Premier League Match Day 19 TOTW-Son, Hazard, Pogba and more score 2 goals each

The second to last group of Premier League fixtures in December featured Burnley face Everton as the Merseyside team look to regain form after being thrashed by Tottenham.

Plus, league leaders Liverpool host Newcastle and Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City look to bounce back from their 3rd loss of the season as they visit the King Power Stadium to play Leicester City.

My TOTW for matchday 19

Goalkeeper- Mathew Ryan (Brighton)

In addition to a poor second half display from Arsenal, Mathew Ryan kept Brighton in the game and massively contributed to The Seagull’s point at Falmer Stadium on Boxing Day.

The New Zealander prevented Aubameyang from scoring more than once in the game. In the 4th minute he stopped Aubameyang from scoring a volley assisted by poor Brighton communication.

In addition to his early terrific save, Ryan made a couple fingertip saves in the second half to cap off a successful evening for Chris Hughton’s Brighton side who were lucky to still be in the game going into the second half.

Defenders- Andrew Robertson (Liverpool), Dejan Lovren(Liverpool), Yerry Mina (Everton) and Lucas Digne (Everton)

Andrew Robertson: Liverpool coasted to a 4-0 victory against former Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez’s Newcastle, with Andrew Robertson putting in a great man of the match performance.

Robertson helped assist the first goal as he whipped in a curling left footed cross into the Newcastle box, but Jamaal Lascelles headered the ball straight to Lovren who scored the opener.

From then, Robertson always pressured the left side of Newcastle tirelessly and kept them on the back foot throughout the game.

The hard work he puts in every game is something all attacking full backs should admire-one of Jurgen Klopp’s best signings.

Dejan Lovren: As I said above, Dejan Lovren scored the first goal of the game at Anfield against Newcastle. A poor headered clearance from the Newcastle captain allowed the ball to fall straight to the Croatian international who belted the ball into the roof of the ret.

Lovren went on to finish the game with 100% shot accuracy, 90% pass accuracy and won 6 aerial battles.

Of late he hasn’t played badly and looked solid against Manchester United too, but he needs to keep this up because as soon as Joe Gomez comes back from injury, Klopp will want to put him straight back alongside Virgil Van Dijk.

Yerry Mina: Everton were very poor against Tottenham but answered brilliantly against a struggling Burnley.

Former Barcelona defender Yerry Mina scored in the 2nd minute. Bernard swung a ball into the Burnley six-yard box and Mina headered the ball past Joe Hart.

It was the first of 5 goals at Turf Moor and in the rest of the 88 minutes Mina was strong against Sam Vokes and made sure he did very little in the match.

Also, Mina’s long passing to Dominic Calvert Lewin meant Everton could attack quicker and play over the top of Burnley’s midfield easier.

Lucas Digne: Full Merseyside defence this team of the week. Lucas Digne completed my defence for matchday 19 because he scored two goals in Everton’s victory on Boxing Day.

An exquisite free kick by the full back doubled his team’s lead to 2-0 in the 13th minute and he ended any sort of comeback by Burnley with a low driven shot into the bottom right hand corner of Hart’s goal and made it 4-1.

Midfielders- Felipe Anderson (West Ham United), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur) and Ricardo Pereira (Leicester City)

Felipe Anderson: It’s very clear why West Ham signed Anderson for £36 million. In games The Hammers look like they need something special, he’s the guy who Pelligrinni has faith in to get goals from nothing.

His first goal is a brilliant long shot past Mccarthy’s near post. Up until that point West Ham didn’t look like they would find a goal.

Shortly after his first, West Ham begin a speedy counter attack and Anderson finishes Michail Antonio’s assist.

West Ham need to use Anderson to lure other players to come to the London club, because West Ham need some more talent-if they are to progress, they need to get some more quality in the middle of the park.

Paul Pogba: As I predicted, Manchester United smash Huddersfield 3-1. Mega Shock… If I’m Jose Mourinho, I’d be pretty angry at my former players.

However, current Manchester United player Paul Pogba is performing very well and has made my team of the week for a second game running.

Pogba scored two goals against Huddersfield, but his general play on and off the ball is world class. Whether it’s little give and go’s with team mates, or flicks and tricks to get around opponents, Pogba is showing off his class.

Pogba’s first goal was the final ingredient in Man United’s one touch passing and that appeared to end any Huddersfield hope to get back into the game.

But his long-range effort into the bottom left hand corner killed the game off and gave United the deserved 3 points.

Christian Eriksen: Like his team of the week midfield partner, Eriksen makes the team for a second round in a row, as his side won 5-0 against Bournemouth.

The Danish international scored the first of many at Wembley. Eriksen registered an assist too. His deflected goal off Nathan Ake wrongfooted Begovic, but his assist to Harry Kane, with his ‘weaker foot’ was exceptional.

Tottenham are on fire right now!

Ricardo Pereira: Started the game as a wing back, but Claude Puel pushed him up field more to try and pressure City as Palace did-and it turned out to end in a similar result too.

In Manchester City’s defence, they have lost to teams who have scored screamers-but saying that Manchester City should sweep past Crystal Palace and Leicester City.

Personally I prefer Townsend’s goal, but Pereira’s thunderbolt was amazing. Leroy Sane’s tame header away from a Marc Albrighton corner fell straight to the Portuguese full back who took one touch to control the ball and one to let it fly.

Great win for The Foxes, but Pep Guardiola needs to fix this bad run of form quickly… but at the same time If he doesn’t, I won’t complain.

Forwards- Eden Hazard (Chelsea) and Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur)

Eden Hazard: The way he sat Ben Foster down by dropping his shoulder was amazing. He’s on fire right now and nothing but an injury will keep Hazard away from scoring goals.

Plus in the 58th minute Foster repaid the favour and fouled Hazard who hit the deck and got his team a penalty, which was calmly dispatched.

Hazard’s goal tally is at 10 in the Premier League this season after the game at Vicarage Road, and I think he will double that by the end of it.

Son Heung-Min: Son has now scored 7 goals in his last 6 starts for Tottenham as he put two past Begovic to help assert Spurs’ dominance against Bournemouth.

The Korean’s first was slotted past Begovic and he pounced on the loose ball to score his second of the afternoon, and Tottenham’s 5th.

As of late he’s performing very well, and I think he’s Tottenham’s second-best player behind Eriksen.

4 goals in two games isn’t a bad way to nearly finish 2018 at all.

Overview

Tottenham and Liverpool are both playing extremely well, and they are just capitalizing on Manchester City’s costly losses which I think will haunt Pep come May.

Great to see players such as Martial and Pogba play with more freedom because the football they’re producing is sublime to see.

Leicester climb the table to 7th as Watford and Bournemouth fall, and Claudio Ranieri’s men reach 19th as they draw at home to Wolves and because Huddersfield lost to Manchester United.

With Pochettino looking the favourite to become the new Manchester United manager in the summer, scoring ten goals in two games is one way of showing your quality.