Harry Wilson – Hull City
Harry Wilson scored his fifth goal in Hull colours when he opened the scoring for their 5-0 thrashing of Burton Albion. The Welshman picked up the ball on the right-hand side of the box, before accurately placing it in the far corner of the net. From that point on Hull dominated proceedings and truly deserved to win by such a margin. Unfortunately, Wilson could not replicate his performance at the weekend, as most players in the team had an off day and they lost 1-0 at the hands of Sheffield Wednesday.
Matty Virtue – Notts County
After soaking up a huge amount of pressure in the first half, Notts County came from behind to beat Colchester 3-1. Matty Virtue played the full 90 minutes and can be very pleased with his efforts. The youngster was influential in the second goal as he saw his scrambled shot saved, but luckily Shola Ameobi was on hand to turn the rebound home. The only dampener on the match was Virtue picking up an unnecessary yellow card after he denied the opposition from taking a free kick quickly.
Pedro Chirivella – Willem II
Pedro Chirivella produced another tough display to help his side to a 2-1 victory over rivals, NAC Breda. Once again, Chirivella broke up a number of attacks and was a level-headed form of consistency as Willem II held on to the slender lead. The victory means that just one more win will guarantee them a spot in the Eredivisie next season, a prospect that seemed very unlikely at the start of the campaign.
Ovie Ejaria – Sunderland
Ovie Ejaria played the full match during Sunderland’s 1-1 draw with Norwich in midweek. The young midfielder had a bright game, bringing the ball forward on a number occasions, as well as getting back and helping his team defensively. He also had the highest pass success rate of any player on the pitch, as only two of his passes failed to find their target. Despite his positive performance, Ejaria was an unused sub for the 2-2 draw with Reading. The back-to-back draws mean that Sunderland are all but relegated for the second time in as many seasons.
Lazar Markovic – Anderlecht
Starting his second match in a row, Lazar Markovic produced a high-quality display and helped his side win 1-0 against Club Brugge. Markovic looked fully up to match pace and fitness for the first time in a while. This will lead many people to wonder what sort of impact he could’ve had, had he arrived in Belgium with this level of health.
Daniel Sturridge – West Bromwich Albion
Daniel Sturridge made only his third appearance for West Brom, as he featured as a late sub after missing seven games with an injury. The striker played for just five minutes during the surprise 1-0 win over Manchester United, but just to be back on a football pitch was enough to make the run out a success.
Andy Firth – Chester
On Tuesday night, Andy Firth recorded his first league win with Chester when they beat Bromley 3-2 at home. Firth will be happy with the result but perhaps a little disappointed with his efforts. Poor decision making was a continuous feature of Firth’s evening which started when he came flying off his line in the first half, only for the Bromley striker to comfortably take the ball around him and leave him sprawling on the floor outside of the box. Thankfully a defender was on to make a goal-line clearance and save the goalkeepers blushes. To add to this, the second Bromley goal came from a crossed free-kick. The ball was whipped into the area and Firth was rooted to his spot as it was headed home from just five yards out. Looking back, Firth will think that was a cross he really should’ve come and collected. Nevertheless, he’ll be happy with his first ever professional win.
Normal service was resumed at the weekend and Chester lost 4-2 to Boreham Wood. Firth can count himself unlucky here as he was better than the scoreline suggests. The goals came courtesy of a deflected shot, a penalty and on two occasions attackers were allowed to dance their way into the box and get a shot off from close range. The goalkeeper was certainly not to blame for any goals that he conceded on this occasion.
Marko Grujic – Cardiff City
It was a bad week for Marko Grujic and it started with a 1-0 loss to fellow promotion-chasers, Aston Villa, on Tuesday night. Grujic was one of the better players in blue, but he was more influential in defence then he was in attack. His passing continued to be wayward, which has unfortunately been a reoccurring feature of his time with the Welsh side. Come the weekend, Grujic spent the afternoon on the bench and watched his side secure a 2-0 away win over Norwich City. It was a vital three points as it leaves Cardiff in an automatic promotion spot, for now.
Jon Flanagan – Bolton Wanderers
Jon Flanagan had an average game at right-back when Bolton lost 2-0 to Millwall. He showed positive signs making three tackles, but once again, his lack of pace means he is no real threat when going forwards. Finally, he could’ve been at fault for Millwall’s second goal as he was drawn too far into the middle of the box which left space at the back post for an easy tap-in. He didn’t take the field at the weekend when Bolton drew 2-2 with Barnsley, a match that was billed to be a real six-pointer.
Divock Origi – Wolfsburg
Divock Origi was used as a second-half substitute during Wolfsburg’s 0-0 draw with Augsburg. Brought on just after the hour mark, the Belgian had a chance to score the winner not long after his introduction, but he headed wide from just six-yards out.
Anderson Arroyo – Real Mallorca ‘B’
Anderson Arroyo played for just over an hour and Real Mallorca ‘B’ extended their unbeaten run to ten matches with a confident 4-0 win.
There was no fixture for Connor Randall (Hearts) this week, while Taiwo Awoniyi (Royal Excel Mosucron) was unable to play due to illness. Sheyi Ojo (Fulham), Ryan Kent (Bristol City) and Corey Whelan (Yeovil Town) were left out of each of their sides two fixtures over the last seven days.
