Matchday 16 was a week to remember in the Premier League and a week of deuces. We witnessed two fantastic derbies, two sackings after matches, two comebacks and two goals scored in stoppage time. However, there were three red cards issued, yet surprisingly, only one was during regular match time, with Marc Cucurella and Rayan Aït-Nouri receiving red cards after the final whistle.

WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Rayan Ait-Nouri of Wolverhampton Wanderers clashes with Wes Burns of Ipswich Town after full time during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers FC and Ipswich Town FC at Molineux on December 14, 2024 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Where to begin? Everton held Arsenal to a goalless draw at the Emirates. Ipswich’s late header in the 90+4^th minute earned them three points and ultimately ended Gary O’Neil’s tenure as Wolves manager. Newcastle and Tottenham outscored their opponents 4-0 and 5-0 respectively. Russell Martin was consequently relieved of his duties as Southampton manager following the humiliating loss to Tottenham. Meanwhile, Arne Slot, after being named Manager of the Month, saw his side draw with Fulham thanks to a late Diogo Jota goal, levelling the match. Nottingham Forest fought back to secure three points, scoring two goals in the final quarter of the game, the second coming in the 93rd minute courtesy of Anthony Elanga.

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Anthony Elanga celebrates scoring his team’s second goal with teammates Ola Aina during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Aston Villa FC at City Ground on December 14, 2024 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

We mustn’t forget the two derbies: the M23 derby between Brighton and Crystal Palace, which kicked off Sunday in dramatic fashion, and the Manchester derby between Manchester City and Manchester United. Although most of the Manchester Derby was lacklustre, a late strike from Amad Diallo turned the match around, leaving Ruben Amorim ecstatic after his first derby victory as Manchester United manager. Monday Night Football concluded the week with two late set-piece goals. Overall, Matchday 16 delivered a compelling spectacle. Below is my Team of the Week for Matchday 16 in the Premier League.

Goalkeeper

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Kai Havertz of Arsenal competes for a header as Jordan Pickford of Everton attempts to punch the ball clear during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC at Emirates Stadium on December 14, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Jordan Pickford (Everton): Where would Everton be without Pickford? We may never know. Once again, the goalkeeper saved the day, producing five exceptional saves, the most notable being a low, driven effort from Bukayo Saka, which Pickford stretched to push past his post. This marked Everton’s fourth clean sheet in five matches. In the Premier League, Pickford now shares the most clean sheets this season (six) with André Onana and David Raya. Already a fan favourite, Pickford is cementing his status as an Everton legend, earning his 77th clean sheet for the club, making him their fourth-best keeper in terms of clean sheets. Against Arsenal, Pickford repeatedly denied their title-challenging side, earning Everton a well-deserved point on the road and handing Arsenal back-to-back matches in which they dropped points.

Defenders

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Newcastle player Lewis Hall in action during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Leicester City FC at St James’ Park on December 14, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Lewis Hall (Newcastle United): What a performance from Hall. He was instrumental in Newcastle’s biggest win of the season, keeping a clean sheet, providing an assist, and delivering the cross that deflected off Conor Coady for Alexander Isak’s goal. Hall’s assist was perfect, setting up Bruno Guimarães with a precise header across the box for an easy finish. He had the most touches (108), the most passes (75), and created the most chances (five) in the match, showcasing his pivotal role in Newcastle’s stellar display.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Gabriel of Arsenal looks on during the Premier League match between Arsenal FC and Everton FC at Emirates Stadium on December 14, 2024 in London, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal): Returning from a muscle injury and keeping a clean sheet, what more could Arsenal have asked for? Gabriel was solid in defence, with one standout challenge early in the first half when he closed down Abdoulaye Doucouré, covering 20 yards to block a potential goal. Other than that, it was a calm day for Gabriel, as Everton’s defence bore the brunt of the pressure.

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Nikola Milenkovic of Nottingham Forest celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Aston Villa FC at City Ground on December 14, 2024 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Nikola Milenković (Nottingham Forest): Back-to-back goals from Milenković inspired Nottingham Forest to consecutive wins. The Serbian defender rose unchallenged in the 87th minute to score Forest’s equaliser, sparking their late comeback. Milenković was solid in defence, winning all his duels (three) and tackles (one). His contribution has helped Forest achieve their best points return after 16 games since the 1994-95 season.

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 15: Trevoh Chalobah of Crystal Palace celebrates the goal by Ismaïla Sarr for 0-2 during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Crystal Palace FC at Amex Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Shaun Brooks – CameraSport via Getty Images)

Trevoh Chalobah (Crystal Palace): What a way to make your M23 derby debut. Chalobah, on loan from Chelsea, scored with a diving, flicked leg to break the deadlock against Brighton, marking his second goal since joining Palace in the summer. While a clean sheet was almost within reach, an unlucky own goal from Marc Guehi prevented it. Chalobah’s performance helped lift Palace four points clear of the relegation zone.

Midfielders

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 15: Pape Matar Sarr of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at St Mary’s Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Pape Matar Sarr and James Maddison (Tottenham Hotspur): Unfortunately for debutant Lucas Bergvall, he misses out on my Team of the Week, but two out of Tottenham’s midfield trio make the cut. First, Sarr: his goal was sublime, skipping past two defenders before calmly slotting the ball home. His effort essentially sealed Tottenham’s emphatic victory, their first win in eight matches.

SOUTHAMPTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 15: James Maddison of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates scoring his team’s first goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Tottenham Hotspur FC at St Mary’s Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Southampton, England. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Maddison, meanwhile, scored a brace. His first goal, after just 37 seconds, was a precise finish through Alex McCarthy’s legs, marking Tottenham’s fastest goal since 2018. His second, a thunderous strike into the far corner, came seconds before half-time. Maddison also helped set up Son Heung-min with a cross flicked on by Southampton defender Jan Bednarek. Together, this duo delivered an unstoppable performance, making history as Tottenham scored five first-half goals for the first time.

NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Elliot Anderson of Forest in action during the Premier League match between Nottingham Forest FC and Aston Villa FC at City Ground on December 14, 2024 in Nottingham, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest): Despite controversy over a missed penalty call, Anderson had an outstanding match in midfield. He was a defensive powerhouse, winning twelve duels, recovering possession eight times (the most in the match), making five tackles, and achieving 90% passing accuracy. Offensively, he created four chances (joint-most in the match) and set up the winning goal with a well-timed assist, after a monstrous tackle.

BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 15: Ismaila Sarr of Crystal Palace celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion FC and Crystal Palace FC at Amex Stadium on December 15, 2024 in Brighton, England. (Photo by Alex Pantling/Getty Images)

Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace): Sarr shone brightly, scoring twice and assisting once. His first goal was a well-timed header arriving late, while his second saw him calmly slot the ball past the goalkeeper. His assist, though controversial due to a handball, stood after a VAR review. Sarr’s contributions handed Brighton their first home loss of the season and brought all three points home.

Attackers

Tottenham Hotspur’s South Korean striker #07 Son Heung-Min celebrates scoring the team’s second goal during the English Premier League football match between Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur at St Mary’s Stadium in Southampton, southern England on December 15, 2024. (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images)

Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur): Son celebrated his 100th Premier League appearance in style, scoring and assisting in Tottenham’s thrashing of Southampton. His composed finish took his Premier League goal tally to 125, while his assists, an easy lay-off for Sarr and a beautiful outside-the-boot pass for Maddison, highlighted his creative prowess. Son also became Tottenham’s all-time Premier League assist leader, surpassing Darren Anderton.

NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 14: Alexander Isak of Newcastle United scores his team’s third goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Leicester City FC at St James’ Park on December 14, 2024 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)

Alexander Isak (Newcastle United): Isak delivered a goal and assist in Newcastle’s dominant win over Leicester. His goal, a well-placed header, made him the third Newcastle player in history to score 20 goals in a calendar year, joining Alan Shearer and Andy Cole. His assist was equally impressive, drawing defenders before setting up Jacob Murphy for a calm finish. Isak now boasts 17 goal contributions in 14 games at St James’ Park, underlining his importance to Newcastle’s success.

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