Sunderland, Brentford duos join Palace flops in Prem weekend’s worst XI
Crystal Palace inevitably feature prominently in the Premier League’s worst XI of the weekend, joined by dodgy duos from Sunderland and Brentford.
Palace were battered by Brighton in their derby, while Sunderland were undone by their defenders and Brentford let down by their midfielders’ indiscipline.
Here is the worst XI, according to WhoScored ratings, from the weekend of matchday six.
GK: Walter Benitez (Crystal Palace) – 5.65
Conceding five in a derby, including three inside the first 10 minutes featuring one hit from the car park by Diego Gomez, is always going to get a goalie into the worst XI. Benitez actually wasn’t culpable for any of the goals – he was hardly out of position when Gomez struck – and there are Palace players who ought to feel more embarrassed.
RB: Jaydee Canvot (Crystal Palace) – 5.34
It was Canvot’s own goal that kicked off the Palace cave-in, and the defender – one of three centre-backs but doing us a job at right-back here – deflected in Brighton’s third.
CB: Kevin Danso (Sunderland) – 4.02
As bad as the Palace defence were, the centre-back berths must go to these catastrophic Black Cats. Danso lasted 17 minutes at Bournemouth, in which time Evanilson made a mug of him to tee up Marcus Tavernier’s opener before the Brazilian drew a last-man foul that forced Sunderland to play a man light for more than three-quarters of the game.
CB: Omar Alderete (Sunderland) – 4.94
Alderete was hooked before the hour after a similarly calamitous display. He stitched up Danso by ducking a simple header before his partner was sent off, and ended what slim hope Sunderland had by making a mess of a simple back pass to put Evanilson in for Bournemouth’s second goal.
LB: Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Hull City) – 5.94
This season, the weekend worst XIs have featured a variety of Hull defenders that might feel unfortunate to be included. It is Norton-Cuffy’s turn after matchday seven following his first start of the season at Fulham which lasted 68 minutes in which time the wing-back made no tackles and won neither of the duels he competed in.
CM: Yehor Yarmoliuk (Brentford) – 5.20
Had the Brentford midfielder not been baited into butting Jeremy Jacquet, it’s hard to believe that the Bees would have been beaten by Liverpool. Yarmoliuk wasn’t having a great game, but the hosts were comfortable before playing a man light.
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CM: Vitaly Janelt (Brentford) – 5.18
Janelt saw red too but at least he waited until added time in the second half to get his marching orders for a second caution. Up to then, the midfielder was dribbled past five times and lost possession on a dozen occasions.
AM: Dan Ndoye (Nottingham Forest) – 5.84
The Forest attacker was restricted to only five accurate passes in 71 minutes against Arsenal. In that time, Ndoye lost possession six times from 17 touches and won only one of seven duels.
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RW: Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace) – 5.34
Not the worst Eagle on parade but still no shots, key passes or accurate crosses for Palace’s right-sided no.10, or even a pass into the Brighton box.
LW: Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace) – 5.58
It’s a similar story for Pino, though he at least managed a shot, albeit speculative and blocked. The left-sider was withdrawn after an hour in which he failed to complete a pass in Palace’s attacking third.
CF: Jorgen Strand Larsen (Crystal Palace) – 5.69
Also hooked on the hour, the Palace striker managed not a shot, a cross, a key pass, a tackle or an interception while losing nine of 11 duels.
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