Six-pass Man Utd man in worst Premier League XI of the weekend
There’s plenty of Southampton in the worst team of the weekend but also one Man Utd player who barely touched the ball.
It’s all based on WhoScored ratings so shout at them and not us.
Goalkeeper: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton)
Credited with an E for error for the James Maddison goal in a very silly win over (lads, it’s) Tottenham. Also added a yellow card for timewasting, which made a low score every lower.
Right-back: Yukinari Sugawara (Southampton)
Another player with an E next to his name after gifting the ball to Bukayo Saka for Arsenal’s third, but he was also AWOL as Gabriel Martinelli made it 2-1.
Centre-back: Craig Dawson (Wolves)
If you lose 5-3 then one centre-half at least should be in the worst XI of the weekend, and although Dawson probably passed the eye test over the terrible Toti Gomes, Dawson’s yellow card tipped the balance in his ‘favour’.
Centre-back: Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton)
While Jan Bednarek made 13 clearances in a one-man attempt to stem the Arsenal tide, Walker-Peters – who Russell Martin is refusing to play at right-back – made just one. And he got booked. Any new Saints manager will surely play one of the best right-backs in the Premier League at right-back. Crazy talk.
Left-back: Destiny Udogie (Tottenham)
Genuinely lucky to get only one E next to his name as he was at least partly culpable for all three Brighton goals on possibly his worst afternoon in a Tottenham shirt. Remember when he was good?
Central midfield: James Ward-Prowse (Nottingham Forest)
They wanted assists from midfield, and got two fouls to equal two yellow cards and one red.
Central midfield: Flynn Downes (Southampton)
One off-target shot was not enough to rescue Downes after he gave the ball away for Arsenal’s equaliser. How long can a midfielder with a 74% pass completion rate survive in a Russell Martin side?
Central midfield: Sam Morsy (Ipswich Town)
Something of a non-performance from Morsy as Lucas Paqueta ran the show from the West Ham midfield. One tackle and one interception from a defensive midfielder is the kind of performance that might earn him a move to Manchester United.
Right wing: Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)
Only eight of his 14 passes reached a teammate and he was dispossessed a little too easily by Liverpool. Teammate Adam Wharton was lucky not to join him in this XI as his 59 minutes were particularly forgettable.
Left wing: Adama Traore (Fulham)
He’s still wondering how he didn’t score at Manchester City, though Pep Guardiola is a big fan, saying: “Adama, he’s unstoppable that game. We couldn’t control when he had the ball. You have to defend in your 18-yard box.”
Striker: Rasmus Hojlund (Manchester United)
Barely touched the ball – he attempted six passes in 63 minutes – and twice lost the ball with poor touches. How have Manchester United ended up with him and Joshua Kirkzee as their strikers? And what exactly is a Joshua Zirkzee anyway?
You can read 16 Conclusions on the 0-0 draw with Aston Villa, if that’s your thing.
