New year, new segment. Introducing Dub’s ‘Premier League Team of the Month’. The players are named in the positions they occupy in the Premier League’s official ‘Fantasy Premier League’. This month’s team takes on a 3-4-3 formation and a spoiler is one of the hat-trick heroes did not make the cut.
Goalkeeper
Martin Dubravka (Newcastle)
Despite just one clean sheet in four January games, Newcastle would not have picked up nine points without Dubravka’s heroics. Dubravka keeps Dean Henderson out of the team of the month due to how busy he was and the fact the Magpies collected more points than Crystal Palace. The Slovakian made 20 saves in the four matches including seven in the 3-0 home win against Wolves. He has shown composure at vital times whilst deputising for Nick Pope after looking like he was on the way out of St James’ Park.
Defenders
Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United)
United are still far from where they need to be, but they got a couple of creditable results in January and Martinez was instrumental in them. They began the month defying the odds with a 2-2 draw away at leaders Liverpool, and the Argentine crashed the opener in off the bar. The month concluded with Martinez on the scoresheet again as his late deflected strike secured all the three points at Fulham. Martinez is seventh among defenders in interceptions this season with 31.
Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)
Crystal Palace kept the joint most clean sheets in January with two and their captain Guehi played his part. Guehi remains a dominant figure at the back and is fourth in headed clearances with 65 in the league this campaign, as well as eighth in aerial battles won with 56. The Eagles kept clean sheets away from home against Leicester and West Ham with Guehi scoring in the former. He produced a good finish from an Eberechi Eze free-kick to seal the three points at the King Power Stadium.
Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth)
Just like his club, Kerkez continues to improve. The Cherries had an impressive January as they went unbeaten and accumulated 10 points from a possible 12. As well as this they had the most clean sheets in the month along with Crystal Palace. They began with a 1-0 home win against Everton and Kerkez assisted the winner for David Brooks. In the statement 4-1 away triumph at Newcastle, Kerkez smashed in the fourth goal. His marauding runs up and down the left-hand side have him attracting interest from bigger clubs.
Midfielders
Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth)
Kluivert’s goalscoring exploits to start the year have got him to 11 for the season as he was a major factor in Bournemouth finishing the month in 7th place. Kluivert scored a penalty in the Cherries’ 2-2 draw at Chelsea. In a resounding 4-1 triumph at Newcastle, Kluivert got a hat-trick and laid on the fourth goal for Milos Kerkez. His third strike from distance was the pick of his goals. Bournemouth then thumped in-form Nottingham Forest 5-0 at the Vitality Stadium and Kluivert opened the scoring.
Bryan Mbeumo (Brentford)
Mbeumo’s remarkable season continues. Ivan Toney seems to be a distant memory as Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa rack up the numbers. The Cameroon international gave the Bees the lead on New Year’s Day at home to Arsenal before they fell to a 3-1 defeat. They responded with a 5-0 battering of Southampton and Mbeumo was at the double and assisted Keane Lewis-Potter. The month ended with Brentford winning 2-1 at Crystal Palace and Mbeumo opened the scoring with a retaken penalty.
Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Foden’s season has just started to get going after an incredibly slow start mainly because of injuries. He blitzed January as he looked like the man who won the Player of the Year last campaign. Foden grabbed the fourth goal in the 4-1 home victory over West Ham. City looked set to beat Brentford after he copped a brace, only for the Bees to fightback to get a point. Foden helped himself to another brace in the 6-0 thrashing of Ipswich where he also made a goal for Mateo Kovacic. He then got the third goal as City beat Chelsea 3-1.
Amad Diallo (Manchester United)
Ruben Amorim has had faith in Amad since taking over from Erik ten Hag and the Ivorian has repaid him. Amad squeezed in a late strike at Anfield to salvage a crucial point for United against their bitter rivals Liverpool. The Red Devils were being exposed by Southampton at Old Trafford and were heading for another defeat when up stepped Amad. He scored a 12-minute hat-trick with the first coming as late as the 82nd minute. Amad seized on poor defending and produced some clinical finishes.
Forwards
Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Haaland looked revived in January after a couple of underwhelming months. He bagged a brace as Pep Guardiola’s men won 4-1 at home against West Ham. He slid home the fifth goal as City beat Ipswich 6-0 at Portman Road. He then scored the second goal as the champions came from behind to beat Chelsea 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium. Haaland looked to be running away with the Golden Boot with the way he started the season, Mo Salah is ahead of him now, but Haaland’s January has him just one goal behind on 18 league goals.
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)
Mateta had a quiet start to the campaign after returning from the Olympics and was temporarily behind Eddie Nketiah. He is first choice once again and looks like the man who finished the 2023/24 season on fire. January saw the French international score 4 in 4 games. Mateta got a late leveller as Palace drew with Chelsea. He opened the scoring as the Eagles won 2-0 away at Leicester. In another 2-0 away win, Mateta scored a fine goal against West Ham and then added a penalty.
Alexander Isak (Newcastle)
Isak is now believed to be not just the best all-round striker in the Premier League but maybe even in Europe too. A great finisher who can link play and dribble well, Newcastle may have to qualify for the Champions League just to keep him. He got a rather fortunate winner as the Magpies won 2-1 at Tottenham. Then a deflected goal against Wolves, later he produced a clinical finish in a 3-0 victory. The Swede concluded the month with another brace as Eddie Howe’s men won 3-1 at Southampton. He is now third top scorer with 17 league goals this season.
@DubulDee
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