Brighton star Danny Welbeck leads the charge in the Squawka Score Premier League Team of the Week.
Dat Guy was on hand to put Liverpool to the sword on Saturday and is one of two Seagulls stars to make the cut.
Elsewhere, Everton, Fulham, Leeds and Nottingham Forest all feature following notable results over the weekend.
We’ve used our Squawka Score to determine the best XI, based on the statistical leaders for metrics relevant to their positions. And as ever, we’ve thrown an honourable mention XI for good measure.
The Squawka Score is our proprietary performance rating, combining multiple Opta stats into a single percentage (45 mins played minimum). It benchmarks players against their positional peers, allowing quick comparisons. Learn more about how it works here: https://www.squawka.com/en/news/squawka-score-explained/
GK: Jordan Pickford (Everton)
- Squawka score: 86%
Kicking off the team of the week is Everton star Jordan Pickford. The England international shone as the Toffees claimed a 3-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday, making four saves to prevent 1.9 goals in the process.
Honourable mention: Matz Sels (77%)
Like Pickford, Matz Sels also played his part in a 3-0 triumph as Nottingham Forest downed sorry Spurs on Sunday. The Belgian made three saves and completed seven long balls in a clean sheet-attaining display.
RB: Timothy Castagne (Fulham)
- Squawka score: 72%
Fulham eased to a 3-1 home win over Burnley on Saturday afternoon, with Timothy Castagne on hand to put in a solid shift from right-back. Castagne was unfortunate not to register an assist in the victory having created three chances. An additional three tackles capped a notable showing.
Honourable mention: Jayden Bogle (67%)
Jayden Bogle got forward well in Leeds’ 0-0 draw with Brentford on Saturday night. Indeed, the full-back completed three dribbles in the stalemate and made three clearances as Leeds edged closer to safety.
CB: Jaka Bijol (Leeds)
- Squawka score: 71%
Featuring at the heart of the defence, the towering Jaka Bijol was again imperious as Leeds ground out another result. The 27-year-old made 10 clearances and won eight aerial duels in Saturday’s 0-0 draw with Brentford.
| STAT | BIJOL | LEEDS RANKING |
|---|---|---|
| Clearances | 10 | 1st |
| Aerial duels won | 8 | 1st |
| Interceptions | 3 | 1st |
| Tackles | 2 | =3rd |
Honourable mention: Nikola Milenkovic (68%)
Nikola Milenkovic didn’t look phased by the Tottenham attack in the capital on Sunday. The Serb star made a whopping 12 clearances to keep the Spurs offensive at bay as Nottingham Forest claimed a 3-0 win at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
CB: Pascal Struijk
- Squawka score: 71%
Remaining at Elland Road, Bijol’s centre-back partner Pascal Struijk joins the Slovenian in the best XI. The Dutchman made a commendable seven clearances and chipped in with a further one tackle and interception in the stalemate with Brentford.
Honourable mention: Murillo (70%)
Another Nottingham Forest to just miss out on a spot in the team, Murillo was again excellent for the Tricky Trees on Sunday. The Forest star made eight clearances and returned a 100% tackle success in the win over Spurs.
LB: Neco Williams (Nottingham Forest)
- Squawka score: 76%
Rounding off the defence is Nottingham Forest star Neco Williams, who provided a brace of assists in the Tricky Trees’ 3-0 win at Tottenham on Sunday. The Welshman also managed four interceptions as Forest claimed a huge victory in their battle to beat the drop.
Honourable mention: Lucas Digne (69%)
Lucas Digne was unfortunate not to contribute to a goal in Aston Villa’s 2-0 home win over West Ham. The left-back fired off two shots and created two chances as the Villans landed a much-needed three points.
CM: Ethan Ampadu (Leeds)
- Squawka score: 79%
Ethan Ampadu put in a battling display as Leeds played out a 0-0 draw with Brentford on Saturday. The Wales international made three tackles, two clearances and one interception as the Whites claimed a vital point.
Honourable mention: Amadou Onana (73%)
Aston Villa star Amadou Onana put in a dominant midfield display against West Ham on Sunday. The Belgian returned a 100% tackle success rate from seven attempted tackles as he completed overwhelmed the Hammers midfield.
CM: Idrissa Gueye (Everton)
- Squawka score: 76%
Idrissa Gueye provided his second Premier League assist of the season in Everton’s 3-0 win over Chelsea on Saturday. Gueye created one chance against the Blues, and protected the Toffees backline well as he made five interceptions and three tackles.
Honourable mention: Ryan Christie (72%)
Ryan Christie marked just his fifth league start of the season with a second goal of the 2025-26 campaign. The Scot got the better of Senne Lammens with one of two shots as Bournemouth played out a 2-2 draw with Manchester United on Friday.
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CM: James Garner (Everton)
- Squawka score: 74%
Gueye’s Everton teammate James Garner rounds off the midfield. Garner marked his first England call up with a notable showing against Chelsea over the weekend. Like Gueye, the 25-year-old also provided an assist in the win over the Blues, and maintained an impressive 90.91% forward pass success rate.
Honourable mention: Ross Barkley (72%)
The second Aston Villa player to just miss out on a spot in the team of the week, Ross Barkley got forward well where possible against West Ham. The Villans star completed two take ons and created one chance as Villa eased past the Hammers.
RW: Diego Gomez (Brighton)
- Squawka score: 73%
Diego Gomez provided the vital assist, his first of the season, for Danny Welbeck’s opener in Brighton’s 2-1 win over Liverpool on Saturday. That assist came from one chance created, while the 22-year-old also managed three tackles in the fine home victory.
Honourable mention: Harry Wilson (73%)
Harry Wilson bagged his 10th league goal of the season in Fulham’s 3-1 win over Burnley on Saturday. The Whites winger beat Martin Dubravka with one of six shots and made two tackles in another fine showing.
ST: Danny Welbeck (Brighton)
- Squawka score: 83%
Leading the charge this week is Dat Guy. Danny Welbeck bagged his 11th and 12th league goals of the season in Brighton’s 2-1 win over Liverpool, getting the better of Giorgi Mamardashvili with two of three shots. Maybe Thomas Tuchel should have turned to the Brighton hitman…
| STAT | WELBECK | BRIGHTON RANKING |
|---|---|---|
| Shots | 3 | =1st |
| Goals | 2 | 1st |
| Chances created | 2 | =1st |
| Poss. won midfield third | 3 | 2nd |
Honourable mention: Zian Flemming (74%)
While he ended up on the losing side, Zian Flemming did enough to deserve an honourable mention in the team of the week. The Burnley forward scored with one of three shots at Fulham on Saturday, won three aerial duels, created two chances and made two tackles for the Clarets.
LW: Iliman Ndiaye (Everton)
- Squawka score: 72%
Nailing down the left wing spot is Everton star Iliman Ndiaye. The Senegal international bagged Everton’s third on Saturday, netting with one of two shots, and made two tackles in the win over Chelsea.
Honourable mention: Yankuba Minteh (72%)
Yankuba Minteh was a tad unfortunate not to contribute to a goal in Brighton’s win over Liverpool. The Seagulls star created two chances and fired off one shot to just miss out on a spot in the team.
