Premier League team of the weekend: Electric Blues with a Mersey beat

After another weekend of some great individual performances, theScore puts together a best XI from the latest slate of Premier League fixtures.

The lineup

GK - Jordan Pickford

You've got to feel for Pickford. Camped behind an indifferent Lamine Kone and the stagnant John O'Shea, the Sunderland goalkeeper is busy every week. The 22-year-old made six vital saves in Saturday's 2-1 smash-and-grab win at Bournemouth.

CB - Gareth McAuley

McAuley is a quintessential Tony Pulis player. But unfashionable he may be, the veteran has been a fine West Bromwich Albion servant since his 2011 switch from Ipswich Town, and helped his side to a 2-1 win at champion Leicester City on Sunday with 11 clearances.

CB - Michael Dawson

Dawson's aspirations of breaking back into the England squad at 32 may be out of his reach, but at least he's brought some relative stability to Hull City's backline since his return from injury. In addition to hoofing the ball from danger seven times against Southampton, Dawson buried a flicked header to win the game for his relegation-threatened employer.

CB - Marcos Alonso

Battling off some impressive left-footers at the back this weekend, such as Danny Rose and George Friend, is Alonso. He, like Victor Moses, has been sublime at wing-back, and scored his first goal for the club in the 5-0 stuffing of Everton. He also put in a game-high seven tackles.

RW - Sadio Mane

Jurgen Klopp should get to the drawing board now in preparation for Mane's absence at the Africa Cup of Nations. The Senegalese has fit into the German's designs immediately, and scored a brace in the 6-1 dismantling of Watford.

CM - Mousa Dembele

A midfielder who reads the game impeccably, putting in numerous interceptions every weekend, but is equally adept going forward. At Arsenal, Dembele made three times the dribbles (six) than the next best in that discipline (Mesut Ozil, Hector Bellerin, and Christian Eriksen with two each), and also had the best passing percentage (89.4).

CM - Philippe Coutinho

Coutinho is making a strong case as Europe's most in-form player right now, and on Sunday, contributed a goal and assist in Liverpool's battering of Watford. Klopp will be nervous to release him on Brazil duty over the international break.

LW - Eden Hazard

Hazard has been liberated in a 3-4-3, floating across the frontline and exchanging neat one-twos with Pedro and Diego Costa. He tormented Everton, scoring twice and assisting once, and if he keeps it up, he could become the sixth man to be a two-time PFA Player of the Year.

FW - Pedro

You must be doing something right if you've been keeping Willian, Oscar, and Chelsea's talented youngsters out of the lineup. Pedro laid on goals for Alonso and Hazard, as well as nicking a goal for himself to round off the scoring.

FW - Victor Anichebe

Shown the exit by Everton and West Brom, Anichebe's top-flight days looked to be numbered until he reunited with David Moyes in September. The stocky forward barged Simon Francis aside for Sunderland's opener, before being felled in the area for Jermain Defoe's winner from the penalty spot. The Black Cats took three points for the first time this season, and Anichebe's contributions were invaluable.

FW - Roberto Firmino

Yes, his ponytail's egregious, but what a season Firmino is having. On Sunday, he made two assists, scored a goal, and showed a physicality that saw him succeed in four area duels and muscle off some of Watford's weightier throng.