Premier League Team of the Week: Fernando Torres & Antonio Valencia star while Swansea players dominate after Arsenal win

Joe Allen, Nathan Dyer and Leon Britton all feature for the Welsh outfit, whilst the Spaniard's showing in Chelsea's victory over Sunderland secures his second TOTW appearance

17 Jan 2012 08:41:00

More On :  Chelsea FC, Manchester United, Swansea City, West Bromwich, Wigan Athletic, Wolves, Nathan Dyer, Leon Britton, Ángel Rangel, Joe Allen, Neil Taylor, Fernando Torres
EPL,Scott Sinclair,Swansea City v Arsenal
Getty Images
Swansea City dominate this week’s best XI following the Welsh outfit’s 3-2 victory over Arsenal on Sunday, with five players from Brendan Rodgers’ side included.

Midfield maestro Joe Allen made a mockery of Aaron Ramsey on his return to Wales, none more so than when dispossessing the national team captain before providing the assist for the Swans' second goal, which was duly scored by Nathan Dyer.

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Dyer also won the penalty which initially saw the home side draw level at 1-1, and the wideman is included in our TOTW for the second time in a row.

Elsewhere, Leon Britton’s fine performance at the Liberty Stadium is rewarded with a TOTW debut, whilst full-backs Neil Taylor and Angel Rangel also feature for their efforts.

Danny Graham may have bagged the winner against the Gunners, but he just misses out to Chelsea’s Fernando Torres, as the Spaniard once again came close to ending his much-maligned goal drought – on Saturday his superbly executed scissor-kick volley crashed off the bar before rebounding off an unknowing Frank Lampard to secure a 1-0 victory over Sunderland.

The ex-Liverpool man is partnered by Steven Fletcher, whose ninth Premier League goal of the season at White Hart Lane helped Wolves to their fifth draw in the past six games, while team-mate Roger Johnson makes the cut at centre-back, alongside West Brom’s Gareth McAuley.

Manchester United eased past Bolton 3-0 on Saturday, with Antonio Valencia making his fourth TOTW appearance, as the Ecuadorian edges out Morten Gamst Pedersen and Hatem Ben Arfa, despite the pair’s game-changing exploits in victories for Blackburn and Newcastle respectively.

Rovers just miss out again in goal, as Wigan’s Ali Al-Habsi is preferred to Paul Robinson, with the Oman international thwarting numerous Manchester City attempts to ensure his side pushed Roberto Mancini’s men right to the death in Monday’s 1-0 loss.


AL-HABSI
WIGAN
vs Man City (H)
 Player Rating: 7.5
 TOTW Apps: 2

RANGEL JOHNSON McAULEY
 TAYLOR
SWANSEA
 WOLVES
 WEST BROM
 SWANSEA
 vs Arsenal (H) vs Tottenham (A) vs Norwich (H)
 vs Arsenal (H)
 Player Rating: 7
 Player Rating: 8
 Player Rating: 7.5
 Player Rating: 7
TOTW Apps: 1
 TOTW Apps: 1
 TOTW Apps: 1
 TOTW Apps: 1

VALENCIA BRITTON ALLEN
 DYER
MAN UNITED
 SWANSEA
 SWANSEA
 SWANSEA
 vs Bolton (H) vs Arsenal (H) vs Arsenal (H)
 vs Arsenal (H)
 Player Rating: 8
 Player Rating: 7.5
 Player Rating: 8
 Player Rating: 7.5
TOTW Apps: 4
 TOTW Apps: 1
 TOTW Apps: 1
 TOTW Apps: 2


TORRES FLETCHER


 
 CHELSEA
 WOLVES
 
 vs Sunderland (H) vs Tottenham (A)
 
 Player Rating: 8
 Player Rating: 7.5

TOTW Apps: 2
 TOTW Apps: 1

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