Premier League TOTW Gameweek 31: Tottenham and Newcastle feature after big wins | OneFootball

James Maddison put in another strong performance for Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League this weekend.

Maddison has been a polarising figure this season, being in and out of the team, and frustrating Tottenham fans, despite posting decent numbers. Of course, Tottenham fans are right to want more from Maddison, especially in terms of consistency, but he does have his moments.

The English provided an assist in Tottenham’s win over Southampton at the weekend, his sixth of the season. In fact, Maddison has now been directly involved in 15 Premier League goals this season, just one behind Son Heung-min among Tottenham players.

Maddison is one of three Tottenham players in Squawka’s Premier League Team of the Week for Gameweek 31, with Newcastle United the only other club to have more than one.

We’ve used our Squawka Score to determine the 11 picks, based on the statistical leaders for metrics relevant to their positions. And as ever, we’ve thrown an honourable mention XI for good measure.

GK: Mark Flekken (Brentford)

There were five clean sheets in the Premier League across the weekend, with Mark Flekken keeping one of those. The Brentford shot-stopper was on top form against Chelsea, making six saves in the goalless draw. It wasn’t a routine performance either, as Flekken prevented 1.09 goals, more than any other goalkeeper in gameweek 31. He also completed 13 long passes, another Premier League-high for the weekend.

Honourable mention: Andre Onana (77%)

RB: Pedro Porro (Tottenham)

Tottenham may have conceded against Southampton, but Pedro Porro was still the top-scoring right-back in the Premier League this weekend. The Spaniard created two big chances against the sorry Saints, alongside one successful pass into the penalty area, eight completed passes into the final third and 50% success rate with his crosses. Defensively, Porro won two tackles, won possession three times in the defensive third and made four clearances, with Southampton having just four shots on target.

Honourable mention: Ben White (67%)

CB: Fabian Schar (Newcastle)

Newcastle kept a clean sheet in their win over Leicester City, with some help from Fabian Schar. The Swiss international was a rock at the heart of the Newcastle defence, making one interception in his own box. He won two tackles and made three clearances, alongside 66.67% success rate in his aerial and ground duels. Schar also pushed forward to stop the Leicester attack, winning possession four times in the middle third.

Honourable mention: Noussair Mazraoui (69%)

CB: Ruben Dias (Man City)

Ruben Dias received the fasted yellow card in Premier League Manchester derby since at least 2006-07, when such records began, being booked after 38 seconds. But he still did enough to make it into the Team of the Week. The Portuguese centre-back made a whopping six clearances to keep Manchester United out, as well as making one interception inside his own box. Dias won 100% of his aerial duels and also boasted a retention rate of 91.75%, reliable as ever on the ball.

Honourable mention: Emmanuel Agbadou (69%)

LB: Ian Maatsen (Aston Villa)

Ian Maatsen set up Aston Villa‘s second goal against Nottingham Forest in the 15th minute, and that proved to be the winner. The Dutchman created one big chance, completed two take-ons and had one shot on target himself, part of an important win for the Villans. Maatsen also helped to keep Forest at bay, with three possessions won in the defensive third and one interception retaining possession.

Honourable mention: Reece James (73%)

DM: Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)

Moises Caicedo was busy at the base of Chelsea’s midfield in their draw with Brentford, winning three tackles and making one interception. The Ecuadorean midfielder also won two aerial duels and didn’t lose a single challenge. On the ball, Caicedo completed 88.52% of his open-play passes with seven passes into the final third completed. He boasted a decent retention rate of 86.08% and continues to be one of Chelsea’s best players.

Honourable mention: Rodrigo Bentancur (73%)

CM: James Maddison (Tottenham)

James Maddison loves playing Southampton, popping up with another assist from one big chance created. The Englishman had a very impressive 92.31% forward passing accuracy, with 11 passes into the final third completed and four penalty area entries. But he was also reliable on the defensive side, with nine duels and two tackles won. Tottenham conceded 10 minutes after Maddison was taken off.

Honourable mention: Joelinton (74%)

DM: Sandro Tonali (Newcastle)

Sandro Tonali was at the base of Newcastle’s midfield against Leicester and it worked well, even when you factor in the poor level of the opposition. The Italian made two interceptions retaining possession, alongside nine ball recoveries and four possessions won in the middle third. Tonali had a retention rate of 88.89% and completed 100% of his passes into the final third.

Honourable mention: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (73%)

RW: Brennan Johnson (Tottenham)

Brennan Johnson was the two-goal hero for Tottenham in their win over Southampton, taking his league tally for the season to 11. He could have had a chance for a hat-trick, but was denied the opportunity to take a late penalty — which he had won. Johnson scored with both of his shots on target, posting a non-penalty Expected Goals on Target tally of 1.29 from 0.58 non-penalty xG. He also had five touches in the opposition box in total and was a general menace for the Southampton backline.

Honourable mention: Jacob Murphy (70%)

ST: Evanilson (Bournemouth)

Bournemouth played out an interesting 2-2 draw with West Ham United on Saturday, with Evanilson getting both of the Cherries’ goals. The Brazilian has been in excellent form since returning from injury, even though it hasn’t converted to Bournemouth winning matches. Against West Ham, Evanilson was a busy man with 1.72 non-penalty xG and 1.93 non-penalty xGOT, hitting the target with two of his three shots. He also had three touches in the opposition box and won two aerial duels.

Honourable mention: Jorgen Strand Larsen (75%)

LW: Alex Iwobi (Fulham)

Alex Iwobi helped Fulham secure their massive win over Liverpool, scoring the Cottager’s second and assisting their third. The Nigerian had three shots on target in total, with a non-penalty xGOT of 0.43 and two touches in the opposition box. Creatively, Iwobi completed one cross and created one big chance. But he was just as good off the ball, with two high turnovers and seven ball recoveries.