Leicester City’s game against Chelsea on Monday night perhaps epitomised the remarkable transformations these two teams have seen over the last year, as well as the extraordinary Premier League season we’re enjoying in 2015/16. The game featured some enthralling football and a number of excellent performances, as did many of the weekend’s other fixtures.
Here are the Names of the Premier League we’re talking about after week 16…
Rob Elliot, Newcastle United
Newcastle secured an unlikely victory away to Tottenham this weekend. Aleksandar Mitrovic came off the bench with Newcastle 1-0 down, scored a goal and laid on an assist for fellow substitute Ayoze Perez to give the Magpies a crucial 2-1 victory. Despite his impressive impact, Mitrovic can’t be singled out as the hero, though.
SEE ALSO: ‘Physically perfect’ Aleksandar Mitrovic will be a success at Newcastle United – The view from Serbia
The fact that Newcastle were still in the game when Mitrovic came off the bench is almost single-handedly down to goalkeeper Rob Elliot. Unbeaten since the opening day of the season, Spurs started the game brightly, and Erik Lamela in particular threatened with two speculative efforts, only to be met with two excellent saves from Elliot.
The Magpies keeper was eventually beaten just before half-time when Eric Dier was left unmarked at a corner to head home, but the deficit at the break could have been far worse were it not for an impressive display from the 29-year-old.
Here's another look at that cracking Rob Elliot save against Lamela yesterday. https://t.co/I0L3HlGIaO
— The One Glove Co (@TheOneGloveCo) December 14, 2015
The win meant Newcastle won back-to-back Premier League games for the first time in over a year, and Tottenham lost a home game having led for the first time since October 2014, which incidentally, was also a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle.
Harry Arter, Bournemouth
Having already beaten Chelsea in their previous game, Bournemouth probably thought their week couldn’t get any better. They welcomed Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United to the Vitality Stadium, who probably thought their week couldn’t get much worse having been dumped out of the Champions League by Wolfsburg. And yet the Premier League loves to surprise us, doesn’t it?
David De Gea was certainly surprised when Junior Stanislas’ corner floated right over the Spanish number one’s head and into the top right-hand corner of his net with only two minutes played. Marouane Fellaini managed to haul United back into the game 20 minutes later, but they failed to grow into the game, missing a number of chances before Joshua King – former United striker – restored the Cherries’ lead.
There were plenty of standout performances for Bournemouth, but arguably the most impressive was that of Harry Arter, who played in difficult circumstances. The midfielder played with obvious emotion just days after the devastating death of his baby daughter, holding back tears at one point after being booked, but managed to put in a tenacious display. Manager Eddie Howe was full of praise for the 25-year-old after the game.
Would just like to thank everyone for all there messages. Very overwhelmed from all the support. ❤️
— Harry Arter (@HarryArter2) December 13, 2015
For the club, the victory is all the more astonishing considering that as recently as 2009, Bournemouth narrowly avoided relegation to the Conference – at a time when Manchester United reached back-to-back Champions League finals.
Yannick Bolasie, Crystal Palace
Alan Pardew’s £40 million valuation of Yannick Bolasie may have seemed a little optimistic at the time, but the winger has certainly proved his worth to Crystal Palace this season. The 26-year-old was in fine form once again in Palace’s 1-0 win against Southampton, proving a constant menace down both flanks with his mix of power and skill.
He, alongside Yohan Cabaye, put in a dominant display, and the two combined to score the only goal. Bolasie burst through Southampton’s defence in a typically powerful fashion and crossed for a simple tap-in for Cabaye, securing Palace’s first Premier League win over the Saints.
Pardew could be found in the pub with a Palace supporters group after the game celebrating the win, understandably in high spirits after climbing to sixth in the league.
Had the Eagles boss told you prior to the start of the season that Crystal Palace would be just three points off the Champions League places in the run up to Christmas, you’d be forgiven for thinking he visited the pub too often, but after an impressive run of results that’s where Palace find themselves.
SEE ALSO: Crystal Palace cruising – What Premier League advanced stats tell us about the season so far
Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City
Leicester put in a blistering performance full of energy on Monday night to secure a 2-1 victory and top spot in the Premier League, whilst condemning a lacklustre Chelsea to 16th place, just a single point above the relegation zone. Last season, that statement would have sounded ludicrous, yet this is the reality Jose Mourinho’s side currently face.
Chelsea’s attempts to nullify Leicester’s electric counter-attacking football only played further into the hands of the Foxes, and Riyad Mahrez in particular took full advantage.
The Leicester winger put in a mesmerising display; his fantastic cross for Jamie Vardy to add to his impressive goal tally was just the start for the Algerian, who constantly toyed with the Chelsea defence and added a superb second when he curled a sublime effort past Thibaut Courtois into the far post.
Riyad Mahrez's game by numbers vs. Chelsea: 100% shot accuracy 5 take-ons 3 shots 1 goal 1 assist Baller. pic.twitter.com/16SiijkGAa
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 14, 2015
Mahrez looked world-class as he dazzled Chelsea, and his involvement in each goal added class to one of the standout performances of the season. The 24-year-old was instrumental in inflicting a ninth loss of the season for the Blues, the same number as in 2013/14 and 2014/15 combined.
Mourinho has so far refused to entertain the idea of relegation, but with more than half of teams who have taken 15 points or fewer in their first 16 games having been relegated, the Portuguese manager must surely now accept that survival should be the club’s first priority.
SEE ALSO: Leicester 2-1 Chelsea – Tactical analysis and report as Foxes go top
Odion Ighalo, Watford
Odion Ighalo and Troy Deeney have scored 43 goals combined in league football in 2015, which is 11 more than Sunderland’s overall total of 32, so it was understandable that Black Cats boss Sam Allardyce identified keeping the pair quiet during his sides game against Watford as extremely important this weekend.
Sunderland managed just four minutes however. Ighalo managed to divert a low cross past Costel Pantilimon to open the scoring, something the Nigerian striker has made a habit of – only Jamie Vardy, with six, has scored the opening goal of a Premier League game more often than Ighalo, with five, this season.
SEE ALSO: Early Risers XI: Just Football’s Premier League Team of the season so far, featuring Odion Ighalo
Ighalo’s opener would prove to be the only goal of the game despite a number of chances for both sides; Heurelho Gomes made a few crucial saves to keep Sunderland at bay as they grew into the game, and Ighalo missed a couple of chances after quick counter attacks in the second half.
But his overall performance was indicative of why the 26-year-old has scored more goals than any other player in the top four tiers of English football this year, causing constant chaos amongst the Sunderland defence.
Who do you think the Names of the Premier League were for week 16? Let us know below, on Facebook, or on Twitter @JustFootball.
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