Salah's unstoppability and Asensio's resurgence: the EPL team of the week

From February 21-23, matchweek 26 of the Premier League took place. Out of ten matches, the visiting teams secured victory in seven. Only Newcastle and Aston Villa managed to win at home, defeating Nottingham Forest and Chelsea, respectively. Meanwhile, Everton and Manchester United played out a draw. In the standout fixture of the round, Manchester City suffered a defeat against Liverpool.

Here is the Premier League team of the round

• Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker (Liverpool)

In the match against Manchester City, the Brazilian goalkeeper made five saves and kept his eighth clean sheet of the season. Alisson also recorded one punched clearance, one ball recovery, and one intercepted cross, while completing 77% of his passes.

• Left-back: Lewis Hall (Newcastle)

The 20-year-old Englishman delivered a strong defensive display against Nottingham Forest, registering four clearances, six tackles, a blocked shot, and an interception. Hall completed 47 passes (89% accuracy), including three key passes and crosses. He also won 10 of 13 ground duels.

In the 25th minute, his shot deflected off Jacob Murphy before finding the net, and shortly after, he won a penalty by forcing a handball from Ola Aina.

• Centre-back: Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace)

Against Fulham, the 24-year-old Frenchman recorded 12 clearances, four tackles, one blocked shot, and an interception. He completed 29 passes (88% accuracy) and won all his duels—five on the ground and two in the air. Lacroix even had a chance to score but missed the opportunity.

• Centre-back: Santiago Bueno (Wolves)

The 26-year-old Uruguayan had a strong performance in Wolves’ victory over Bournemouth, making seven clearances, three tackles, and an interception in just 73 minutes on the pitch. He completed 36 passes (98% accuracy) and won four of five ground duels, as well as both of his aerial battles.

• Right-back: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham)

The 27-year-old Englishman played a crucial role in West Ham’s away win over Arsenal, recording six clearances, a tackle, and a blocked shot. He also provided two key passes, one cross, and one long ball.
In the 44th minute, Wan-Bissaka assisted Jarrod Bowen’s winning goal—the first time he had registered an assist in over a month.

• Midfielder: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)

The 30-year-old United captain orchestrated his team’s comeback against Everton. In the 72nd minute, his brilliant free-kick pulled a goal back, and eight minutes later, Manuel Ugarte equalized following another set-piece delivery from Fernandes. Late in the game, Bruno had a chance to secure victory, but Jordan Pickford made a crucial save to deny his shot.

• Midfielder: Marco Asensio (Aston Villa)

The Spaniard, who joined Villa less than a month ago, made a major impact in his fourth match for the club, scoring twice to lead his team to victory over Chelsea. Notably, his previous goal came four months ago.

• Left winger: Mikkel Damsgaard (Brentford)

The 24-year-old Dane put in an impressive display against Leicester, delivering four accurate crosses and two long passes. He also assisted two goals, bringing his tally to 10 assists this Premier League season—second only to Mohamed Salah.

• Right winger: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

The Egyptian continues to amaze. This week, Liverpool played twice, and in both matches, Salah registered a goal and an assist.

In his last eight appearances across all competitions, Salah has recorded at least one goal contribution in each game. The Liverpool forward has now delivered a goal and an assist in 11 matches this season.

He also became the first player in Premier League history to record 1+1 in both league matches against the defending champions in a single season.

• Striker: Alexander Isak (Newcastle)

After a two-match goal drought, the Swede found his scoring touch again with a quickfire brace against Nottingham Forest—netting twice in just 10 minutes.

Isak now has 19 goals this season, tying Erling Haaland for second place in the Golden Boot race. He has also reached 50 goals in 76 Premier League matches for Newcastle.

• Striker: Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool)

The 24-year-old Hungarian was instrumental alongside Salah in Liverpool’s victory over Manchester City, scoring a goal and providing an assist.

Szoboszlai also had another good scoring opportunity but failed to convert. He registered two blocked shots, one successful dribble, and completed 78% of his passes, including one key pass.

• Manager: Arne Slot (Liverpool)

The Dutchman became the first Liverpool manager to defeat Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City twice in a Premier League season—and he did it in his debut campaign.

Against City, Slot’s team displayed composure and control, dictating the game with remarkable efficiency. This was a victory secured with authority, leaving Liverpool in pole position in the title race.