes called Fred the side’s ‘pitbull’ after the game recognizing a strong performance full of energy and desire.
Right Winger: Riyad Mahrez (Man City) vs Aston Villa
Mahrez started the season slowly and even lost his place in Pep Guardiola’s starting lineup but he has roared back to life. Goals, assists and performances filled with effort, skill and application have been present since the Premier League resumed.
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Against Aston Villa, he set up the first goal for Rodri and scored an emphatic penalty to cap another superb performance for City.
Left Winger: Willian (Fulham) vs Nottingham Forest
Willian has been a superb signing for Fulham, who took a gamble on the services of the experienced Brazilian winger.
He was the best player on the pitch against Forest, gliding past challenges and showing remarkable close-control as well as excellent dribbling. He opened the scoring for Fulham with a lovely effort on his weaker foot, finding the top corner after cutting inside. A top performer.
Striker: Ivan Toney (Brentford) vs Arsenal
A classic centre-forward performance from Toney as Brentford’s unbeaten league run extended to ten games with a 1-1 against the league leaders Arsenal.
Toney could have had a hat-trick as Brentford created a raft of good chances at the Emirates, but took his third opportunity to earn the Bees a point after heading home from close range. He also won 17/20 duels and 12 aerial duels, with his goal a due reward for his efforts.
Striker: Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester) vs Tottenham
Kelechi Iheanacho had started just once in the Premier League before the new year, but two goals in the FA Cup have earned him a chance. He has responded brilliantly with five goal contributions in just two games as Leicester thrashed Aston Villa and Spurs.
He was brilliant against Spurs, his movement, passing and all round play provided the perfect balance to the Leicester attack. He took his goal well, curling home from the edge of the box. He also set up James Maddison for his goal and looked exceptional throughout.
Team of the week in full
David Raya, Angelo Ogbonna, Tim Ream, Luke Shaw, Rodri, Fred, James Maddison, Riyad Mahrez, Willian, Ivan Toney, Kelechi Iheanacho. (3-5-2)
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