Team of the Week: Rafa Silva runs rampant, Jordan Ayew sends message to new boss
Here is our latest Team of the Week:
Goalkeeper
Bernd Leno (Fulham) 8.4
Bernd Leno has generally impressed since signing for Fulham at the start of last season, and the German produced one of his best performances yet for the Cottagers against Manchester United.
He had to deal with nine shots on goal over the course of the match and only let in one of them, making three particularly good saves to keep out efforts from inside his box.
His side ultimately won 2-1 to leave Old Trafford with all three points, and he played as big a part in that win as any of his team-mates.
Defenders
Joshua Brenet (FC Twente) 8.7
Joshua Brenet hasn't been one of the standout players of FC Twente's excellent season to date, but he was in their 3-0 win against Go Ahead Eagles at the weekend.
The former PSV and Hoffenheim man got one goal and one assist from right-back, setting up the opener with an excellent interception and through ball before making it 3-0 by heading in from a corner.
That was his first goal of the season and was a big one, securing a win that put his side five points clear in the fight for third and the Europa League spot that position will provide.
Caner Osmanpasa (Sivasspor) 9.2
Over in Turkey, Sivasspor kept their own hopes of securing European football alive with a 4-1 win against Pendikspor, and Flashscore's man of the match in that game was experienced centre-back Caner Osmanpasa.
The 36-year-old scored his side's second goal with an unstoppable header on the hour mark and was just as important at the other end, making a goalline clearance and winning nine of his eleven duels.
Nicolas Isimat-Mirin (Vitesse) 8.5
After receiving a red card halfway through a crucial relegation that his side ultimately lost two weeks ago, Nicolas Isimat-Mirin made amends on his return to action on Sunday.
After defending well throughout the match against Excelsior, the centre-back scored what turned out to be the winner in the 86th minute when he went up for a corner, beating the opposition keeper with a glancing header.
Given that Vitesse would have been nine rather than five points adrift in their fight to survive without it, it's fair to say that goals don't come much bigger than that.
Many West Ham fans have complained that, while results haven't been bad this season, watching their team hasn't been much fun, but Emerson gave them something to get excited about on Monday night.
Not satisfied with already getting an assist for the opening goal, the full-back then scored his team's fourth himself with an absolute stunner. He controlled a loose ball just outside the box before sending it flying into the top corner, leaving poor Mark Flekken with no chance.
Add in four key passes, four tackles and five interceptions, and you have yourself a complete performance.
Midfielders
Jordan Ayew (Crystal Palace) 9.5
Every player is desperate to impress a new manager when they get one, and Jordan Ayew did just that for Crystal Palace in their comfortable win over Burnley.
In his first match under Oliver Glasner, the winger produced one of his best-ever performances. He created the opening goal with an inch-perfect cross before sliding in at the back post three minutes later to make it 3-0.
He made five key passes in total and won nine out of 12 ground duels, ensuring that it was a 200th club appearance to remember for him.
Mahdi Camara (Brest) 9.5
Brest moved one step closer to securing Champions League football with a 3-0 win in Strasbourg at the weekend, and all three of their goals were scored by Mahdi Camara.
The 25-year-old made it 1-0 with a rifle of an effort from the edge of the box and doubled his and his team's tally by stroking home a low cross with a cool finish from just behind the penalty spot. He then secured the match ball from that very spot, sending the keeper the wrong way to bag his hat-trick.
Orkun Kokcu (Benfica) 9.3
Turkish playmaker Orkun Kokcu showed at the weekend just why Benfica paid the big bucks -25 million euros - to bring him over from Feyenoord last summer.
He ran the show in the middle of the park against Portimonense, taking 108 touches and getting assists with two of them, and the first of them, a through ball from inside his own half, was an absolute beauty.
Being played as a number 10 rather than in a deeper role, he's quickly emerging as one of the most exciting players in Portugal, and is no doubt being watched closely by the world's biggest clubs.
Rafael Leao (AC Milan) 9.1
Top players step things up a gear in the biggest of games, and that's what Rafael Leao did to help AC Milan bring an end to Atalanta's six-game winning streak and keep some distance between themselves and the Bergamo side.
He opened the scoring after just three minutes with one of the goals of the season, dancing his way past two opponents before smashing the ball into the far corner from the tightest of angles.
That wasn't all he did by any means, with the forward also making five key passes and winning 10 duels, but honestly, he deserves to be in this team for that goal alone.
Forwards
Luuk de Jong (PSV) 9.5
Few if any strikers in the world have made a better start to 2024 than PSV captain Luuk de Jong, who now has 12 goals in 10 games since the turn of the year.
He claimed his second hat-trick of the season in his side's 7-1 win over PEC Zwolle, getting into the right place at the right time and keeping a cool head for all three of his efforts.
He also got an assist as he continued to show that he's ageing like fine wine.
Rafa Silva (Benfica) 9.6
The highest-rated player in our system from the weekend just gone is Benfica forward Rafa Silva and it's not hard to see why, with the forward playing a big part in three of his team's four goals.
He broke the deadlock with a classy outside-of-the-foot finish and then pulled off the same trick again to set up his team's third with one of the best crosses you'll see this season.
His second goal wasn't quite as spectacular but was richly deserved, and he could have easily gotten at least one more assist if his team-mates produced better finishes.