Gameweek 33 may well have been the most impactful round of Premier League fixtures all season.
Manchester City’s combative victory over Arsenal has guaranteed an enthralling end to the title race, while Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa all took massive steps towards qualifying for the Champions League—all at the expense of Chelsea.
At the other end of the table, there was heartbreak for a Tottenham Hotspur side who were just seconds away from climbing out of the relegation zone, while the round ended with confirmation of Wolverhampton Wanderers’ tumble out of the top flight.
Here are the top performers of the gameweek according to FotMob’s ratings.
9. Curtis Jones (Liverpool)
Rating: 8.4
Right back has been a problem area for Liverpool all season. Arne Slot clearly banked on Curtis Jones, a natural midfielder, using his hometown superpowers in the Merseyside derby against Everton on Saturday, and that is exactly what happened.
His total of 28 defensive contributions was at least twice as many as any other player on the pitch, while nobody had more touches (118), attempted passes (84) or completed passes (79) than Jones, who came out of his duel with the in-demand Iliman Ndiaye unscathed.
8. Erling Haaland (Man City)
Rating: 8.4
Erling Haaland scored the goal that has invited Manchester City back into the Premier League title race. A job well done.
Not many strikers enjoy their battles with Arsenal’s William Saliba and Gabriel, but the towering Norway international played the full game with a smile on his face—even as he was getting his undershirt ripped off his arm and targeted by a headbutt. His smirk at the camera after the final whistle was perhaps his best moment.
7. Jaydee Canvot (Crystal Palace)
Rating: 8.4
Having been thrust into the spotlight at Selhurst Park following Marc Guéhi’s mid-season exit, it’s safe to say Jaydee Canvot has relished the extra pressure. The young Frenchman has been excellent over the past few months and his showing in Crystal Palace’s stalemate against West Ham United on Monday was just the latest stellar performance.
Canvot enjoyed taking on Jarrod Bowen, usually coming out on top defensively, but what really stood out was his confidence on the ball as he repeatedly drove into midfield to get things going. A real star.
6. Noah Okafor (Leeds United)
Rating: 8.5
Leeds United effectively secured their spot in next season’s Premier League with a 3–0 thumping of Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday that featured a number of excellent individual showings. First on this list is Noah Okafor.
The 25-year-old single-handedly forced his side into an imposing advantage inside the first 20 minutes, grabbing the assist for Leeds’ first goal before slotting home the second just moments later.
5. Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Leeds United)
Rating: 8.6
A 95th-minute penalty from Dominic Calvert-Lewin wrapped up the victory for Leeds and capped off an impressive outing from the striker.
Calvert-Lewin was his usual disruptive self both on the ground and in the air, and probably should have found the back of the net before stepping up from 12 yards.
4. James Justin (Leeds United)
Rating: 8.7
The last of the Leeds trio is the game’s opening scorer. James Justin produced the headline moment of the match with an acrobatic overhead kick to finish off some penalty box pinball.
With a touch map that makes it hard to see the actual pitch, Justin was a nightmare for Wolves at both ends of the field, rampaging forwards in attack and combining that with a team-leading 17 defensive contributions.
3. Xavi Simons (Tottenham)
Rating: 8.7
Tottenham Hotspur fans have had to be very patient with Xavi Simons, whose debut season struggles have been one of several miserable narratives at the club. The Dutchman has started to find his feet recently and was a standout performer in his side’s 2–2 draw with Brighton & Hove Albion.
Simons walked away with a goal and an assist, celebrating his stunning strike with real emotion before the heartbreak of the late equalizer brought him crashing back down to earth.
2. Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
Rating: 9.2
Tammy Abraham’s 93rd-minute winner may have stolen the headlines for Aston Villa this weekend, but Unai Emery’s side had Ollie Watkins to thank for even having a chance to beat Sunderland on Sunday.
The England striker steered home two first-time headers and set up international teammate Morgan Rogers after the break as part of his ongoing audition to be Harry Kane’s backup at the World Cup.
1. Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest)
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as The Nine Best Players of Premier League Gameweek 33—Ranked.
