Deeney Names His Premier League Team of the Week — SkimNews
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- David Raya earned Deeney's goalkeeper pick, with the pundit calling the Arsenal man "the best goalkeeper in the league" after another round of huge saves.
- Martin Odegaard was named in midfield, with Deeney questioning "how did they talk about getting rid of" the Arsenal captain and leader.
- Ronald Araujo made the team at right-back for Liverpool, a notable inclusion given Deeney had previously criticized his defending at Barcelona.
- Tyrick Mitchell scored twice from left-back for Crystal Palace to earn his spot, with Deeney calling him "Mr Consistent" and saying he is "never really spoken about enough."
- Alexander Isak was included for Liverpool, with Deeney defending him against "bottled it" criticism and reminding readers that someone tipped him for the Golden Boot despite playing through a broken leg last season.
- Kai Havertz was named Arsenal's best striker "hands down," with Deeney arguing the German outperforms new signing Gyokeres week in, week out.
- David Moyes was manager of the week at Everton, credited with delivering a result despite what Deeney called a bad transfer window that cost him attacking options.
Why it matters: Deeney repeatedly pushes back against prevailing narratives, defending Odegaard, Isak and Havertz against recent criticism in a single column. His call that Havertz — not marquee summer signing Gyokeres — is Arsenal's best striker is a pointed challenge to the Gunners' recruitment, suggesting their headline forward purchase isn't yet the first name on Deeney's team sheet.
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