Chelsea are represented in the latest Premier League team of the week that has been selected by BBC pundit Garth Crooks.
Actually Garth is now down as a ‘Football Analyst’ these days, a posh term for a pundit then!
The performances by Cesar Azpilicueta and Alvaro Morata in the four nil victory over Stoke City at the weekend at the Bet365 Stadium was enough to earn them a place in the side alongside the other, in the opinion of the former Spurs striker anyway, most impressive performers in the topflight over the latest weekend.
I think we’ll already know ourselves, and not just based on the latest performance, why Crooks, we’ll also not argue with it, selected the duo as part of his team but explaining his choice he told the BBC.
Azpilicueta:
‘He’s only done it again. Cesar Azpilicueta keeps producing match-winning passes. His first ball was, in my view, the pass of the match. The Spain international split Stoke City’s defence in two and sent Alvaro Morata on his way to claim his first goal of the game. As for Azpilicueta’s second assist, you will have to explain to me how the defender found himself so far up the pitch in open play. Granted, it started with a free-kick but to see the Spaniard burst through Stoke’s defensive ranks and lay a gift-wrapped chest pass for Morata to finish was pure quality. Stoke on the other hand, although they lost, deserve some praise for taking the champions on at their own game. Mark Hughes didn’t duck the challenge by bringing out the heavy mob and applying bully-boy tactics, which we have seen from him in the past against Chelsea. I also never thought I would see Mike Dean apply the sort of common sense normally associated with Champions League officials. I’ve seen Dean destroy games by over-officiating but he applied restraint when the home crowd were asking for the dismissal of Marcos Alonso after repeated clashes with Mame Biram Diouf. Referees, like players, are prone to playing to the crowd. It was very refreshing to see Dean retain a sense of proportion for a change and not bow to the wishes of the home support.’
Morata:
‘It’s official. The King is dead, long live the King. Diego Costa has now gone to Atletico Madrid. Stamford Bridge has a new centre-forward plying his trade and another top-class striker for their fans to worship and his name is Alvaro Morata. The Blues have had them in the past of course; Peter Osgood, Didier Drogba, Costa and now Morata is the latest hero to be adored. His performance against Stoke was so stylish and his movement so graceful it seemed like his entire game was carefully choreographed like a dressage stallion. What a change in approach by Chelsea from the raging bull that was Diego Costa. Antonio Conte now has a striker that is far less difficult to manage and reflects the elegant manner in which the Italian manager likes to play. I must say I thought last week Chelsea needed a raging bull like Costa against a well-organised Arsenal but that approach can also prove to be very costly. Instead, Chelsea have invested wisely in Morata. As for Stoke, well John Motson said it all really. Chelsea wiped the floor with them and much of that performance was down to Morata.’
It’s always good to see the club represented in this way, and well played to both for their recognition, but the most important thing about the weekend was of course the win.
Full Team:
Simon Mignolet (Liverpool), Cesar Azpilicueta (Chelsea), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Adrian Mariappa (Watford), Leroy Sane (Manchester City), Christian Eriksen (Tottenham), Phillipe Coutinho (Liverpool), Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City), Oumar Niasse (Everton), Alvaro Morata (Chelsea), Harry Kane (Tottenham).
