Premier League team of the week: Gameweek 13
By Sean Walsh
Gameweek 13 of the 2022/23 Premier League season saw just one of the traditional 'big six' win, if you want another barometer of how mental this campaign has been.
Nottingham Forest opened the weekend with an impressive win against Liverpool, Steven Gerrard-less Aston Villa returned to winning ways with a free-flowing thrashing of Brentford and Chelsea drew with Manchester United (because of course they did).
Here's 90min's team of the week.
1. GK: Dean Henderson (Nottingham Forest)
Obviously it was really funny to see Jurgen Klopp claim that Liverpool made lots of chances at the City Ground and that actually Forest weren't that good, but he wasn't talking complete nonsense.
Steve Cooper's men seemed determined to concede from any given set piece or crossing opportunity, and had Dean Henderson - armed with his trusty baseball cap - to thank for shutting the Reds out.
2. RB: Bobby Decordova-Reid (Fulham)
Fulham already had Kenny Tete before they went out and snatched Kevin Mbabu from Wolfsburg. And yet it's been former forward Bobby Decordova-Reid who has made the right-back spot his own this season.
The Jamaica international grabbed a well-taken goal in the Cottagers' 3-2 win up at Leeds and has been one of their key performers during their rise up the table.
3. CB: Lyanco (Southampton)
Lyanco spent 90 minutes of Southampton's impressive 1-1 draw with Arsenal doing his best to get sent off, essentially hitting Gabriel Jesus with a lead pipe over and over.
But hey, it worked. The Saints held on and the big Brazilian's intimidation tactics paid off.
4. CB: Kurt Zouma (West Ham United)
A goal and a clean sheet? Have yourself an evening, Kurt Zouma.
West Ham are climbing back up the table after a rough start to the season and the Frenchman played a crucial role in Monday's victory at home to Bournemouth.
5. LB: Dan Burn (Newcastle United)
A Newcastle full-back is in the team of the week and it isn't Kieran Trippier? Well, alright then.
Dan Burn must have been giggling to himself when he saw Emerson Royal starting for Tottenham. Would have laughed out loud when he saw Antonio Conte throw on Matt Doherty to try and overturn the 2-1 deficit.
6. DM: Casemiro (Manchester United)
Casemiro's all-action display at Stamford Bridge probably would have earned him a spot in this XI even if he hadn't grabbed a 96th-minute equaliser for Manchester United.
But such a contribution took him over the top. The combative midfielder has been a stellar signing so far.
7. CM: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
A lot has been made of Kevin De Bruyne's relative lack of sharpness so far this season.
Then again, he already has nine Premier League assists and scored a belter in Manchester City's 3-1 triumph over Brighton, so maybe we're all making a fuss over nothing.
8. CM: Alex Iwobi (Everton)
After years of people questioning whether Alex Iwobi was really related to Jay-Jay Okocha, we're now starting to wonder if he is simply a regen of the great man himself.
Now reinvented as a box-to-box midfielder, Iwobi was at the heart of Everton's 3-0 dismantling of Crystal Palace, playing with pure joy and grabbing two outrageous assists.
9. CF: Danny Ings (Aston Villa)
Alright, forgive us for going slightly Garth Crooks here, but we're going with three centre-forwards (sorry, Leon Bailey and Miguel 'better than Jack Grealish' Almiron).
Danny Ings scored two of Aston Villa's quick-fire three goals out of the blocks against Brentford, looking like a man reborn and someone who should be of great use to new boss Unai Emery.
10. CF: Taiwo Awomiyi (Nottingham Forest)
Just like as the text commentary always foretells in Football Manager, Taiwo Awoniyi came back to bite the hand that used to feed him on Saturday, scoring Forest's winner against Liverpool.
It was a proper centre-forward's display from the Nigerian too, refusing to give Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez any breathing space and making himself a nuisance whenever possible
11. CF: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Of course he's here.
Erling Haaland returned to the scoresheet by literally running right through Adam Webster, and then nearly taking the net off with a searing penalty. Have a day off, mate.