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Premier League team of the week revealed – featuring Liverpool's Sadio Mane


Liverpool brought the gap between themselves and Premier League leaders Manchester City back down to a point on Sunday with a 4-2 home win against Burnley , a day on from Pep Guardiola’s table-toppers seeing off Watford 3-1.

Arsenal then boosted their top-four hopes with a 2-0 victory over rivals Manchester United as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men were brought back down to earth.

Elsewhere, Cardiff gave their survival bid a shot in the arm with victory over West Ham but Fulham and Huddersfield appear doomed.

All of that means there were impressive performances up and down the division and we’ve picked out the best XI…

GK: Leno – Arsenal

After a slow start to his Emirates careeer, Leno has come into his own since permanently replacing Petr Cech between the sticks. Against Manchester United he made several sensational saves and showed terrific reflexes – he now looks the real deal.

Bernd Leno saves from Marcus Rashford

RB: Ainsley Maitland-Niles – Arsenal

The youngster got the crowd back onside with brave tackles and defensive defiance having been dropped against Rennes in favour of Henrikh Mkhitaryan. At just 21 and with Hector Bellerin spending more time on the treatment table than the pitch, the future looks bright.

CB: Ecuele Manga – Cardiff

Of the bottom three sides, only Cardiff look capable of hauling themselves out of the relegation zone and into safety. Victory over West Ham on Saturday will do them no harm with 17th-placed Burnley then losing to Liverpool . And the Bluebirds’ victory came alongside just their third cleansheet of the year – in which Manga more than played his part.

CB: Nathan Ake – Bournemouth

It has been an indifferent season for the Cherries and they’ve recently lost heavily to Liveprool and Arsenal. But a narrow defeat by Manchester City last weekened was followed up with a routine win over Huddersfield on Saturday. Now the Terriers are never going to provide the greatest attacking threat but Ake dealt with whatever they were able to throw at the visitors.

Nathan Ake was his usual commanding self

LB: Oleksandr Zinchenko – Manchester City

While Pep Guardiola’s men ran riot in attack in their 4-1 win over Watford, there was plenty to like about Zinchenko’s display at left-back. The Ukrainian has taken advantage of Benjamin Mendy’s injury problems

DM: Granit Xhaka – Arsenal

Not someone who is universally loved by Arsenal fans but the Switzerland international came into his own against United with a terrific all-round performance. His opening goal deceived David de Gea in the United goal and he showed his bravery in keeping the visitors out at the other end.

CM: Sadio Mane – Liverpool

Not his busiest game but his exquisitely-timed finishes ensured Liverpool fought back well against Burnley on Sunday. With Mo Salah not at his best, Mane is dragging Jurgen Klopp’s side through games at times to ensure they stay on the coat-tails of Manchester City.

Sadio Mane grabbed a brace

CM: Eden Hazard – Chelsea

Chelsea’s bright spark burst into flame in the nick of time to rescue a point against Wolves when it looked like Maurizio Sarri was set for more misery. One of he or Sarri will go in the summer with the Belgian unlikely to stand for any more below-par performances.

CM: James Ward-Prowse – Southampton

Thriving under Ralph Hasenhuttl, the England international has now scored six goals in his last 10 – and his latest was another belter as Southampton came from behind to earn a vital victory over Tottenham . Expect to see Ward-Prowse featuring more and more for Gareth Southgate.

AM: Raheem Sterling – Manchester City

His first goal might have been controversial but Sterling’s hat-trick against Watford underlined his class as he continues to improve season on season under Pep Guardiola. It hasn’t been easy for him at times this season with off-the-field incidents but Sterling continues to rise above it – and he’s getting his reward.

Raheem Sterling took home the match ball

ST: Jamie Vardy – Leicester

Scored two and made one in a menacing display as the Foxes saw off Championship-bound Fulham. The arrival of Brendan Rodgers may cause upheaval elsewhere in Leicester’s side but the former Celtic and Liverpool boss can always rely on Vardy to produce the goods.

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