Alan Shearer included Nordi Mukiele in his Team of the Week – but Robin Roefs was overlooked...
Alan Shearer has named his Premier League Team of the Week – with one Sunderland star included but another unlucky to miss out.
The Match of the Day pundit handed a spot to Nordi Mukiele for his outstanding performance in the goalless draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday, describing him as “solid as a rock” in a brief 14-word verdict. The Frenchman, signed from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, was tasked with marshalling Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta and did so impressively.
Shearer said: “Stood firm and didn’t give Jean-Philippe Mateta a sniff. Solid as a rock.” Mukiele’s display capped a resolute defensive showing from Régis Le Bris’ men, who secured their first away clean sheet of the season and first in the Premier League for 3,052 days – the last coming in a 2-0 win at Hull City back in 2017.
Despite Sunderland’s strong rearguard, there was no place for Robin Roefs. The 22-year-old Dutch goalkeeper produced a superb performance against Palace, making six saves, preventing 1.59 goals from an expected goals on target figure of 1.59, and commanding his box on a blustery afternoon in South London. His man-of-the-match display earned him a 9/10 from The Echo and an 8.9 rating from FotMob – but Shearer instead opted for Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez.
On Martinez, Shearer explained: “Villa are still without a goal this season, but Martinez made sure that they got a clean sheet and point at Everton with some impressive saves, including a brilliant stop from Michael Keane's header.” Elsewhere in the team, Shearer picked Cristhian Mosquera of Arsenal, praising the young defender who stepped in for the injured William Saliba. “Has stepped in for the injured William Saliba and was easily one of the best players on the pitch,” Shearer said.
Spurs duo Micky van de Ven and Lucas Bergvall also made the cut after their derby win over West Ham. Van de Ven “made three or four good tackles in the first half and capped an imposing Tottenham Hotspur display by scoring their third goal.” Meanwhile, Bergvall “showed unbelievable technique with a header to put Spurs 2-0 up and then set up Van de Ven for their third to seal a derby win at West Ham.”
On the wings, Shearer included Arsenal’s Noni Madueke, describing him as “an electric display on the wing” after he scored against Nottingham Forest, and Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku, who “was too hot to handle for Man Utd, causing them endless problems throughout and providing two assists in a comfortable derby win.”
The midfield featured Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, who Shearer hailed for scoring “a net-buster from long range and was at the heart of everything Chelsea did well,” and Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi, who “was outstanding, scoring twice – including a magnificent volley for his first goal.”
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Up front, Shearer selected Erling Haaland, who tormented Manchester United’s defence in the Manchester derby. “Bet he wishes he could play against that back three every week! Gave Man Utd's backline a torrid time and added another two goals to his tally,” Shearer quipped. Joining Haaland was Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, praised for “carrying on his impressive start to the season, teeing up Alex Scott for the opener before netting the penalty winner with his third goal of the campaign.”
The manager’s slot went to Spurs’ Thomas Frank. “Spurs look a totally different side to the one that lost 22 times last season. Three clean sheets and three wins in their first four matches is an impressive start for head coach Frank.”
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