Premier League team of the weekend: Lumbering poachers do damage

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 - Thibaut Courtois

Around the league, several top goalkeepers were less than average. Simon Mignolet and Claudio Bravo allowed the majority of the shots they faced, and Hugo Lloris made two critical errors against Manchester City.

It allowed Thibaut Courtois to show once again he's the best goalkeeper in English football. The tall Belgian made four key saves to preserve his league-leading 13th clean sheet of the season.

What sets Courtois apart is his sheer composure and command inside the penalty area. He's just as good at deflecting long bombs.

RB - Seamus Coleman

One of the most enterprising right-backs in the Premier League, Seamus Coleman found himself deep in the penalty area before lofting Everton's winner in the 87th minute against Crystal Palace.

The Ireland international now has four league goals to his name, and remains one of the best bargains in recent history. Signed from Sligo Rovers for just £60,000, Coleman has developed into one of Everton's most reliable players.

CB - Harry Maguire

Keep an eye on Harry Maguire's career. So impressive was the 23-year-old's performance Sunday against Chelsea that he was trending in the U.K. for a brief time.

"A strong marauding centre-back who can tackle and pass," The Telegraph's chief football writer, Paul Hayward, assessed on Twitter. "Great attitude too."

Apart from providing relief at the back, winning a game-high eight aerial duels and five tackles across the pitch, Maguire also pushed forward and lashed a fantastic long-range effort against Courtois.

CB - Shkodran Mustafi

When Shkodran Mustafi plays, Arsenal simply does not lose.

In 21 matches for the Gunners, Mustafi has a 71 percent winning rate, claiming 15 victories and six draws. His opportunistic header against Burnley opened the scoring. Signed from Valencia for a reported £35-million fee, the Germany international has so far lived up to the billing.

Key to any centre-back relationship is a solid understanding between the pair, and Mustafi shares an incredible rapport with partner Laurent Koscielny. If the 22-year-old decides to take liberties and join the attack, the Frenchman is sure to stay behind and keep Arsenal's shape.

LB - Chris Brunt

Chris Brunt thumped a wonderful rebound off the crossbar into the back of the net, sparking West Brom's 2-0 win over relegation struggler Sunderland. His performance at left-back was calm and assured, his timing just as good. "Chris has a wand of a left foot," manager Tony Pulis said.

One of the longest-serving members of the Albion squad, Brunt can play in several positions. His appearances in an advanced midfield role added to his attacking potency, but he showed Saturday he's just as capable from a deeper area.

RM - Roberto Firmino

The only Liverpool player who could walk away happy with his performance in Saturday's 3-2 home defeat to lowly Swansea is Roberto Firmino. The Brazilian's brace gave the Reds a chance to win an important match in the title race, but defending let down Firmino and manager Jurgen Klopp.

Having scored just once in his previous 12 club outings, it was vital for the 25-year-old to get back onto the scoresheet in a big way. He went undetected in the box for Liverpool's first, and showed fantastic technique to control the ball before scoring the equaliser. Scoring with his head, left foot and right, Firmino is a balanced forward who thrives in the central position he occupied this weekend.

CM - Jack Wilshere

Quietly, the previously hobbled Jack Wilshere is playing games, earning minutes, and doing the simple things right at Bournemouth. He dictated Saturday's match against Watford, chipping an excellent ball to Ryan Fraser for the Cherries' first equaliser in a 2-2 draw. He continued to test Watford from long distance, unafraid to take space in the visitor's half of the pitch.

CM - James Ward-Prowse

One of the most involved players in Southampton's comprehensive 3-0 victory over Leicester City was James Ward-Prowse. Only teammate Cedric Soares registered more touches than Ward-Prowse's 86, proving his central role to the Southampton cause.

His curling shot fooled Kasper Schmeichel - the 22-year-old's first strike since last September - and his free-kick set up the Saints' second.

LM - Alexis Sanchez

There's nowhere on the pitch Alexis Sanchez won't go. What a bundle of endless energy. His attacking pursuits are well-documented, but he's just as willing to track back and play the ball out. With minutes remaining in Sunday's match against Burnley, the pacy Chilean almost always had the ball. His Arsenal teammates trust him. And he delivered a victory with a cool Panenka from the penalty spot.

FW - Fernando Llorente

When Fernando Llorente scores, he does it in bunches. He has three Premier League braces so far, accounting for six of his eight goals, none more important than the two against Liverpool. Linked with a move to Chelsea earlier in the January transfer window, Llorente is a protagonist in Swansea's relegation battle. With a conversion rate of an admirable 25 percent, he is sure to do damage when he does get a crack on goal.

FW - Andy Carroll

For so long this summer, West Ham scoured Europe for a striker to solve its attacking woes. The east London outfit struggled to score in the first few months of the season, but Andy Carroll's return to full health has finally offered his teammates a much-needed reference point. Scoring all five of his Premier League goals in the penalty area this season, Carroll's bruising presence is exactly what the Hammers were missing.