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Garth Crooks' team of the week: Silva, Gabriel, Lingard, Toney - BBC Sport

Garth team of the week

Chelsea stretched their unbeaten Premier League run to five games with a comfortable 3-0 win over Tottenham.

Brentford beat Wolves 2-0 to claim their first win on the road and Arsenal also got their first away win with a 1-0 victory at Burnley.

Aston Villa ended Everton's unbeaten run with a 3-0 win over the Toffees, Brighton continued their impressive start to the season with a 2-1 win over Leicester and Watford won the battle of the two promoted sides as they beat Norwich 3-1.

Check out my team of the week and then make your own selections towards the bottom of the article.

Garth team of the week

Goalkeeper: David de Gea (Manchester United)

David de Gea

Well, it was Watford's Ben Foster who made my selection until David de Gea produced the penalty save that won Manchester United the game.

Why David Moyes allows substitute Mark Noble on to the pitch and the first thing he is asked to do is to take a penalty beggars belief. Taking penalties are difficult enough without adding to the pressure and handing the initiative to the goalkeeper.

De Gea got his right hand to the ball when it looked as though the keeper's upper body might have slightly passed the ball, which made the save even more impressive. Players often get criticised for making mistakes. Managers can sometimes be too clever for their own good.

Did you know? De Gea has saved his first penalty for Manchester United in the Premier League since October 2014 (v Everton), with this being the 22nd penalty he has faced since his last stop.

Defenders: Matty Cash (Aston Villa), Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford), Gabriel (Arsenal), Thiago Silva (Chelsea)

Defenders

Cash: If you're going to score your first goal for your club, you might as well do it in front of your home supporters, make it memorable and be on the winning side. Matty Cash managed to do all three.

This lad is a decent defender but it's the first time I've seen him drive into the opposition's penalty area with goals on his mind. This is a right-back who finished brilliantly with his left foot. This was an excellent performance by Villa and not before time. They've been very ordinary until now.

Did you know? Cash scored his first Premier League goal for Aston Villa, in what was his 33rd appearance in the competition. The full-back had three shots, more than any other player in the match.

Kristoffer Ajer: The tackle by Kristoffer Ajer on Hwang Hee-chan was sensational. It didn't just protect Brentford's clean sheet but secured three valuable points. At the time, the Bees were down to 10 men and might have subsequently collapsed had Ajer not made the crucial intervention.

Wolves, on the other hand, seem to have slightly lost their way since the departure of Nuno Espirito Santos. Will they survive? Well, that's another question entirely. They are certainly not the team they were two seasons ago. After 65 minutes in this game there was only one winner and it wasn't Wolves.

Did you know? No Brentford player registered more clearances (six) and interceptions (three) versus Wolves than Ajer.

Gabriel: Boy, do Arsenal need Gabriel in their team. The hug that took place between Aaron Ramsdale and Gabriel at the end of the game said just how much a second clean sheet in consecutive games meant to Arsenal's defensive unit. Ben White also played his part in a set-up that coped well against Burnley.

The problem for the Gunners is they look miles from where they really should be right now and the biggest culprit seems to be the manager. Mikel Arteta appears out of his depth. He has talented players at his disposal and on occasions against Burnley they showed it. However, it was a set-piece that dug him out of a hole.

Did you know? Gabriel made more clearances (10) and tackles (three) versus Burnley than any other Arsenal player.

Thiago Silva: I half expected Spurs to expose Thiago Silva. He is after all 36. However, after 49 minutes it was Silva who had exposed Spurs. The Brazilian defender is renowned for attacking set-pieces in the opposition penalty area but, alas, Tottenham couldn't have watched the Chelsea video!

Anyone who has seen Chelsea play will know there are a few dangers in the box on set plays and Silva is one of them. In the end, this was men against boys. This Chelsea side is capable of anything this season.

Did you know? Aged 36 years and 362 days, Thiago Silva became the second-oldest Chelsea player to score in the Premier League behind only Didier Drogba, who scored against Leicester City aged 37 years and 49 days in April 2015.

Midfielders: James Milner (Liverpool), Mateo Kovacic (Chelsea), Jesse Lingard (Manchester United)

Midfielders

James Milner: I remember this player playing for Newcastle United and thinking he's a grafter. By the time he got to Aston Villa he had become a driving force but what he achieved at Manchester City surprised the hell out of me.

However, as a Liverpool player, James Milner has been a giant. Not only was he instrumental in seeing Jurgen Klopp's safe transition into Liverpool Football Club as his captain, but Klopp is now repaying the dedication and service he has shown to him and the club by retaining his services when they didn't really have to. Against Crystal Palace on Saturday afternoon, we all saw why.

Did you know? Milner made more tackles (four) and interceptions (three) than any other Liverpool player against Crystal Palace.

Mateo Kovacic: This lad has been outstanding all season for Chelsea. Quietly getting on with things and allowing the stars of the show to take the glory. However, make no mistake, Mateo Kovacic is at the heart of Chelsea's success these days.

As for Spurs, how deep does Harry Kane intend to play? There were times in this match where the striker was so deep he was ineffective. Playing up front is often physical and painful, especially against the top teams and there is no getting away from that. When strikers start going deep for the ball, it's for one of two reasons. Either they don't fancy it up front anymore because it's a little too physical or they aren't getting enough of the ball. I hope it's the latter.

Did you know? Kovacic completed 88% of his passes against Spurs and made more tackles than any other Chelsea player in the match (six).

Lingard: Can anyone tell me why Jesse Lingard is still at Manchester United? A player who has the ability to score goals and affect the game as he clearly can should not be coming on as a substitute, filling in here and there, and playing second fiddle to anyone.

A cruel irony took place at London Stadium against West Ham as the former loanee found himself scoring the winning goal for Manchester United against the club who got his career back on track, when United had thrown him on the scrap heap last season. I've no doubt that the answer to my earlier question is United are more likely to win trophies, but it's no fun when you're winning trophies on the bench.

Did you know? Lingard became the 47th player to score for and against West Ham in the Premier League. Excluding own goals, West Ham have had more players score for and against them than any other side in the competition.

Forwards: Sadio Mane (Liverpool), Ivan Toney (Brentford), Ismaila Sarr (Watford)

Fowards

Sadio Mane: Crystal Palace must be sick of the sight of Sadio Mane. Not only did he score his 100th Liverpool goal on Saturday, but he's now scored in nine consecutive appearances against the south Londoners. His latest strike was a trademark finish by the Senegalese hitman. The ball was parried by Vicente Guaita from a Mohamed Salah header but Mane was on to the rebound like the rapier he is in such circumstances.

Mane has not been at his best for Liverpool this season but he continually perseveres in pursuit of goals. To score 100 goals for a club is quite an achievement. To do it for Liverpool is a little bit special.

Did you know? Mane became the 18th different player to score 100 goals in all competitions for Liverpool, with the Senegalese netting more of these against Crystal Palace than any other side (10).

Ivan Toney: This was a fantastic away win for Brentford and on this showing well deserved. Wolves were lucky not to concede a penalty earlier in this fixture. The spot-kick that was awarded was nothing less than Brentford deserved for the way Fernando Marcal (who had been warned) manhandled Ivan Toney. In fact it was so bad, if it had happened on a public highway Marcal would have been arrested.

Toney is proving to be the real deal for the Bees. He looks cool under pressure and extremely composed in front of goal. I'm starting to like him.

Did you know? Toney has scored 15 of the 16 penalties he has taken in English league football, including all 10 for current club Brentford (excluding play-offs).

Ismaila Sarr: The movement and anticipation for both his goals was quite outstanding. At 23, Ismaila Sarr has a lot to offer and has a similar game to his Senegal team-mate Sadio Mane. Sarr's performance came against a Norwich side who I said were doomed even after their first game of the season against Liverpool and they have shown no signs of recovery.

Norwich have lost their first five matches under Daniel Farke and a further 10 when they were previously in the Premier League. No-one has lost 15 Premier League fixtures under the same manager, so what makes Farke so special? He's been relegated but has brought them back and now has no points on the board and still has a job? Is that because he is not the real boss?

Did you know? Since his Watford debut in August 2019, Sarr has scored 21 league goals for the Hornets, more than any other player for the club in that time.

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