Week 29 of the 2025-26 Premier League season threw up yet more curveballs.
Manchester City‘s home draw against Nottingham Forest and Liverpool losing at Wolverhampton Wanderers were the biggest shocks. However, Chelsea also sent out a statement with a 4-1 win at Champions League rivals Aston Villa, while Tottenham Hotspur were plunged further into relegation trouble with a 3-1 defeat at home to Crystal Palace.
All of this has had a major influence on our Team of the Week, which is backed by 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 in an honourable mention at each position 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: Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford)
- Squawka Score: 80%
Caoimhin Kelleher was instrumental as Brentford clung to a clean sheet away at Bournemouth. The Republic of Ireland international made two saves to the tune of 0.17 goals prevented, while he acted as a pressure-relief valve by making two combined cross claims and punches, and 11 successful long passes.
Honourable mention: Mads Hermansen (77%)
West Ham got immediately back on track and on the verge of escaping the relegation zone with their 1-0 win at Fulham. The Cottagers were quite disappointing, but Mads Hermansen still had to make five saves — a week-high among Premier League goalkeepers — preventing 0.77 goals in the process. That’s the Dane’s fourth clean sheet in nine Premier League appearances for the Hammers and the third in his last five.
RB: Alex Jimenez (Bournemouth)
- Squawka Score: 74%
As mentioned, Bournemouth weren’t able to find the breakthrough against Brentford, but that was not for a lack of trying on Alex Jimenez’s part. The Spanish right-back created two chances — including one big chance — while maintaining 100% dribble success. Jimenez also locked it down defensively with two tackles, two interceptions and three clearances.
Honourable mention: Malo Gousto (68%)
Chelsea demolished Aston Villa in what could be a key result in the race for Champions League football. Malo Gusto more than played his part, providing the assist for the equaliser and attempting three crosses, while making two tackles and an interception.
CB: James Hill (Bournemouth)
- Squawka Score: 72%
Bournemouth were the protagonists, but Brentford still carried some threat. Luckily, James Hill was on hand to make a whopping 11 clearances, alongside a block, a tackle and three interceptions, while he won eight of his 10 aerial duels. The 24-year-old completed 11 passes into the final third for good measure.
Honourable mention: Marcos Senesi (69%)
Hill’s partner in crime, Marcos Senesi, was just as important to Bournemouth’s rearguard effort, making seven clearances, two tackles and an interception, while winning five of his seven aerial duels.
CB: Olivier Boscagli (Brighton)
- Squawka Score: 71%
Were it not for an early error by Bart Verbruggen, Brighton would’ve taken a point off leaders Arsenal. Nevertheless, Olivier Boscagli was a mountain against the Gunners, making two tackles — including a last-man tackle — five clearances and an interception, and winning five of eight aerial duels. The Frenchman was excellent on the ball, too, completing 12 final third passes and his one attempted dribble.
Honourable mention: James Tarkowski (68%)
Everton finally won a home game, and in the process, kept their European hopes alive. James Tarkowski got things going against former club Burnley, opening the scoring in the 32nd minute, while he had things locked down defensively with two clearances, a tackle and an interception.
LB: Rayan Ait-Nouri (Man City)
- Squawka Score: 68%
A draw at home to Forest is a desperately disappointing result for Man City, but Rayan Ait-Nouri can hold his head high. The Algerian set up Rodri’s header that temporarily put Pep Guardiola’s men back in front, which was one of two chances he created. Ait-Nouri also completed four of his five dribbles and completed 12 passes into the final third, while making a tackle, clearance and interception.
Honourable mention: Adrien Truffert (67%)
Like Jimenez on the other side, Adrien Truffert did his best to break down Brentford, creating one big chance and playing four crosses into the box. There were no defensive problems from the Frenchman, who made one tackle, two interceptions and three clearances.
CM: Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace)
- Squawka Score: 77%
Adam Wharton provided two absolutely delicious assists as Crystal Palace heaped the misery on Tottenham, and his pass for Ismaila Sarr’s second of the night was particularly exquisite. The talented England international also shut down any notion of a Spurs fightback, making three tackles, one block and one clearance. But it was his mesmeric passing that stole the show.
Honourable mention: Idrissa Gueye (73%)
Idrissa Gueye was alert defensively when needed against Burnley, as he always is, making two interceptions and four recoveries. However, Everton largely dominated the match, and it was his two dribbles from three attempts, nine passes into the final third and 58 passes completed overall that really caught the eye.
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CM: Andre (Wolves)
- Squawka Score: 74%
Wolves fans must be wondering where this form has been all season as Liverpool became their latest victims. Andre was pivotal to the shock 2-1 win, bagging a deflected winner from distance in the 94th minute. The Brazilian also created one chance, completed all but two of his 45 passes, and made five tackles in an all-action showing.
Honourable mention: Anton Stach (73%)
Anton Stach took up a more advanced role than usual on the right side, and though Leeds will be disappointed to lose to Sunderland, the German looked good. Stach created two chances and played a whopping 13 crosses into the box, while industriously getting through six tackles, two clearances and an interception — as well as five of six aerial duels won.
RW: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
- Squawka Score: 75%
It’s been a tough season for Mohamed Salah, but at least individually, his performance against Wolves was a step in the right direction. The Egyptian scored the equalising goal in the 83rd minute, while also putting 11 crosses into the box and having 11 touches in that same penalty area.
Honourable mention: Anthony Elanga (66%)
Like Salah, Anthony Elanga has not enjoyed 2025/26, but looked better in his last outing. He still didn’t manage a direct goal involvement, but he did create two chances against Manchester United, alongside two crosses, four of six ground duels won and one tackle.
CAM: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
- Squawka Score: 75%
Cole Palmer netted his fifth goal in as many Premier League appearances to really take the game away from Aston Villa, but this was just his second non-penalty goal during that time. The 23-year-old also created two chances at Villa Park, alongside having four touches in the opposition box.
Honourable mention: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (73%)
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has looked to be an inspired signing for Everton so far, and his strike to take the game away from Burnley was his third direct goal involvement in his last five appearances. The former Chelsea man was a menace to the Clarets, attempting five shots in total, while he played seven passes into the final third and made two tackles.
LW: Crysencio Summerville (West Ham)
- Squawka Score: 79%
If Hermansen was important to West Ham’s win at Fulham, Crysencio Summerville was absolutely vital. It was the Dutchman who bagged the decisive goal, but that was just one of a number of flashpoints in a lively performance that also yielded one big chance created, two dribbles completed from three attempts and four crosses into the opposition box.
Honourable mention: Antoine Semenyo (71%)
Antoine Semenyo drifted between central and wide positions against Nottingham Forest, but was effective wherever he went, scoring the opening goal and creating one big chance, while hitting the woodwork with another effort.
ST: Joao Pedro (Chelsea)
- Squawka Score: 74%
There was only ever going to be one man taking up this position. Joao Pedro took Aston Villa apart and bust the Champions League race wide open with his hat-trick on Wednesday, and it could have been even better had he not missed a big chance in the sixth minute. Pedro also created one chance and made two tackles, but it’s the goals that stole the headlines.
Honourable mention: Jorgen Strand Larsen (68%)
For all the criticism around the fee paid for his services, Jorgen Strand Larsen has actually been very good since arriving at Crystal Palace. The Norway international put the Eagles in front against Spurs with his fourth direct goal involvement in seven appearances for the club, while his hold-up play was key to other major attacking moments. Stand Larsen won six of 16 duels but was a pest on all of them, while he created one chance.