English Premier League Team of the Month August 2016

Get ready for the first ever edition of Team of the Month on The Mastermind.

Goalkeeper: Eldin Jakupovic

Team of the Week Appearances: 1
3 appearances, 2 goals conceded, 9 saves, 1 clean sheet, 5 cross claims.

Hull City have enjoyed a fantastic start to the 2016-17 season and Eldin Jakupovic has been one of the Tigers’ most important players. In the best goalkeeping performance of the season so far, Jakupovic made 8 saves against Manchester United and nearly kept clean sheet and forced a draw until Rashford popped up with a late goal right at the very end. Jakupovic was also brilliant against Swansea as he kept a clean sheet and his performances in August are surely going to give Mike Phelan a headache when Allan McGregor returns from injury. Rating: 8/10.

Right Back: Antonio Valencia

Team of the Week Appearances: 0
3 appearances, 6 tackles, 4 chances created, 9 clearances, 90% pass accuracy.

The next edition of Get Him In Your Team! won’t arrive until two weeks from now, but seriously get him in your team before it’s too late, Jose Mourinho loves him as much as Ander Herrera does.

Antonio Valencia has been fantastic as a right back so far under Jose Mourinho and has helped Manchester United keep 2 clean sheets inside the first three matches. No other right back in the league has enjoyed such a positive start to the 2016-17 season. Rating: 8/10.

Centre Back: Eric Bailly

Team of the Week Appearances: 1
3 appearances, 2 clean sheets, 16 clearances, 9 interceptions, 6 tackles, 96% pass accuracy.

Eric Bailly has been fantastic at the start of his Manchester United career and looks at the moment like the best buy of the summer transfer window. Bailly has been a defensive beast in every single match he’s played so far and has hardly put a foot wrong, picking up 0 yellow or red cards and completing 96% of his passes so far as Manchester United have kept 2 clean sheets in three matches. Rating: 8.5/10.

Centre Back: Curtis Davies

Team of the Week Appearances: 3
3 appearances, 21 interceptions, 35 clearances, 11 duels in the air won, 85% pass accuracy.

In the first three matches of the 2016-17 Barclays Premier League season, Curtis Davies has made every single Mastermind team of the week, something that has only been achieved by Riyad Mahrez in 5 seasons of team of the week. If he ends up on the trajectory that Mahrez did last season, he could be on his way to being named the PFA Player of the Year! Okay, maybe that’s a stretch, but Curtis Davies has been absolutely fantastic in the first three matches of this season and has been the main reason why Hull City have been able to enjoy such an impeccable start to the season that nobody could have ever predicted. Curtis Davies has captained his side to 2 wins and in the process has boasted impressive stats such as 35 clearances and 21 interceptions in just 3 matches. Rating: 9.5/10.

Left Back: Luke Shaw

Team of the Week Appearances: 1
3 appearances, 10 clearances, 7 interceptions, 4 chances created, 87% pass accuracy.

Luke Shaw spent almost all of the 2015-16 season out with a broken leg and wasn’t necessarily guaranteed to start under Mourinho upon his return but since he’s come back from injury he has been absolutely phenomenal. Shaw won a penalty against Southampton that was converted by Ibrahimovic but has also been brilliant in helping United keep 2 clean sheets in the first three matches as he has come up with some very impressive defensive actions, including a vital intervention against Hull. If Luke Shaw can just avoid injury, this may be his year. Rating: 8.5/10.

Defensive Midfield: Victor Wanyama

Team of the Week Appearances: 1
3 appearances, 1 goal, 7 tackles, 9 clearances, 86% pass accuracy.

With Mousa Dembele out suspended, Victor Wanyama has come straight into Tottenham’s midfield after arriving from Southampton in the summer and has absolutely dominated the midfield in every single game he’s played in. Wanyama could hardly have asked for a better start to his Tottenham career as he’s scored a goal, hardly made a defensive mistake, and has been Tottenham’s best player as they have enjoyed an unbeaten start to the season. Victor Wanyama has been brilliant for Spurs so far and when Dembele’s suspension is finally over in 3 matches, he may not come straight back into the side. Rating: 8/10.

Right Wing: Raheem Sterling

Team of the Week Appearances: 1
3 appearances, 2 goals, 1 assist, 11 dribbles won, 1 penalty won, 6 tackles.

Who would’ve thought Raheem Sterling would have had such a strong start to the 2016-17 Barclays Premier League season after such a poor time at Euro 2016. Pep Guardiola has clearly put his arm around him, encouraged him and Guardiola’s belief in Sterling has certainly paid off for the English winger as he has had a brilliant month and has put together a string of matches that may be part of his best ever month as a footballer at Manchester City. In 3 matches so far this season, Sterling has been named man of the match in two, has scored 2 goals with 1 assist and won a penalty that was converted by Aguero. Sterling’s form at the start of this season is definitely something to keep an eye on as if he continues like this he could end up being one of the very best players in the league this season. Rating: 9.5/10.

Left Wing: Eden Hazard

Team of the Week Appearances: 1
3 appearances, 2 goals, 17 dribbles won, 14 shots, 10 free kicks won.

No footballer has ever won the PFA Player of the Year one season and then been absolutely dreadful the next season. But, after a fantastic Euro 2016 campaign with Belgium, Eden Hazard is looking like his old self again after a fantastic month of football under Antonio Conte at Chelsea. Hazard has been Chelsea’s most effective player in all three matches to start the season, has scored 2 goals, completed 17 dribbles and has led them to three straight wins out of three. What a way to start the season! Rating: 9/10.

Striker: Alvaro Negredo

Team of the Week Appearances: 1
3 appearances, 1 goal, 2 assists, 16 duels in the air won, 100% conversion rate.

Alvaro Negredo is back in the Premier League and has helped lead Middlesbrough to an undefeated stat to the 2016-17 season. In his three matches so far, Negredo has scored from his only shot on target, assisted a further two and has led the line brilliantly well to help Boro sustain a place in the top 10 in the table as they currently sit in 7th place, higher than Arsenal, Leicester and Liverpool. Rating: 8/10.

Centre Forward: Sergio Aguero

Team of the Week Appearances: 1
3 appearances, 3 wins, 3 goals, 15 shots, 7 dribbles won.

Joining Alvaro Negredo up front is his old teammate, Sergio Aguero. In 3 matches, Sergio Aguero has scored 3 goals to help Manchester City undergo an unbeaten start to the season. On top of his goals, his link up play has been great and he’s led the line under Guardiola without any issue. Rating: 8.5/10.

Striker: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Team of the Week Appearances: 1
3 appearances, 3 goals, 12 shots, 4 chances created, 7 duels in the air won.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has had an amazing start to the Premier League season and other than a goalless game for him against Hull, he has scored in every single appearance he’s made in a United shirt so far. Zlatan has also gotten the most out of Wayne Rooney, who’s career seemingly started to slide last season and has linked up well with every single player around him. He’s 34 now and is still banging in the goals without any issue and is proving everyone who thought he wouldn’t be a success in this league wrong. Without Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Manchester United may not have been able to get off to such a flying start and win all three of their opening matches. Rating: 9/10.

Formation: 4-1-2-3

Substitutes: Ben Foster, Daley Blind, Mason Holgate, Etienne Capoue, Wayne Rooney, Philippe Coutinho, Diego Costa

Player of the Month: Curtis Davies

Match One: Curtis Davies was a beast at the back for Hull, helping them secure a surprise win over Champions Leicester City. Nobody expected Hull to defeat Leicester but with a fantastic leader at the back in Davies, they always had a chance to grab three points. The Hull City centre half was fantastic, making 8 interceptions and 15 clearances to keep Vardy and co away from the net. The British defender won everything in the air, tamed Vardy and Musa and was always on the ball and on top of his game. Rating: 8.5/10.

Match Two: Two games, two team of the week appearances for Curtis Davies. Davies was fantastic at the back again for Hull City and was once again the main reason why they were able to beat their opposition and keep a clean sheet. The British defender won 3 duels in the air, completed 100% of his attempted tackles, completed 95% of his passes, made 2 blocks, 3 clearances and a staggering 11 interceptions, always getting his body in the way and shutting down attacks. Oh, and he even chipped in the other way with an assist for Maloney’s opening goal. Davies was excellent against Swansea and if he keeps this kind of form up, he’ll be one of the star defenders of the league season for sure. Rating: 9.5/10.

Match Three: One of the main reasons why Manchester United were not able to get a goal until late on against Hull despite all of their constant pressure in and around the Tigers’ 18-yard box was because of Curtis Davies. Curtis Davies was phenomenal yet again as he has now made three team of the week appearances inside the first three matches this season. On top of Davies’ goal-saving clearance right on the line to stop Wayne Rooney from scoring in the 37th minute, the Hull captain also won 100% of his tackles, made 5 interceptions and get ready for this…made 19 clearances against the Red Devils. It was another brilliant performance from Curtis Davies and although it wasn’t enough to captain his team to a draw, it was enough to earn a spot in the Team of the Week for the third straight time. Rating: 9/10.

Young Player of the Month: Mason Holgate

Team of the Week Appearances: 0
3 appearances, 1 assist, 16 clearances, 7 tackles, 4 interceptions.

Nobody even knew Mason Holgate a month ago but now after three fantastic matches to start his Premier League career at the back for Ronald Koeman, he’s become a household name and even attracted the interest of England manager Sam Allardyce. The 19-year old has been so effective at the back for Everton to start this season and has been instrumental in helping the Toffees get off to an unbeaten start to the 2016-17 Premier League season. Rating: 8/10.

Manager of the Month: Mike Phelan

Nobody expected Hull City to get off to such a good start to the 2016-17 season and Mike Phelan has to take so much credit for the way he’s managed to rally his players to two wins and one narrow defeat in the first three matches of the season. Every player has been brilliant for Hull and without any individual talent at all they’ve managed to look like one of the most impressive clubs in the league so far. Rating: 9.5/10.

So there it is! The Mastermind‘s Team of the Month for August 2016! Stay tuned and click the follow button for more articles like this!