Premier League - Team of the Week: Fab Cesc

Eurosport - Mon, 05 Oct 12:32:00 2009

Cesc Fabregas takes the Player of the Week award after starring in Arsenal's 6-2 demolition of Blackburn Rovers, who make up over half of our Flops of the Week.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Premier League Arsenal Cesc Fabregas - 0

HOW IT WORKS

We take marks out of 10 awarded to Premier League players from a selection of six national newspapers - The Sun, Daily Star, Daily Mirror, Daily Mail, The Times and the Guardian - then create an average and round to the nearest half. The top player in each position will be rewarded with a spot in the team of the week, while the worst scorers will be named and shamed in our Flops XI.

TEAM OF THE WEEK

Cesc Fabregas unsurprisingly heads the latest edition of Team of the Week after his superb performance against Blackburn on Sunday, when he set up four of the Gunners' goals and scored another. He is joined in our starting line-up by team-mate Robin van Persie, who grabbed Arsenal's second.

Portsmouth's David James did enough to prove his return to fitness to England manager Fabio Capello with a first clean sheet of the season in the 1-0 win over Wolves, a performance that earned him an England recall after six months.

Sunderland are rewarded for their brave effort in drawing 2-2 at Manchester United, despite being reduced to 10 men, with Steed Malbranque securing a spot on the left wing, while Burnley and Bolton have two players each in TOTW after decent performances against Birmingham and Tottenham respectively.

The Clarets' Tyrone Mears deserves special mention for hauling himself out of the flops XI into TOTW in the space of seven days, while Andre Bikey excelled in his new defensive midfield role.

Chelsea's defensive duo John Terry and Ashley Cole snuffed out the threat of Fernando Torres at Stamford Bridge and rightfully take up their position at the back as a result.

Team of the week (4-4-2):

GK: David James (Portsmouth) - 8

RB: Tyrone Mears (Burnley) - 8

CB: Zat Knight (Bolton) - 8

CB: John Terry (Chelsea) - 8

LB: Ashley Cole (Chelsea) - 7

RM: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) - 9.5

CM: Danny Murphy (Fulham) - 8

CM: Andre Bikey (Burnley) - 8

LM: Steed Malbranque (Sunderland) - 7.5

FW: Kevin Davies (Bolton) - 8.5

FW: Robin van Persie (Arsenal) - 8

FLOPS OF THE WEEK

Three players could have taken our Flop of the Week award this week with Ben Foster, Lars Jacobsen and Franco Di Santo each managing a paltry four points. But in the end Foster gets the nod for top flop thanks to his complete inability to do his job in the face of Kenwyne Jones, who headed home Sunderland's second.

Foster is joined by team-mate Paul Scholes, whose fifth yellow card in as many games finally sees him drop into the FOTW.

Things go from bad to worse for Blackburn. In the wake of their 6-2 demolition by Arsenal, they make up more than half of our FOTW, with right-back Lars Jacobsen and striker Franco Di Santo singled out for particular derision, while Pascal Chimbonda, Martin Olsson, Brett Emerton and El-Hadji Diouf fared only slightly better.

Fulham's Kagisho Dikgacoi had a full Premier League debut to forget when he got sent off for violent conduct after a confrontation with West Ham's Scott Parker, while team-mate Andy Johnson joins Dikgacoi in FOTW thanks to his ineffective performance up-front.

Flops of the week (4-4-2):

GK: Ben Foster (Manchester United) - 4

RB: Lars Jacobsen (Blackburn Rovers) - 4

CB: Pascal Chimbonda (Blackburn Rovers) - 4.5

CB: Titus Bramble (Wigan) - 4.5

LB. Martin Olsson (Blackburn Rovers) - 4.5

RM: Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers) - 4.5

CM: Kagisho Dikgacoi (Fulham) - 4.5

CM: Paul Scholes (Manchester United) - 4.5

LM: El-Hadji Diouf (Blackburn Rovers) - 5

FW: Franco Di Santo (Blackburn Rovers) - 4

FW: Andy Johnson (Fulham) - 5

TEAM OF THE SEASON (Minimum four starts)

Fabregas's star turn for Arsenal on Sunday is the only change in our Team of the Season, with the Spaniard replacing David Dunn as an attacking midfielder.

Chelsea's Ashley Cole came perilously close to dropping out last week after a shaky performance against Wigan but has reinforced his position at left back after making TOTW against Liverpool.

Manchester City retain three spots despite not having played yet this week.

Team of the Season (4-4-2)

GK: Shay Given (Manchester City) - 7.22

RB: Glen Johnson (Liverpool) - 6.79

CB: Thomas Vermaelen (Arsenal) - 7.14

CB: Gary Cahill (Bolton) - 6.95

LB: Ashley Cole (Chelsea) - 6.87

RM: Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal) - 7.33

CM: Darren Fletcher (Manchester United) - 7.19

CM: Gareth Barry (Manchester City) - 7.33

LM: Ryan Giggs (Manchester United) - 7.25

FW: Emmanuel Adebayor (Manchester City) - 7.67

FW: Didier Drogba (Chelsea) - 7.62

FLOPS OF THE SEASON (Minimum four starts)

Paul McShane duly slots into the Flops of the Season at right-back with another dodgy performance despite Hull's 2-1 win over Wigan, while Emerson Boyce - though not the worst of Wigan's defenders at the KC stadium - also makes the starting line-up.

Herita Ilunga finds himself in the Flops of the Season after an anonymous performance again Fulham, while the only other change sees Vincenzo Grella replace John Obi Mikel in midfield after his failure to start against Arsenal.

Flops of the Season (4-4-2)

GK: Carlo Cudicini (Tottenham) - 5.27

RB: Paul McShane (Hull) - 5.33

CB: Emmerson Boyce (Wigan) - 5.53

CB: Marc Wilson (Portsmouth) - 5.11

LB: Herita Ilunga (West Ham) - 5.67

RM: Greg Halford (Wolves) - 5.67

CM: Vincenzo Grella (Blackburn Rovers) - 5.58

CM: Hayden Mullins (Portsmouth) - 5.50

LM: Kevin Kilbane (Hull) - 5.67

FW: James Beattie (Stoke) - 5.33

FW: Andrew Johnson (Fulham) - 5.47

Eurosport

Comment 37 - 56 of 56

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  1. get your life straight cudichini is good allman city­ man utd arse and liver pool players @#$% and cant play­ footy spurs re the best

    From charlieboi123, on Mon 19 Oct 12:51PM

  2. Yay for CESC. He's awesome.

    From Alyssa, on Sat 17 Oct 9:59PM

  3. Yes, Fabregas fit in the team of the week.

    From abbamusa.info, on Sat 17 Oct 2:58PM

  4. how is keiran richardson not in the flop of the week. ­ he could have easily avoided getting a red which coulda­ senn his team take three points away from old trafford

    From anthony, on Fri 16 Oct 7:54AM

  5. mu sucks and are LOSERS AND CRYBABIES. GO HOME MU­ SUCKERS

    From vickesh111, on Fri 9 Oct 2:15AM

  6. Who keeps calling for Vidic in team of the week?! If­ the start of this eason has shown anything it's­ that the only Man U player with even half a brain­ defensively is Van Der Sar! Vidic is a thug who needs­ to be told who to take out and needs someone to watch­ his arse!

    From dezzyfiesta, on Fri 9 Oct 1:07AM
  7. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    where is vidic in team of the season?

    From goranzoki12, on Thu 8 Oct 5:58AM
  8. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    liverpool are the best

    From ahmad, on Tue 6 Oct 4:55PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    pswdk

    From ahmad, on Tue 6 Oct 4:54PM
  10. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    colgan stockdale widdowson bennet linwood forbes clarke­ hegarty bore then either conlon akpra akpro north or­ proudlock

    From scotty_boy1995, on Tue 6 Oct 4:54PM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    the best people always come from leuge two sides come­ on grimsby if true thumbs up
    if not down

    From scotty_boy1995, on Tue 6 Oct 4:47PM

  12. why is there no liverpool players under flops of the­ week?
    from a liverpool fan

    From super-innocent, on Tue 6 Oct 11:33AM

  13. Cesc Fabulous will continue his great form till end of­ season. YES

    From zarir, on Tue 6 Oct 5:28AM
  14. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    I got my leg caught on a basket.

    From Giskard, on Mon 5 Oct 11:41PM

  15. why in the hill Carlo Cudicini in the flops of the­ Season ?!!!?
    what about Kirkland ?

    And where is Drogba­ in team of the week ?
    what must he do..to be­ there.

    And Torres in this week..he is flop from the­ flops.
    are you scared from Reds Fans reaction? ?!!

    From Ahmad, on Mon 5 Oct 9:02PM

  16. arsenal will always remain at its peak
    As 4 CESC, ne­ remains d best and highly motivated CAPTAIN

    From preye e, on Mon 5 Oct 8:11PM

  17. mr s doherty,real football fan,well said,absolutely­ spot on.

    good luck tonight and hope man u finish­ outside top four.

    we know they wont because they get­ every decision going and have done for many years.

    i­ once watched then commit 3 straight handballs to obtain­ a first goal a few years back and the ref didnt blink.­ everyone else can see it but why isnt anything­ done?

    get some balls f.a.

    From geordieprince1, on Mon 5 Oct 7:40PM

  18. Should Fergie Retire? - Now!

    From slivatree, on Mon 5 Oct 7:30PM

  19. Celebrate Fabs top spot with homemade advocaat wubble u­ wubbe u wubble u dott therakiasite dott @#$%

    From slivatree, on Mon 5 Oct 7:27PM

  20. lol wheres drogba. u will find him in the cheating scum­ league. hes a first class joke.

    From Jon T, on Mon 5 Oct 7:27PM
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