Ashley Young and Riyad Mahrez also feature in Danny Mills' line-up
Monday 22 October 2018 13:52, UK
Who were the standout players in the Premier League this weekend? Danny Mills picks his best XI.
The former England full-back and regular Sky Sports pundit has picked his best XI from week nine of the 2018/19 season.
After Chelsea's dramatic last-gasp equaliser against Manchester United, City's five-star showing against Burnley and narrow wins for Tottenham and Liverpool, there were plenty of options to choose from.
So who made his line-up? Here's the 11 players Mills picked, and his reasons why...
Hugo Lloris is between the sticks after making four saves to keep West Ham at bay during Tottenham's 1-0 win at the London Stadium. Lloris won his duel with Marko Arnautovic, denying the Austrian on three occasions.
Mills said: "He was fantastic this weekend and made some really crucial saves to help Tottenham get the win.
"He makes too many mistakes to be classed as the best [in the Premier League] but he's up there. He got away with one at the World Cup final which could've been disastrous."
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Liverpool defender Joe Gomez was paired with Antonio Rudiger, with the Chelsea centre-back producing an assured performance against Manchester United, capped by him scoring the opener.
Ashley Young was named man of the match in the game at Stamford Bridge after shackling Eden Hazard while Benjamin Mendy returned from injury to provide an assist and keep a clean sheet in the 5-0 thrashing of Burnley.
Mills said: "I thought Gomez was exceptional, he's got such quality and composure for such a young age. Young played at right back and can play all over the pitch. He really did a job on Hazard, a little bit crude at times, but he was very effective.
"Mendy played seven games last season, won the Premier League and the World Cup, but he's been like a new signing. He's been superb, and is a real player."
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Fernandinho and Riyad Mahrez both got onto the scoresheet for City while Juan Mata was an influential figure for United at Chelsea.
Erik Lamela's resurgence continued for Spurs with the Argentine scoring his fifth goal in seven games while Josh Murphy was a constant thorn in the Fulham side as Cardiff recorded their first Premier League win of the season.
Mills said: "Fernandinho is in a stellar cast with the job he does sitting in front of the two centre-backs, breaking things up and destroying things. Every now and then he'll pop up with a strike and it was a fabulous finish guiding it into the top corner.
"Murphy's goal was a touch offside, but Cardiff were in real need of a spark and some inspiration and that's what he gave his team. It took Lamela a while to settle in, and then he had his injury problems. Now he's injury free and he's getting a bit of consistency.
"Mata's an incredible footballer. He's never had pace, I remember watching him against England in the European Under 21 Championships and he was head and shoulders above anyone else. Put him in that No 10 role and he can do all sorts of damage."
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Mohamed Salah was the match-winner as Liverpool kept up the pace with City later on Saturday with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Huddersfield.
The Egyptian has struggled to replicate the level of performance produced consistently last campaign this time around, but his numbers remain extremely impressive.
His strike was his fourth in nine Premier League games, and Mills said: "You don't score for four games, and it's a drought.
"The problem for Salah is that he was just so good last year, he left you speechless. If he scored 30 goals this season it would be outstanding, but it would still be 15 or so short of what he did last year.
"People are very aware of how he plays now. People will double up on him, so he's had to learn to adapt and be more creative."
Sky Sports Fantasy Six-a-Side points
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