BBC football pundit Troy Deeney has named his Premier League team of the week following the latest round of fixtures, with standout performers from Brighton, Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester City earning spots in his eleven.

Goalkeeping and defence

Deeney handed the gloves to Bart Verbruggen of Brighton, citing a disappointing standard of goalkeeping across the round. He noted that even David Raya faced only two shots against Nottingham Forest — a poor return by any measure — leaving Verbruggen's clean sheet to stand out.

In defence, Levi Colwill earns his place after Chelsea kept a first clean sheet in the league since January, with the young Mike Penders between the sticks. Gabriel slots in for Arsenal after their 1-0 victory, with Deeney crediting the centre-back's experience and quality over the widely praised Ezri Konsa. Brighton's Luka Vuskovic completes the back line, impressing in a clean sheet against their nearest rivals. Diogo Dalot rounds out the defensive unit, excelling at left-back for Manchester United with high energy and solid defending in a scrappy but resilient win.

Midfield engine room

Sander Berge anchors the midfield after a commanding display in Fulham's crucial relegation six-pointer against Hull. Deeney believes a defeat in that fixture would have sent Fulham down, making Berge's contribution all the more vital. Diego Gomez joins him after scoring from the halfway line for Brighton — a moment that, in Deeney's words, needs no further explanation.

Attack and flair

Pedro Neto is named after a two-goal performance that sealed the win for Chelsea. Deeney argues that with attention focused on Morgan Rogers, Joao Pedro, and Cole Palmer, Neto is well placed for a quietly impressive season, using his pace to exploit space at the back post.

Johan Manzambi takes the eye as Deeney's player of the month so far. The 21-year-old, described as a remarkable talent from Switzerland, has been carrying Aston Villa with a rare blend of humility and authority. James Maddison returns to Deeney's good books after burying a shot into the top corner for Tottenham Hotspur, providing the quality in the final third that Spurs had been missing.

Erling Haaland completes the eleven for the third time this season — and Deeney suspects there are at least ten more selections to come. The Manchester City striker scored twice against a struggling Ipswich side and could have had a hat-trick.

Manager of the week

Fabian Hurzeler takes the managerial honour after guiding Brighton to another commanding result. Deeney admits he questioned whether Hurzeler's energy after the win over Arsenal was mere self-congratulation, but he has since been convinced that the German coach is a consistently excellent operator — one who nails his tactics and manages his squad rotation with precision.