Matchweek Awards
The 2023/24 Premier League season is getting to the business end of things. Week 24 was an example of how teams are reacting to this realisation.
There were fewer goals scored in this week than in week 23, but the games were still entertaining and produced many amazing moments.
Here are our matchday awards after week 24.
Best Player – Declan Rice
Two assists and one goal on his first return to the London Stadium after joining Arsenal in the summer is what the West Ham United fans will remember their former captain, Declan Rice, for.
The England international never produced this kind of performance for them while in Claret and Blue, which will make it more painful for the Hammers’ fans.
Mikel Arteta has unleashed a beast and with more fine-tuning, a potential Arsenal captain.
Best XI
Arsenal players dominate our best XI for the week thanks to their brilliant performances away from home in week 24. Their 6 – 0 demolition of West Ham saw a lot of players step up, putting Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp on notice.
Chelsea’s Monday outing away at Crystal Palace also produced some impressive displays, which are sure to buy Mauricio Pochettino some more time as the club’s manager.
Here are our best XI from week 24.
GK: Mark Flekken – Brentford
DF: Diogo Dalot – Manchester United
DF: William Saliba – Arsenal
DF: Gabriel Magalhães – Arsenal
DF: Antonee Robinson – Fulham
DM: Declan Rice – Arsenal
CM: Vinicius Souza – Sheffield United
CM: Martin Ødegaard – Arsenal
LW: Bukayo Saka – Arsenal
RW: Leandro Trossard – Arsenal
ST: Erling Haaland – Manchester City
Best Goal
Arsenal were already comfortable winners of their match against West Ham when a miscommunication between Ødegaard and Gabriel Martinelli let a Ben White pass slip through to Rice. His first-time shot from 25 yards out beat Areola to make it 6 – 0 for the Gunners.
The quality of the strike coupled with his performance in the game is what made us crown this goal as the best of the week.
Best Game
Newcastle United may be struggling to reach the levels they did last season, but they have consistently done one thing this season: give us entertaining matches.
Eddie Howe’s all-out attack pattern that has made him popular has seen the Magpies concede a lot of goals this season. That same attack makes up for it in most cases, which ends up providing viewers with a spectacle of a game.
The same thing happened on their trip to Nottingham Forest which they won 3 – 2. A very entertaining game that holds a serious rewatch value.
Best Stats
Our best stat from week 24 is a club-focused one.
Chelsea’s Conor Gallagher scored his first two goals of the 2023/24 Premier League season against Crystal Palace on Monday. One was the equaliser and the other was the winner, scored in the 91st minute.
Both were brilliant goals which took his tally to five goals in the league for Chelsea since he finally secured a spot in their first team last season. Three of those goals have come against Crystal Palace, who he played for on loan from the Blues in the 2021/22 season.
The best part of this stat is that his winner in the 91st minute is the first Chelsea goal after regulation time since he last scored for Chelsea in the 2022/23 season. That goal was also against Crystal Palace.
Serendipitous.
Best/Worst VAR Decision
The week went by without incident so there were not many VAR incidents to review and award as the best or the worst.
Best Substitution
Heung-Min Son returned to active duty for Tottenham Hotspur against Brighton and Hove Albion in week 24, coming off the bench in the 62nd minute. This changed the dynamic of the game for Spurs as their attack became more potent in the face of Brighton’s also relentless attacks.
In the end, the captain assisted the winner which was scored by fellow sub, Brennan Johnson, to keep all three points at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.
A moment of magic for the Spurs fans and an assurance that they are back in the top four race.
Funniest moment of the match week
Douglas Luiz equalised at Villa Park against Manchester United for Aston Villa and did a little funny dance to mock their visitors.
Villa Park would get shut down later by Scott McTominay, coming off the bench to score the winner and take home all three points for Man United.
Footballers enjoy getting ahead of themselves and this is why the fans will continue to savour many funny moments like these.