Team of the Week: Two perfect 10s up front and several scintillating creatives
Below is our latest Team of the Week. Read more about our player rating system here.
Goalkeeper
Unai Simon (Athletic Club) 9.7
Athletic Club won 2-0 away to Getafe on Friday evening due largely to the Williams brothers - Nico assisted his older brother Inaki twice in the win. Aside from them, however, the Bilbao club had goalkeeper Unai Simon to thank as he not only kept a clean sheet but shut out nine shots on target at the immense Expected Goals (xG) score of 3.77. What's more, Athletic were down to nine men in the 79th minute.
For the record, Athletic recorded an xG of just 0.70. Now, that's what you call a smash-and-grab win on the road! The Spanish gloveman put in quite a shift to get the win over the line and keep his club firmly in the box seat for a Europa League spot.
Defence
Lutsharel Geertruida (Feyenoord) 8.5
Shortly after reports emerged claiming that he could follow his manager to Liverpool in the summer, Feyenoord's Lutsharel Geertruida produced one of his best performances of the season in his side's 5-0 thrashing of PEC Zwolle.
Playing as an inverted right-back, the Dutchman bundled in the fourth goal of the match from a corner, assisted the fifth, and made four key passes in total. It's easy to see why Arne Slot would want to bring him with him to Anfield.
Shawn Adewoye (Waalwijk) 8.7
Elsewhere in the Netherlands, Shawn Adewoye was key for Waalwijk in the 5-0 win over Heracles that gave them a huge boost in their battle to avoid the drop.
The centre-back headed in a corner to make it 4-0 and was just as important at the other end of the pitch, winning eight out of 10 duels and making two important tackles.
Andrew Robertson (Liverpool) 9
The highest-rated defender of the round in our system was Andy Robertson, who was influential in Liverpool's 4-2 win at home to Tottenham on Sunday.
The Scot scored for the second game in a row to make it 2-0 and was unlucky not to add an assist to his goal. At the other end, he made two tackles and two interceptions.
Midfield
Rodri (Manchester City) 8.8
We've gone for a very attack-minded midfield this week and for that reason, we needed a responsible sort of player to anchor the heart of the team. There is no better player in that role in world football at the moment than Manchester City's Rodri.
The champions of England smashed Wolves 5-1 on Saturday to keep pace with title rivals Arsenal in the Premier League and Rodri, as always, was key to everything. Oh, and he chipped in with an assist at the end. The Spaniard is now unbeaten in 71 matches. Quite incredible.
Noni Madueke (Chelsea) 9.8
Chelsea absolutely destroyed London rivals West Ham 5-0 on the weekend and exciting winger Noni Madueke was central to the performance, scoring and assisting in the match. The 22-year-old struggled to establish himself in the first team last season and early this campaign but he now looks to have proven himself on the right wing.
Madueke’s goal against the Hammers was more a case of right place, right time but his assist for Nicolas Jackson’s first (he scored a brace and earned a rating of 9.4) was notable for its selflessness. He laid it on a plate for the striker instead of shooting himself - the sign of a good team player.
Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid) 9.4
Real Madrid won the LaLiga title on Saturday after Barcelona slipped up against Girona but before that result, they had to beat Cadiz. With their opponent fighting relegation and a Champions League semi-final to worry about, Carlo Ancelotti rested some of his bigger stars for the match.
Of the fringe players used by Los Blancos, Brahim Diaz stood out in the number 10 role, scoring the opener in the 3-0 win. And it was some goal, too. The diminutive playmaker turned inside from the left pocket, made a little bit of room, and blasted the ball into the top corner.
Dries Mertens (Galatasaray) 9.6
Galatasaray smashed Sivasspor 6-1 on Sunday and their title rivals Fenerbahce could only draw the next day, meaning that Gala now have a six-point lead at the top of the Super Lig table with just three games to go.
Not only did the Turkish giants score six but three players notched braces in the win, incredibly. Hakim Ziyech and Mauro Icardi scored twice and so did the evergreen Dries Mertens, who also chipped in with an assist as well. Of the three stars, Mertens scored the highest rating as Gala closed in on the title in style. 37 and still going.
Marco Reus (Dortmund) 9.5
Earlier this week, Bundesliga legend Marco Reus announced that he would be leaving Borussia Dortmund after 12 seasons of service. The 34-year-old has been squeezed out of the first team largely but he starred for his side as they thumped Augsburg 5-1 on the weekend, scoring with a sumptuous dinked finish and registering two assists.
It was some way to sign off in front of the adoring Dortmund fans and, who knows, he may yet play a part in his side's Champions League run. They play PSG in the second leg of their semi-final on Tuesday.
Attack
Erling Haaland (Manchester City) 10
We couldn't go past City's big Norwegian this week. With four goals against Wolves, Erling Haaland earned himself a perfect 10 rating in a welcome return to form for fans of the title-chasing side. By his own lofty standards, Haaland hasn't been quite at his best this season but his four goals at the weekend have pulled him closer to a goal-a-game ratio in the league season.
Haaland now has 25 in 28 this campaign - not quite his 36 in 35 of last season but not too shabby at all. He is also the Premier League's top scorer and on track to claim that gong with the season's end approaching.
Portu (Girona) 10
As a rule of thumb, we tend to avoid substitutes in the Team of the Week as their ratings can be a little skewed by a short time on the pitch. For example, Jude Bellingham scored a perfect 10 this week but only played 25 minutes in Real Madrid's win.
There was one super sub we simply couldn't leave out, however, and that was Girona's Portu. The forward came on in place of Artem Dovbyk after the hour mark with his side trailing Barcelona 2-1 at the weekend and he scored twice, either side of Miguel Gutierrez's goal, to see Girona home to a 4-2 win over their Catalan rivals.
Not only did they win, Girona secured Champions League football for next season - the first time the club has ever done so. For his crucial brace, Portu will be a club legend forever.
An honourable mention goes out to a little-known forward by the name of Lionel Messi, who also received a perfect 10 rating in Inter Miami's win over New York Red Bulls.