Garth Crooks’ Team of the Week: Who played the pass of the season?

After every weekend of the Premier League, BBC football pundit Garth Crooks gathers his thoughts and gives you his Team of the Week.

James Trafford (Burnley): The first save a goalkeeper makes is often the most important and sets the tone for the remainder of the game. Trafford’s first save from Harry Wilson might have been comfortable, but the strike from Palhinha was far more testing. Trafford was called upon to make a number of saves during the course of the match, especially from an Alex Iwobi shot that took a serious deflection, and did well to keep a clean sheet. This victory against a Fulham side who were clearly feeling the effects of their midweek Carabao Cup win over Everton has come at a vital time for Burnley. However, they will need a few more clean sheets this season if they intend to remain in the league.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool): The ball from Alexander-Arnold that sent Mohamed Salah on his way to breaking Michael Owen’s scoring tally was out of this world. Sat in the middle of the back four on this occasion, Alexander-Arnold hit a ball a quarterback playing for the Miami Dolphins would have struggled to make. The Liverpool defender made contact with the ball from well inside his own half and planted it over the head of a stretching Oleksandr Zinchenko and into the path of Salah, leaving the Arsenal full-back furiously backpedalling and exposed. Salah breezed past him and blasted the ball into the roof of the net. It is the best pass I have seen this season.

Kurt Zouma (West Ham): West Ham must have been delighted to have Zouma back in their starting line-up after their mauling at Liverpool in midweek. His sheer presence against Manchester United clearly made a difference and provided a tremendous boost for the Hammers. The tackle and clearance off the line as United tried to get back into the game in the second half epitomised the determination and commitment of the West Ham captain. They did not allow their heavy midweek defeat in the Carabao Cup quarter-final derail their Premier League ambitions. Top six at Christmas is a great look for the Hammers. Manchester United out of the top six at Christmas is not.

Ibrahima Konate: It has been a while since Konate made my team selection. It has taken the Frenchman some time to settle down at Anfield and find some real consistency. Against Arsenal, however, the Liverpool central defender had the best game I have seen him have for some time. He made a tackle on Zinchenko in his own penalty area in the final 10 minutes which was timed perfectly and needed to be. Konate also seems more composed on the ball these days and less prone to make rash tackles, especially when the striker has his back to goal. There was very little to separate these teams on the day and neither deserved to lose.

Mohammed Kudus: The mere fact that Kudus has featured so prominently in my teams during these past few weeks should tell you how well this lad has been playing for West Ham this season. Since the arrival of the Ghana international, the Hammers look even more dangerous on the break. However, the man responsible for bringing Kudus to London Stadium, keeping West Ham in the Premier League and providing them with a top-seven finish before going on to win the European Conference League, is manager David Moyes. Yet speculation about the fans wanting a younger more charismatic figure at the helm and the possibility of Michael Carrick taking over next season continues to mount. Hammers fans should be careful what they wish for.

Declan Rice: It was Martin Odegaard who ran the show in the first half for Arsenal and Rice who continued the theme in the second. Sat comfortably in front of their back four, Rice provides the perfect insurance policy for William Saliba and Gabriel at the heart of Arsenal’s defensive unit. Rice was impressive when he played for West Ham but he has added a real authority to his game. It could prove to be the difference between Arsenal winning the title because of his reliability and them losing it with unpredictability and occasionally volatile Granit Xhaka. I know who I prefer.

Martin Odegaard: Arsenal’s performance at Anfield, especially during the first 25 minutes, was as good as I have seen from them. At the heart of this controlled performance was Odegaard. I did think the Norway international was fortunate to get away with a penalty appeal when he appeared to handle the ball. The problem is I have seen them given, but on this occasion referee Chris Kavanagh thought otherwise. It was a crucial decision, but if a referee is not convinced about an incident then he should not give it regardless of the video assistant referee or what those at Stockley Park say – it is that simple.

Wilson Odobert: It was a superb strike by Odobert but the three points that came with it were far more important and take Burnley off the bottom of the table. The 19-year-old has started only five games but scored three goals. Odobert can clearly play and must feature more prominently if the Clarets stand any chance of remaining in the league. Last week they were booed off the pitch by their home fans after defeat against Everton, so this result will come as a welcome relief for manager Vincent Kompany. However, the Clarets need to put a run together and quickly. I cannot see them getting much out of Liverpool or Aston Villa before they host Luton, which is a must-win game. Were Burnley to take all nine points from the three fixtures, that would be a game-changer. But that is the sort of impact they need if they are to survive this season.

Mohamed Salah: If Liverpool intend on winning the Premier League – and it is a growing possibility – they have to wrap Salah in cotton wool. He is back to what he was in his first season at Anfield. The way he dismantled Arsenal’s Zinchenko before smashing the ball past a helpless David Raya in goal must have been terrifying for any defender watching. The problem for Liverpool is, who do they replace Salah with when he’s gone? Should the Saudi Pro League rekindle their interest in the Egypt captain – for the astronomical amounts they are prepared to pay – at the end of the season, I cannot see the player or the club being in a position to refuse. Liverpool will not win the title without him, so they had better get a move on.

Dominic Solanke: I do not think you will see a better hat-trick all season. Bournemouth have developed a centre-forward capable of leading the line of any Premier League team. The issue for the south-coast club now is how long can they hold on to Solanke? However, for the second consecutive week a Premier League referee struggles to distinguish between a good tackle and one that requires a player being sent off. Last week it was at St James’ Park and this week at the City Ground where Willy Boly’s challenge on Adam Smith was not only brilliantly timed but utterly fair. Nottingham Forest not only lost the player because of a monstrous decision but the match as well. Not good enough.

Jarrod Bowen: “It was not good enough,” said a contrite Luke Shaw in his post-match interview and he was right. Manchester United players, regardless of their injuries, have to give more than they produced in the second half against West Ham. Willy Kambwala, who was making his Premier League debut, and Kobbie Mainoo, whose momentary lapse in concentration set up West Ham’s second goal, were their two best players. Meanwhile, the Hammers seem to take pride in wearing the Irons on their chest and none more so than Bowen. The England international has scored 11 goals this season and adjusted remarkably well to a more central striking role with Michail Antonio out of action through injury. I cannot see a top-four finish for the Hammers but I bet they are thinking about it.

The Crooks of the Matter

The Proposed European Super League may have received the go-ahead from the courts this week, but it remains a dead duck – and was as soon as fans announced their disapproval some time ago. However, the introduction of the new Club World Cup by Fifa, involving 32 teams scheduled for the summer of 2025, will take professional players at the top European clubs to breaking point. Some in the game think they are already there.

Arsene Wenger says Fifa’s expanded Club World Cup can make football “really global” and should not just be looked at from a European perspective. Well, he has certainly changed his tune because he was not saying that when he was manager of Arsenal. Wenger choreographed their every move, made sure his team avoided any end-of-season games and balked at the very thought of any pre-season friendlies that involved transatlantic travel – especially those with the added problem of jet lag and the time it would take his players to recover to meet the demands of a forthcoming domestic league. In fact, he would do almost anything to avoid further wear and tear any extra games might have on his players. It was difficult to argue with him at the time as he was winning titles.

So what has changed? His circumstances, that’s what. The Frenchman is no longer managing a successful Premier League team but is now tasked with the job of extending Fifa’s agenda of making football a ‘global game’. But at whose expense? The players.

Manchester City, one of the 12 European teams who automatically qualify for the new Club World Cup, are serial qualifiers for the Champions League and recently won three of the four major competitions. Naturally they will want to win this latest global configuration, as will other European teams. However, the long-term impact these latest demands could have on players’ hips, ankles and knee joints, not to mention the pain and suffering from arthritis, could be immeasurable and only identifiable many years later.

Will Wenger and Fifa pick up that bill?