Rashford, Sancho join Toon trio and Thiago Silva in PL’s worst XI

Manchester United’s England exiles feature, with Newcastle and Watford most heavily represented…

Here’s the weekend’s worst XI according to WhoScored ratings.

GK: Ben Foster – 4.95
It wasn’t a vintage weekend for Premier League goalkeepers. Martin Dubravka conceded five and rated even lower (4.95), while Edouard Mendy (5.55) was as shaky as his Chelsea defence while Brentford bagged four at Stamford Bridge. For a visiting goalkeeper at Anfield, Foster had a relatively quiet afternoon, which doesn’t impress WhoScored‘s algorithm, though Liverpool’s opener was attributed to his error when the Watford stopper went full Superman only for Diogo Jota to nip in first to settle the hosts’ nerves.

RB: Javier Maquillo – 5.78
Manquillo’s performance spares Cesar Azpilicueta (5.88) a shift at right-back in this week’s worst XI. The Newcastle defender was hooked before the hour mark but only after he fell asleep at the back post to allow Matt Doherty to ghost in for Tottenham’s second.

CB: Thiago Silva – 5.64
Brentford’s forward movement made the Brazilian veteran look like an out-of-depth rookie while Thomas Tuchel used a back four. Silva looked more comfortable as part of a three but by then the damage was done. The 37-year-old managed not a single tackle, clearance, interception or block.

CB: Michael Keane – 5.01
The centre-back was handed the captain’s armband in the absence of Seamus Coleman but Keane had to pass it on again upon lunging in on Michail Antonio while already in receipt of one booking to leave Everton with 10 men with 25 minutes remaining at West Ham. They’re crap with 11, so…

LB: Matt Targett – 5.73
The Newcastle left-back lost Ben Davies for Spurs’ opener; allowed Dejan Kulusevski in behind him to tee-up Heung-min Son for the third; and lost a battle with Lucas Moura before the hosts’ fifth. An afternoon to forget for the on-loan defender.

Alisson among the Premier League winners and losers

CM: Juraj Kucka – 5.87
The Watford midfielder played commendably for the most part at Anfield but was found wanting in two huge moments. Firstly, he wasted a glorious opportunity when one-on-one with Alisson, just a few moments before Liverpool scored their opener. Then, in the dying moments, Kucka opted not to mark Jota at a corner and rugby-tackle him instead.

CM: Joelinton – 5.65
The Brazilian striker-turned-midfielder was Newcastle’s lowest-rating outfield player in a dismal afternoon at Spurs. Joelinton didn’t last an hour before being replaced along with Manquillo. In the time he was on the pitch, he lost six of his eight duels and lost possession nine times.

RW: Ismaila Sarr – 5.96
With Liverpool said to be keen on signing Sarr, the Watford winger somewhat fluffed his audition at Anfield. Sarr drifted in-field in the hope of avoiding Andrew Robertson but he was swallowed up in the midfield battle, winning only two of 10 duels. Sarr, though, should have had an assist when he teed up Joao Pedro but the forward shot wide.

LW: Jadon Sancho – 5.94
The winger has been one of Man Utd’s best performers of late – not a crowded field, admittedly – but against Leicester, Sancho was more like the player we saw earlier in the season when he looked utterly lost on the left and seemingly terrified to take defenders on. The 22-year-old should have scored an undeserved winner when the ball broke to him late on but, as Ralf Rangnick said after the game, he ‘should have taken two touches’ rather than swinging and missing with one.

FWD: Marcus Rashford – 5.93
We normally don’t consider substitutes for selection for the weekend’s worst XI but Rashford had 35 minutes in which to prove Rangnick wrong to choose no striker at all instead of the struggling England man. With four touches in the first 30 of those minutes, two in his own half, Rashford simply served to emphasise the interim manager’s point. Though Anthony Elanga didn’t help his cause when the teenager hacked down his own team-mate just as he looked set to score a late winner that could have been a turning point for Rashford, though it cannot be taken for granted right now that he would have applied the finishing touch.

FWD: Neal Maupay – 5.67
Six shots for the Brighton striker in the goalless draw with Norwich, five from inside the box, all of them off target including a penalty that summed up the Seagulls’ lack of potency in front of goal. Graham Potter said: “It was just not his day.” Again.