Wednesday saw the reigning Premier League champions, Manchester City, return to action against Arsenal, a game of master vs apprentice: Pep Guardiola vs Mikel Arteta. Manchester City dominated the game, running out 3-0 winners and ensuring that Liverpool had to wait at least another week to dethrone them.
Best Player - KEVIN DE BRUYNE
Despite breathtaking performances from many of City’s world-class attackers, it was Kevin De Bruyne, once again, who stole the headlines. De Bruyne took 5 shots and made 2 key passes during the game, one of which led to Raheem Sterling’s opener. De Bruyne also netted from the spot shortly after half-time, boosting his tally to 9 goals and 16 assists for the season. Having scored his penalty, Kevin De Bruyne may solve City’s penalty-taking issue which had seen them miss 5 of their previous seven in all competitions. Unfortunately, this means that we may have to wait to see Ederson step up like his compatriot Rogerio Ceni.
Worst Player - DAVID LUIZ
David Luiz once again displayed the unorthodox defending that has become synonymous with him over recent seasons. Not only did he fail to intercept De Bruyne’s pass for Sterling’s opener, he also brought down Mahrez clumsily in the box to give away a penalty that earned him a red card and gave Arsenal an insurmountable mountain to climb. Moreover, despite often being seen as an adept ball-playing defender, Luiz only completed 1 of 5 long balls and had Arsenal’s third worst passing accuracy, at only 75%. Despite only costing the Gunners £8 million last summer, much to the delight of many Arsenal fans, it seems to be Chelsea who have had the last laugh.
Underrated Player - ILKAY GUNDOGAN
City’s German midfield maestro has long gone under the radar during his time in the premier league, only earning 2 Man of the Match awards despite consistently pivotal performances. He put in one such performance on Wednesday. Gundogan dominated City’s 67% possession, touching the ball 100 times (the joint-most) and completing 82 passes with an astounding 96.3% accuracy. He was just as important out of possession too, leading Guardiola’s bullish press with a team-high 5 tackles and interceptions.
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