Phenomenal Salah, Jesus' resurgence: the Premier League team of the week for matchday 17 by Dailysports

The 17th round of the 2024/25 Premier League season, held on December 21–22, delivered excitement and surprises.

The round was marked by Aston Villa's emphatic win over Manchester City, Newcastle's second consecutive 4-0 victory, and Arsenal's five-goal thriller against Crystal Palace, albeit losing Bukayo Saka to injury. Brentford suffered their first home defeat of the season.

Goalless draws were recorded in Chelsea vs. Everton and Fulham vs. Southampton. Manchester United endured a shocking 3-0 loss to Bournemouth at Old Trafford, while Leicester suffered yet another heavy defeat. Vítor Pereira enjoyed a successful debut as Wolves manager.

The marquee clash between Liverpool and Tottenham thrilled fans with a nine-goal spectacle.

Here is the Premier League Team of the Week for matchday 17.

Goalkeeper: Jordan Pickford (Everton)

Pickford secured his second consecutive clean sheet against a London top-six team, making it seven shutouts this season—more than any other goalkeeper. Chelsea were unable to breach his goal for the first time since matchday one. Pickford recorded four saves, two inside the penalty area, and delivered nine accurate long passes.

Center-back: Dean Huijsen (Bournemouth)

The Spaniard starred at Old Trafford with six clearances, three blocks, and two interceptions. Huijsen completed 89% of his passes and won five of nine duels. His headed goal from a free-kick in the 29th minute sparked Bournemouth's rout of Manchester United.

Center-back: Murillo (Nottingham Forest)

The 22-year-old Brazilian played a crucial role in Forest's shock win over Brentford, ending their unbeaten home run. Murillo made nine clearances, three interceptions, and one block, completing 21 of 22 passes, including five accurate long balls.

Left-back: Vitaliy Mykolenko (Everton)

The Ukrainian shone in his 100th appearance for Everton, earning Man of the Match honors against Chelsea. Mykolenko recorded an 84% pass completion rate, six clearances, five tackles, three interceptions, and won seven of 12 duels.

Right-back: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)

Despite Liverpool conceding three goals, Trent was the standout right-back of the round. Against Tottenham, he made seven clearances, three interceptions, and three tackles. Offensively, he created two chances, including one that led to Luis Díaz's opening goal.

Central midfielder: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth)

Christie excelled against Manchester United with 85% passing accuracy, including five into the final third, three key passes, and two long balls. He won eight of 13 ground duels and made five tackles. His cross set up Dean Huijsen's opening goal.

Attacking midfielder: Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)

Against his former club Manchester City, Rogers provided an assist before scoring himself. He recorded six touches in the box, three successful dribbles, and four shots while creating two chances.

Left-winger: Matheus Cunha (Wolves)

The Brazilian was the standout performer for Wolves as they dismantled Leicester in the first half. He delivered three key passes, three accurate crosses, two clearances, and two tackles. Cunha completed 82% of his passes, created a key chance, and scored a goal in the 44th minute that effectively sealed the game.

Right-winger: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Salah was directly involved in four of Liverpool's six goals against Tottenham, scoring twice and providing two assists. His league tally now stands at 15 goals, placing him atop the Premier League scoring charts.

With 229 goals for Liverpool, Salah has climbed to fourth on the club's all-time scorers list. Additionally, he became the first player in Premier League history to achieve double digits in goals (15) and assists (11) by Christmas.

Against Spurs, Salah made three key passes, created two chances, took three shots (one hitting the crossbar), and played a pivotal role in Liverpool's dominant performance.

Striker: Gabriel Jesus (Arsenal)

Jesus ended a 23-game Premier League scoring drought with a first-half brace against Crystal Palace. The Brazilian nearly completed a hat-trick but struck the post in the 38th minute, allowing Kai Havertz to capitalize on the rebound.

Striker: Alexander Isak (Newcastle)

The Swedish forward scored three of Newcastle's four goals in their away win against Ipswich. Isak became only the second Swede after Freddie Ljungberg to record a Premier League hat-trick.

In addition to his hat-trick, Isak registered five shots, two key passes, one created chance, and one accurate cross in a commanding performance.

Manager: Vítor Pereira (Wolves)

The Portuguese coach made an immediate impact after taking charge of Wolves on December 19. Just three days later, his side dismantled Leicester in a record-setting first half, scoring three goals before halftime—something Wolves had never achieved in an away game before. The victory ended a month-long winless streak and provided a crucial boost in the fight against relegation.