Salah and Mount deliver perfect performances in Premier League team of the week
There are two perfect 10s in the Premier League team of the week as Mohamed Salah and Mason Mount both put in starring roles for Liverpool and Chelsea against Manchester United and Norwich, respectively. Chelsea's resounding 7-0 win over Norwich means they are the dominant side in the best XI as they reinforced their title credentials in style.
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa) - 7.84
Granted, Emiliano Martinez conceded three in Aston Villa's defeat at Arsenal on Friday night, but they would have lost by a greater margin were it not for the Argentine. Martinez made six saves at his old stomping ground, including a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty stop, though the Gunners skipper made no mistake with the rebound. All in all, the 29-year-old did enough to land a WhoScored rating of 7.84 to feature.
The first of five Chelsea players to make the cut after their resounding 7-0 win over Norwich on Saturday, Reece James kicks off the Blues quintet having earned a WhoScored rating of 8.42 at Stamford Bridge. The England international bagged his second league goal of the season in the victory, finding the back of the net with his only shot on Saturday. James defended solidly, making two tackles, and was unfortunate not to register an assist having made two key passes to star at right-back.
Playing his part in a Chelsea clean sheet, Thiago Silva joins teammate James in the backline. The experienced Brazilian made two interceptions and one tackle, but it was his distribution that played a key role in earning a WhoScored rating of 7.58. Indeed, Silva found a teammate with 93.5% of his 93 passes on home turf and that helped Chelsea dominate Norwich on Saturday.
It's an all-west London centre-back pairing with Zanka partnering Silva at the heart of the defence. The towering Dane was unable to help Brentford to a positive result against Leicester on Sunday, yet Zanka gave the Bees a chance of getting the better of Leicester having netted his first league goal for Thomas Frank's side. The 31-year-old also won four aerial duels and made five tackles as he, like Silva, returned a WhoScored rating 7.58 over the weekend.
Completing the backline in the best XI is in-favour left-back Ben Chilwell. Chilwell has scored in all three league outings for Chelsea this season and has found himself back in Thomas Tuchel's good books having been forced to watch from the sidelines in the opening weeks of the campaign. The 24-year-old also defended soundly in the 7-0 win over Norwich, making three clearances and two tackles to help land a WhoScored rating of 8.34.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) - 10.0
The WhoScored Premier League player of the week as voted for on Twitter, Mohamed Salah was exceptional in Liverpool's 5-0 win at Manchester United on Sunday. The Egyptian had a direct hand in four of the Reds' five goals, bagging a hat-trick at Old Trafford as he continued his exceptional start to the season. Salah provided the assist for Naby Keita's opener in the rout, that coming from one of two key passes, while only Phil Foden (8) managed more shots than the Liverpool star (7). A 93.6% pass success rate helped Salah to a perfect 10 rating at Old Trafford, a fine achievement.
The other player to earn a perfect WhoScored 10 rating over the weekend, Mason Mount, like Salah, also had a direct hand in four goals in gameweek nine, bagging a hat-trick and registering an assist as Chelsea thrashed Norwich. Mount found a way past Tim Krul with three of five shots at Stamford Bridge, while his assist for Reece James' goal came from one of three key passes. An additional tackle capped a wonderful afternoon for the 22-year-old.
Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea) - 9.48
Linking up with Mount in the middle of the park is the fifth and final Chelsea player. Mateo Kovacic registered his fourth and fifth Premier League assists of the season against, and it means 2021/22 is already his most proflic for assists of his career. The brace came from six goalscoring chances created, more than any other player in gameweek nine. Kovacic also excelled off the ball, making five tackles, as he yielded a WhoScored rating of 9.48.
Emile Smith Rowe (Arsenal) - 9.14
Having been linked with a move to Aston Villa over the summer, Emile Smith Rowe showcased what could have been for the Villans with a man of the match display in Arsenal's 3-1 win over Dean Smith's side on Friday night. The young attacker provided the assist for Thomas Partey's opener, that coming from one of four key passes at the Emirates, and followed that up with his second league goal of the season 10 minutes into the second half, scoring with one of two shots. Three dribbles, two interceptions and one tackle means Smith Rowe is deserving of a spot in this XI with a WhoScored rating of 9.14.
Few could have predicted Watford securing a 5-2 win at Everton on Saturday afternoon. The Hornets were 2-1 down at Goodison Park heading into the final 15 minutes only to blitz the Toffees late on. Josh King's first goal of the day came with just 13 minutes on the clock, yet he added his second and third in the space of six minutes to help Watford earn a vital three points. King hit the back of the net with three of six shots on Saturday, and completed two dribbles and made one key pass, to help land a WhoScored rating of 9.84.
Phil Foden (Manchester City) - 9.47
Joining King on the frontline is Manchester City's Phil Foden. Foden is the fifth young English player to feature in the team of the week having played a starring role in City's 4-1 win at Brighton on Saturday evening, scoring twice and laying on an additional assist. The 21-year-old bagged a first half brace, a finding a way past Robert Sanchez twice in the space of three minutes, and provided the late assist for Riyad Mahrez. Foden managed more shots (8) than any other player in gameweek nine, while his assist came from one of two key passes, as the youngster came away from the AMEX with a WhoScored rating of 9.47.
