At the end of each round of Premier League fixtures, BBC football pundit Garth Crooks will be on hand to give you his team of the week.
But who did he choose this time? Take a look and choose your own team below. And, as always, Garth will have his say on the game’s big talking points in Crooks of the Matter.
Jose Sa (Wolves)
If Wolves ever needed a star performance from their goalkeeper it was when they went to Everton on Monday.
Two saves from Jose Sa were vital – Anthony Gordon’s first kept the visitors in the game while Amadou Onana’s second changed it completely.
Wolves have been sitting at the foot of the Premier League table losing goals for far too long, but what was impressive about this win over Everton was their overall performance as a team. I haven’t seen anything like this in wolves for some time.
It is clear that the arrival of Julen Lopetegui has already stabilized the ship, but the stabilizers alone will not prevent the wolves from sinking. Only dots can do that.
Tim Ream (Fulham)
Any player who scores his first Premier League goal at the age of 35 deserves a mention; any defender who finishes like Tim Ream against Crystal Palace deserves to be in my team of the week.
The USA international defender has had a stellar season so far. Having always been there for Fulham in the league, he went to the World Cup and on his return seems to be playing better than ever.
Meanwhile, Crystal Palace appear to have suffered seriously from the World Cup hiatus. Two players expelled for lack of discipline and recklessness, it is the affair of the college students. The sooner Patrick Vieira takes matters into his own hands, the better.
Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
There was a time when Virgil Van Dijk selected my team every week. The Dutch captain’s loss of form affected Liverpool so badly that they dropped out of the top four.
However, their impressive victory at Tottenham before the international break sent a clear signal to the rest of the league that they could overcome their difficulties – and are trying to regain their place among the top flight.
Van Dijk took his Liverpool form with him to the World Cup and also brought it back to Villa Park. He is, in my opinion, the most important player in the Liverpool squad – and that includes Mohamed Salah and Alisson.
Andy Robertson (Liverpool)
The ball for Andy Robertson’s Darwin Nunez in the opening rallies of the game against Aston Villa was scorching. The fact that the Uruguay forward didn’t add the finishing touch to what was a glorious pass suggests he’s more uncertain if he’s in front of goal than he should be.
However, none of this stopped Robertson from continuing to pour more crosses and assists into the opposing penalty area to cement what was a very professional performance away from home.
The Scotland captain is also doing extremely well in post-match interviews, which instead suggests he’s not afraid to speak his mind.
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
It was no surprise to see Mikel Arteta hugging Bukayo Saka after Arsenal beat West Ham on Monday considering the lad’s performance. Saka had already given West Ham early warning of the type of form they were in when he had a superb strike ruled offside.
He is a player who seems to grow with each international tournament. He may have been slightly behind when it came to England at the World Cup, but the confidence he gained from being on the biggest stage is evident.
I thought the World Cup could have disrupted Arsenal’s focus on the Premier League title, but I was wrong. Plus, they now have momentum and points to spare. It’s getting serious.
Rubén Neves (Wolves)
Readers may recall I had a pop at Ruben Neves earlier in the season for digging up Newcastle United defender Fabian Schar in a post-match interview for a tackle he thought was worthy of a red card. I’m glad to see he was full of praise for his side’s performance against Everton and less scathing about the opposition.
Neves is a top player and played like that at Goodison Park. It was he who kicked the ball over his own goal line before his team’s superb counter-attack won the game.
Wolves look different under Lopetegui, which is just as well. Three months ago they were flying by the seat of their pants – now they look like a team again.
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
I’m starting to see similar traits in this Arsenal team to Leicester City when they won the title. Foxes captain Wes Morgan never made a fuss about their high position back then – and neither does Martin Odegaard about the Gunners now.
Arsenal’s confidence grows with every game, and like Leicester in 2015-16, winning is starting to become a habit.
They sit top of the table with a healthy lead, having taken down West Ham on Monday. If they win next on Saturday at Brighton – they themselves are in good form – Arsenal will enter the new year ahead of the pack and with their future in their hands.
Meanwhile, Odegaard isn’t content with just playing well: his cool-headed leadership is exactly what Arsenal need and precisely what Morgan has given Leicester City in the second half of this title-winning campaign.
Joelinton (Newcastle)
The more I watched Leicester’s home defeat to Newcastle, the worse it seemed to get.
Daniel Amartey started the rot, giving away a penalty with a terrible attempt to win the ball back from Joelinton, when it was enough to stay on his feet. Joelinton then used Newcastle’s third goal, a goal his performance amply deserved.
The Leicester defense can only be described as abject, with no Leicester defender ready to challenge Joelinton in the air from the set piece.
Newcastle finished sitting second in the Premier League on Monday, before Manchester City regained that position on Wednesday. Should they beat Leeds on Saturday, Newcastle could well enter the new year in a serious bid to establish themselves in the top four.
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Tottenham started Monday’s game at Brentford the way England started against the United States in their second World Cup match: no belief, no passion and no goals.
Son Heung-min wore a face mask, which made me wonder, if he was so concerned about an injury, if he should have been on the pitch in the first place. Meanwhile, Eric Dier was hitting the balls as if it were his first training session after a pre-season break.
Thank goodness Harry Kane came back to work looking something like a top player after a tough World Cup.
The superb header from the English striker is matched only by his ability to put his missed penalty behind him against France in Qatar.
Erling Haaland (Man City)
Twenty Premier League goals for Erling Haaland and we’re not even halfway through the season. The Norwegian star marked twice against a totally outclassed Leeds United, really should have scored a hat-trick and could have scored four or five.
Once Haaland arrived at the Etihad Stadium, his Manchester City team-mates took a nanosecond to figure out how to get the best out of him – and are now creating chances for the striker almost at will.
It’s entirely conceivable that he could score as many as 40 goals this season, which is the worst possible news for Arsenal and music to your ears if you’re a Tottenham fan.
Marcus Rashford (Man Utd)
The move for Marcus Rashford’s goal against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday was matched only by the quality of the finish. The Forest defense stood up and watched the striker head for the ball with such intent but did nothing to prevent it.
The England international used the pace of the ball and the wet conditions to send his shot flying past a helpless Wayne Hennessey.
Let me be clear here, it was a Manchester United side with eight World Cup stars in their starting XI against a Forest side next to the bottom of the table.
I was a little reluctant to go with Rashford because of that mismatch, but the striker’s overall display was so convincing I thought better.
The material crooks
It was shrouded in controversy and ended up being one of the most successful World Cup finals of all time. The quality of the football was, on some occasions, quite extraordinary.
Seeing fans watch games without swearing at each other was a breath of fresh air. There was not a whiff of racism or violence as fans from all parts of the world sat side by side in one of the most eclectic and diverse finals ever.
The reduction in alcohol quantities in Qatar not only seemed to fuel a carnival atmosphere throughout the tournament, but sent a clear message to the rest of the footballing world about what could be achieved if large amounts of alcohol were not so readily available.
The festive season will see fans across the country return to their tribal rituals as if it were a crucial part of the culture of the game. However, what Qatar has demonstrated is that football is much more enjoyable without large amounts of alcohol, abuse or threatening behavior.
