Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace): He was excellent in the win over West Ham, not only his goal – which was a wonderful finish – but also his ability to go up and down the pitch for 90 minutes and never stop, never complain. Arguably one of the best one-on-one defenders in the country. Really impressive.
Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth): Both of my centre-backs get in because they are from the only teams who kept clean sheets this week. Senesi is developing into a wonderful player, especially when we look at who Bournemouth sold this summer. There was a lot of talk about their defenders who moved on to Real Madrid, PSG and Liverpool for £150m-odd combined – and then Senesi who was there last season steps up and is a massively important player for them.
Sven Botman (Newcastle): I was at Newcastle’s game against Barcelona and Botman looked frustrated and a bit disenfranchised when he didn’t come on. However, to get a start in the next game, play 90 minutes, and get a clean sheet with the amount of injuries he’s had was a massive show of character. He’s Newcastle’s best centre-half, he just struggles to stay fit.
Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest): Yes he scored but I also think under Ange Postecoglou – with a more attacking style and flair – we’re going to see another level to his game. He had a couple of shots that Dubravka saved. He could be one to keep an eye on going forward.