MY ACCOUNT
Premier League supporters were blessed with a thrilling weekend of action on Matchday 22.
Arsenal’s title tilt received a blow at Everton but Manchester City failed to capitalise at Tottenham, keeping the gap at the top to five points.
Leicester picked up a much-needed win to end Aston Villa’s momentum under Unai Emery and Nottingham Forest put some distance between themselves and the relegation zone after beating Leeds.
Read on as we take a look at five stars who stole the show.
James Tarkowski (Everton)
The Toffees executed their game plan to perfection against the Gunners and their defensive resilience was key to the 1-0 victory at Goodison Park.
James Tarkowski was reunited with former boss Sean Dyche after spending time together at Burnley and the centre-back made the difference as his headed effort gave the Merseysiders the lead in the second half.
The 30-year-old defender used his experience to help keep his side organised and with the help of the vociferous home fans they were able to prevent Mikel Arteta’s team from scoring for only the second time in the top flight this season.
Tarkowski was in the thick of the action as the visitors piled on the pressure in the closing stages, but his no-nonsense attitude prevented any clear-cut opportunities.
Speaking about Dyche’s impact in his week in the job, Tarkowski said: “He gets you to work hard, gets you together as a team, makes you hard to beat but he wants you to show that personality out on the pitch that you are a team and together.
“I think you saw that but also a lot of quality and we created some good chances.”
Tete (Leicester)
Leicester stunned Villa Park on Saturday with a victory over their Midlands counterparts who were beginning to cast an eye towards European qualification.
The Foxes may not have been a dominant force across the 90 minutes, but they were clinical when it mattered and new signing Tete was at the heart of everything good in his team’s 4-2 win.
The Brazilian loanee even managed to get his name on the scoresheet, netting the visitors’ third on the stroke of half-time.
A darting run saw him through on goal and he rounded Emiliano Martinez with ease to slot home on his Premier League debut.
His skill and creativity on the right flank was a sign of things to come from the 22-year-old winger who had scored six times in 17 Ligue 1 appearances for Lyon this term.
Ruben Neves (Wolves)
Wolves ran riot against Liverpool and Ruben Neves played a pivotal role in a superb 3-0 victory at Molineux.
Julen Lopetegui’s hosts faced the Reds for the third time in 2022-23 and picked up their first win in style after Joel Matip’s own goal was added to by January arrival Craig Dawson and captain Neves.
Wolves’ Portuguese midfield maestro latched on to Adama Traore’s cross and kept his composure to send Alisson the wrong way as he wrapped up the three points in the 71st minute.
His range of passing against last season’s Premier League runners-up proved to be a major problem for Jurgen Klopp’s outfit and they had no response.
Keylor Navas (Nottingham Forest)
Eyebrows were raised when news broke on transfer deadline day that Nottingham Forest had added Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Keylor Navas on loan, but the Costa Rican is already proving his worth.
The Champions League winner, 36, kept a clean sheet on his Forest debut to secure a 1-0 home victory over Leeds.
Navas notably kept out Luis Sinisterra on more than one occasion before shutting down efforts from Luke Ayling and Willy Gnonto to keep the Reds’ slender lead in tact.
Steve Cooper was quick to praise the stopper, saying: “You don’t need me to tell you about his experience and about the success he has had in his career.
“Brilliant in the first half, outstanding and composed. The obvious talking points are the saves, and rightly so, he deserves all the credit for that, but I loved his composure and game management and decision making, I really enjoyed that part of his performance.
“Delighted he has got up and running, it was something that helped us win for sure.”
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
It was a memorable day for Harry Kane in North London as Tottenham beat Manchester City 1-0 to reduce the gap to fourth place in the Premier League.
The result earned extra significance for the England captain as he became Spurs’ all-time top goalscorer, overtaking Jimmy Greaves with his 267th strike in all competitions.
A high press from the hosts allowed them to win the ball back in the visitors’ box and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg played in Kane who bounced an effort into the far corner.
His cool strike was the difference as City left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium empty handed once again.
The emotion was evident on the 29-year-old’s face as he celebrated and the No10 will now have his sights set on Alan Shearer’s record as the Premier League’s top scorer.
