Erling Haaland and Pedro Neto make Troy Deeney’s latest Team of the Week difficult to argue with. Two goals apiece will do that. But does a clean sheet alone settle the defensive selections, and which overlooked players have a proper case?
We have assessed all eleven picks in Deeney’s BBC Sport team against their Premier League performances from 17–19 October. Our verdict: ten selections we would keep, with one change in defence. There are also two forwards whose contributions deserve a mention, even with Haaland occupying the striker’s spot.
A tick means we consider the selection worthy. A cross means we would choose an alternative; it does not mean the player had a bad game. Goals and assists matter, but so do the demands of the position and the context of the match.
Goalkeeper
Bart Verbruggen — Brighton: ✓ Worthy pick
The numbers: 90 minutes, one save and a clean sheet in Brighton’s 5–0 win over Crystal Palace.
Deeney’s reasoning centres on the clean sheet, and Verbruggen delivered it. The reservation is the workload: one save tells us this was a quiet afternoon, rather than evidence of a goalkeeper repeatedly rescuing his side. We would keep the selection, while stopping short of presenting the scoreline as proof of an exceptional individual goalkeeping display.
Defenders
Levi Colwill — Chelsea: ✗ We’d choose someone else
The numbers: 90 minutes, four of eight duels won and no recorded tackles, interceptions or blocks as Chelsea won 2–0 away at Everton.
Deeney gives weight to Chelsea’s clean sheet. That is a fair reason to praise Colwill, and a defender can play well without collecting tackles. Those zeros do not establish that he defended poorly.
For the left-sided defensive place in this XI, though, we would favour Brighton’s Boscagli. He also helped keep a clean sheet, while registering an assist, three key passes, 71 passes and an interception in 81 minutes against Palace. That adds a stronger attacking contribution to the defensive result. It is our preferred selection for this team, rather than a claim that the two players had identical tactical jobs.
Gabriel — Arsenal: ✓ Worthy pick
The numbers: 90 minutes, two tackles, one block, one interception and nine of 12 duels won in Arsenal’s 1–0 victory at Nottingham Forest.
This is a more rounded defensive case than a clean sheet on its own. Gabriel won three-quarters of his duels and contributed across several defensive measures in a match decided by a single goal. Those numbers support Deeney’s assessment of his importance to Arsenal getting the result.
Luka Vušković — Brighton: ✓ Worthy pick
The numbers: 90 minutes, one tackle, three interceptions and 12 of 20 duels won in the 5–0 win over Palace.
The five goals naturally attract attention, but Vušković’s contribution was not confined to being on the winning team. Three interceptions and 12 successful duels provide a clear defensive basis for his inclusion. The clean sheet strengthens that case.
Diogo Dalot — Manchester United: ✓ Worthy pick
The numbers: 90 minutes, four tackles, three interceptions, 13 of 19 duels won and three key passes in the 1–1 draw at Leeds.
Deeney highlights Dalot’s energy and ability to cope with the physical contest. The figures back that up: he won more than two-thirds of his duels and made seven tackles and interceptions combined. Three key passes also give substance to the praise for his attacking outlet. A draw should not obscure a strong individual contribution.
Midfield and attacking midfield
Sander Berge — Fulham: ✓ Worthy pick
The numbers: 90 minutes, one assist, 103 passes and one key pass in Fulham’s 1–0 win over Hull City.
Berge combined a high volume of involvement with an assist in a one-goal victory. Passing volume alone does not prove control or penetration, but the assist gives his contribution a direct connection to the result. There is a solid case for his place without leaning on predictions about Fulham’s season.
Diego Gómez — Brighton: ✓ Worthy pick
The numbers: 90 minutes, one goal from his only recorded shot, which was on target, and three successful dribbles.
BBC Sport describes Gómez’s goal against Palace as a strike from the halfway line. That extraordinary finish is central to Deeney’s selection; the match figures support the goal and also show three successful dribbles. We would keep him, recognising that the quality of a particular moment can matter more than a large total of attempts.
Pedro Neto — Chelsea: ✓ Worthy pick
The numbers: Two goals, three shots — all on target — and five key passes in Chelsea’s 2–0 win at Everton.
One of the clearest selections. Neto scored both goals and still created shooting opportunities for team-mates. The combination of finishing and five key passes makes this a strong performance on more than one measure. Deeney’s praise is well supported.
Johan Manzambi — Aston Villa: ✓ Worthy pick
The numbers: 72 minutes, one goal, two key passes and two successful dribbles from two attempts in Villa’s 1–0 win at Newcastle.
A goal in a one-goal away victory is a persuasive starting point. Two key passes and a perfect return from his two attempted dribbles add evidence of a broader attacking contribution. That supports this week’s selection, without needing to prove Deeney’s wider claim about his form across the month.
James Maddison — Tottenham: ✓ Worthy pick
The numbers: 69 minutes, one goal, one key pass and four of four duels won in Tottenham’s 3–1 win over Coventry on Monday.
Maddison supplied a goal and an additional key pass during his time on the pitch. Winning all four duels also makes this more than a case built on the finish alone. Deeney’s enthusiasm for his contribution is understandable, and we would retain him.
Striker
Erling Haaland — Manchester City: ✓ Worthy pick
The numbers: 90 minutes, two goals, five shots, two on target and three key passes in City’s 3–2 win over Ipswich.
Haaland scored twice in a match City won by one goal. His three key passes add a creative contribution to the finishing. Other strikers had excellent weekends, but there is no need to manufacture a disagreement here: he has earned this place.
Notable omissions: who else had a case?
Boscagli — Brighton
Our proposed change for Colwill combines defensive and attacking output: a clean sheet, an assist, three key passes and an interception. This is not an argument based on a higher player rating. His contribution to creating chances is what tips our selection towards him, while acknowledging the different demands placed on Chelsea at Everton and Brighton at home to Palace.
Evanilson — Bournemouth
In 79 minutes against Sunderland, Evanilson scored once and supplied an assist in a 2–0 win. He also recorded six shots, two key passes and nine successful duels from 12. Involvement in both goals, chance creation and a strong duel return make him a serious alternative for a striker’s place. We would still choose Haaland’s two-goal performance, but Evanilson deserves recognition.
Kostoulas — Brighton
Kostoulas contributed a goal and an assist in 71 minutes against Palace, alongside four shots, two on target and three successful dribbles. That is an attacking case for inclusion. It puts him in the conversation with the forwards; it is not a reason to remove a defender. Like Evanilson, he can have a strong claim without making Haaland an unworthy pick.
Our verdict on Deeney’s team
We would keep ten of the eleven and bring Boscagli into the defensive line. Neto and Haaland supply the obvious headline numbers, while Dalot and Gabriel have convincing support from their defensive work. Evanilson and Kostoulas are the forwards most worth discussing beyond the selected XI.
These are editorial choices informed by match statistics, rather than a ranking decided by an automated player rating. Which selection would you change?
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