Liverpool stars in team of the week, but there's no Suarez

Sterling and Coutinho make the grade, but Chelsea stars also put in an appearance

Phillippe Coutinho from Liverpool
(Image credit: 2014 Getty Images)

AFTER a massive weekend of Premier League and FA Cup action, Liverpool appear to be on course for their first title in a generation, while Arsenal and Hull are preparing for a Wembley showdown next month. While the Gunners look to end their trophy drought they may have to face up to life without Champions League football after Everton moved above them into fourth place in the Premier League and there were vital wins for Fulham and Cardiff at the bottom of the table, which breath new life into their efforts to avoid relegation and spell disaster for Norwich. But who were the stand-out performers this weekend? Here's our pick of the experts picks: Goalkeeper: David Stockdale (Fulham).The match betweeen Fulham and Norwich was must-win for both sides, and Stockdale made the difference as Fulham emerged victorious. Felix Magath dropped Maarten Stekelenburg in favour of Stockdale but the decision "proved to be the right one" says Bleacher Report as he made brilliant stops to deny Ricky van Wolfswinkel and Leroy Fer. An honourable mention must go to David Marshall of Cardiff, who performed equally impressive feats as they also won.

Defence: Joel Ward (Crystal Palace), Juan Cala (Cardiff City), Erik Pieters (Stoke), John Stones (Everton).Palace fullback Ward "has been a vital part of Palace's resurgence under Tony Pulis and put in another dogged display as they grabbed the victory that surely seals their place in the Premier League next season", says ESPN. Cardiff centre back Cala scored the winner for the Bluebirds and was a unanimous choice among all the pundits. He was also the highest scoring Fantasy Premier League player this weekend with 15 points. Pieters sank Newcastle with a lucky strike for Stoke. Never mind his first goal for six years, it’s his "steady, consistent, committed performances on a weekly basis" that have caught the eye of Bleacher Report. Stones was "immense" for Everton as they beat Sunderland says Garth Crooks of the BBC. "The Everton manager has not just found a substitute for the injured Phil Jagielka, he may have found a future replacement."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us