Gabriel Martinelli sunk Liverpool, Alejandro Garnacho stole the show as Man United beat West Ham and Richarlison can’t stop scoring… but who takes top spot in this week’s POWER RANKINGS?
It was goals galore in the Premier League this weekend, with at least four goals scored across all 10 fixtures.
Manchester City again control their destiny after beating Brentford 3-1 on Monday night to cut the gap to league leaders Liverpool down to two points with a game in hand.
Arsenal also trail Jurgen Klopp’s team by two points after beating them 3-1 at the Emirates on Sunday afternoon, with Aston Villa completing the top four following their 5-0 trouncing of Sheffield United.
Elsewhere, Manchester United followed up their dramatic win at Wolves on Thursday with a 3-0 victory over West Ham, while Chelsea succumbed to their second defeat in four days after losing at home Wolves.
Phil Foden, Gabriel Martinelli and Alejandro Garnacho are among the players who starred this week, but there can be only one who takes the top spot in Mail Sport’s Power Rankings for this week…
Phil Foden scored a hat-trick as Manchester City beat Brentford 3-1 and closed the gap to Premier League leaders Liverpool to two points
Arsenal are also two points behind Liverpool, after beating them 3-1 at the Emirates
10. Cole Palmer (non-mover)
There was very little to salvage from Chelsea‘s dismal defeat against Wolves on Sunday afternoon.
Three days after being on the receiving end of a 4-1 thumping at Anfield, the Blues were booed off the pitch after conceding four again, a result which heaped pressure on Mauricio Pochettino.
It had all started brightly enough for Chelsea, with Palmer opening the scoring with a smart finish to score his 10th Premier League goal of the season and his fourth in his last four outings.
The 21-year-old has been Chelsea’s only bright spot this season and he remains in our top 10 as a result.
Cole Palmer scored his 10th Premier League goal of the season against Wolves on Sunday
9. Diogo Jota (down eight)
Diogo Jota endured a difficult afternoon at the Emirates as Liverpool looked unusually disjointed in their defeat against Arsenal.
There’s a direct link between the two, as the Reds thrive when the Portuguese is at his best and vice-versa.
The Portuguese star has stepped up superbly in the absence of Mohamed Salah, scoring four Premier League goals and registering two assists in five games after returning from injury on Boxing Day.
With Salah still sidelined, Jurgen Klopp must hope the performance against Arsenal was a blip for both Jota and his team as a whole.
Diogo Jota endured a difficult afternoon at the Emirates as Liverpool lost to Arsenal
8. Elijah Adebayo (down three)
Adebayo’s story is as brilliant as it is heartwarming, with the striker playing in League Two just three years ago.
But his rise epitomises Luton’s and after taking a bit of time to adapt to the Premier League, Adebayo has shown all of his quality.
Fresh from netting a hat-trick in the 4-0 thumping of Brighton last week, the 26-year-old was back on the scoresheet against Newcastle on Saturday.
Luton may have let a famous win slip through their fingers as they relinquished a two-goal lead to draw 4-4 at St. James’ Park, but Adebayo has shown that he more than belongs in the top flight
With nine goals in 12 Premier League appearances, he remains crucial to Luton’s chances of survival.
Elijah Adebayo has now scored nine goals in 12 Premier League appearances for Luton
7. Ollie Watkins (new entry)
While all the attention is focused on the trio at the top of the table, Ollie Watkins keeps scoring and Aston Villa keep winning.
The England international bagged his 12th goal of the season and set up a further two as Unai Emery’s side ran riot at Bramall Lane in a 5-0 demolition of Sheffield United.
Watkins is the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to hit double figures for goals and assists this season and the first Villa player to do so in the Premier League since Dwight Yorke in the 1995-96 campaign.
Villa finished fourth back then and if Watkins maintains his current run of form, you wouldn’t bet against them replicating the feat.
Ollie Watkins is the first player in Europe’s top five leagues to hit double figures for goals and assists this season
6. Matheus Cunha (new entry)
When Wolves dominated United at Old Trafford in the first game of the season, Cunha looked like a striker who could do everything except for scoring.
But the Brazilian has since added goals to his repertoire, scoring nine times in 23 Premier League appearances this season.
A third of that tally came as Wolves dismantled Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and moved in the top half of the table, overtaking the Blues in the process.
Gary O’Neil has worked wonders since taking over at Molineux in August, but his biggest challenge yet may be keeping hold of Cunha and Pedro Neto this summer.
Matheus Cunha scored his first Premier League hat-trick as Wolves beat Chelsea 4-2
5. Gabriel Martinelli (new entry)
Arsenal squandered a host of chances when they lost to Liverpool in the FA Cup last month and looked again far from ruthless in the same fixture on Sunday.
With Gabriel Jesus out injured and Kai Havertz not exactly prolific in front of goal, the attacking burden fell on Martinelli and Bukayo Saka and both delivered.
The England international tapped in the opener, while the Brazilian seized on a calamitous mistake by Alisson and Virgil van Dijk to turn home Arsenal’s second.
It was the deserved reward for Martinelli, who time and again tested Trent Alexander-Arnold down the left wing and was a constant thorn in Liverpool’s side.
The challenge for the Brazilian is now maintaining his form. Martinelli’s goal on Sunday was only his fifth in the Premier League this season, a third of the 15 he netted last term.
Gabriel Martinelli scored Arsenal’s second goal in their win against Liverpool on Sunday
4. Kevin De Bruyne (down two)
Manchester City are starting to click into the relentless winning machine they tend to become at this time of the season.
And it is no coincidence their upturn in form has coincided with Kevin de Bruyne’s return to action after a four-month layoff.
Phil Foden stole the show with a hat-trick as City came from behind to win 3-1 at Brentford, but it was de Bruyne who orchestrated the comeback.
The Belgian set up Foden’s second and controlled proceedings in midfield with the usual aplomb as City capitalised on Liverpool’s slip-up at Arsenal on Sunday.
The Premier League champions have won seven games in all competitions since returning from Saudi Arabia, a sobering reminder to their rivals that they will take some stopping.
3. Richarlison (up four)
The Brazilian forward continues to be a revelation for Tottenham ever since returning from groin surgery in December.
Having found the net just five times in his first 50 appearances for Spurs, Richarlison has scored nine goals in this last nine Premier League appearances.
His latest contribution came with a brace against his former club Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday, before Spurs dropped two points by conceding a late equaliser.
With Heung-Min Son still on Asian Cup duty with South Korea, Richarlison has stepped up to the plate and rewarded Ange Postecoglou’s faith.
Richarlison has scored nine goals in his last nine Premier League appearances for Spurs
2. Alejandro Garnacho (new entry)
Another week, another teenager stealing the show for Manchester United. The Argentine scored twice in the 3-0 win over West Ham on Sunday and reinforced the feeling Erik ten Hag may have finally solved his right-wing conundrum.
United have scored 14 goals in five games in all competitions – amounting to 27% of their total this season – and looked far more fluid going forward than they did at any point earlier this season.
Rasmus Hojlund was full of praise for his teammate and a promising partnership looks to be blossoming between the two.
‘We are young, I just turned 21, he [Garnacho] is still 19, we are getting better every day and you can see the connection is growing,’ the Dane, who was also on the scoresheet, said.
United fans will be hoping the sight of Hojlund and Garnacho celebrating with Kobbie Mainoo is a sign of a brighter future ahead.
Alejandro Garnacho scored twice in Manchester United’s 3-0 win over West Ham on Sunday
1. Phil Foden (new entry)
Brentford were the only team to beat Manchester City twice in the Premier League las season looked poised to frustrate Pep Guardiola’s men again on Monday night.
But just as it looked City may not capitalise on Liverpool’s defeat 24 hours earlier, up stepped Phil Foden.
The England international drew City level just before the break, then completed his hat-trick with two more goals in the second half.
It was a timely reminder of Foden’s importance to Guardiola’s all-conquering machine and of the riches at the Spaniard’s disposal.
Foden stole the show as City came from behind to beat Brentford 3-1 on Monday night
The 23-year-old is only one goal away from matching last season’s tally of 15 goals in all competitions and has started all but two of his team’s 22 Premier League games this season.
Only Mohamed Salah, Ollie Watkins, Erling Haaland and Heung-Min Son have been involved in more Premier League goals than Foden this season.
‘Only Phil will decide his limits,’ Guardiola said.
‘How he moves in small spaces, his impact, you have the feeling he can score.’
