Week 21 of the 2025/26 Premier League campaign will be remembered for some high-scoring battles, while it may also be the week West Ham fans remember for the wrong reasons.
The Hammers lost 2-1 to Nottingham Forest, leaving them seven points behind their rivals in the fight for survival.
Both Burnley and Wolves gained points below them and it is looking bleak for the Hammers at this stage of the campaign.
Elsewhere in the top flight, Newcastle United won a thriller against Leeds United, winning 4-3 at St James’ Park, while Bournemouth beat Tottenham 3-2 in an enthralling affair on the south coast.
Here is our team of the week for Gameweek 21.
Goalkeeper – Caoimhin Kelleher (Brentford)
Only five teams recorded a clean sheet in Gameweek 21 and Brentford’s 3-0 win over Sunderland was the most convincing of the lot.
The Bees are remarkably up to fifth in Keith Andrews’ first season in charge and Caoimhin Kelleher’s contribution was key to that.
He made a fine penalty save and recorded three other crucial stops in a superb individual display.
Defender – Nathan Collins (Brentford)
Team-mate Nathan Collins also had another big night as Brentford recorded a vital shutout at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Collins grabbed an assist for one of Brentford’s goals and recorded 10 defensive contributions in order to keep Sunderland’s attackers at bay.
Defender – Jaydee Canvot (Crystal Palace)
Crystal Palace are down to the bare bones in areas of their squad due to injuries and Jaydee Canvot got the chance to impress at home against Aston Villa in midweek.
He repaid manager Oliver Glasner for his faith, recording 12 defensive contributions to stop the Villans from picking up another three points.
Defender – Lucas Digne (Aston Villa)
At the other end of the pitch, Frenchman Lucas Digne was full of energy as he tried to help Villa grab a goal.
Digne only played 72 minutes, but he was one of Villa’s best players in the goalless draw in the capital.
Midfielder – Harvey Barnes (Newcastle United)
Winger Harvey Barnes produced a moment of magic in the 102nd minute to ensure Newcastle secured all three points against Leeds.
Barnes’ goal was the latest winner on record in a Premier League match and it helped Newcastle win three games in a row for the first time this season.
His late strike was his second of the game and he deserved all the plaudits that came his way following his last-gasp decider.
Midfielder – Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)
After years of inconsistent displays, USA international Brenden Aaronson appears to be really finding his feet under manager Daniel Farke at Leeds.
The energetic midfielder scored a fine brace at St James’ Park and never stopped running as he tried to help his side pick up another point on the road.
Midfielder – Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
Newcastle captain Bruno Guimaraes was full of energy as per usual and he played a crucial role in Newcastle’s comeback.
Leeds took the lead three times on Wednesday, but their skipper scored from the penalty spot and claimed an assist as he dragged his team over the line.
Midfielder – Sander Berge (Fulham)
Fulham beat rivals Chelsea 2-1 in midweek and they had Sander Berge to thank for his fine display.
The holding midfielder was immense in the middle of the park as he recorded an assist and also ended the game with 14 defensive contributions.
Midfielder – Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth)
There is very little loyalty in football, but Antoine Semenyo’s attitude has been exemplary while negotiating his move to Manchester City.
He could have refused to play for the club to force through his move, but he continued throughout the festive period to help Bournemouth record as many points as possible.
In his final game in Bournemouth colours, he scored the winning goal to help the Cherries beat Spurs 3-2.
Striker – Benjamin Sesko (Manchester United)
It is fair to say that Benjamin Sesko has yet to shine at Old Trafford, but a brace in midweek at Turf Moor in the 2-2 draw against Burnley was one of the highlights of the midweek fixture list.
Sesko will now hope to kick on under the club’s next manager.
Striker – Igor Thiago (Brentford)
The third Brentford player to make our shortlist is striker Igor Thiago, who capped off a fine week in the win against Sunderland.
After scoring a hat-trick against Everton, the Brazilian grabbed a brace against the Black Cats to take his tally for the season to 16 in the league.
That means he now has the most goals of any Brazilian player in a single Premier League campaign.
