Virgil van Dijk
Van Dijk has joined forward Mohamed Salah, who signed a two-year extension last week, in committing his future to the club. The 33-year-old has made 314 appearances for the Reds and will make one more this weekend against relegation candidates Leicester City at the King Power Stadium.
A loss for the Foxes would see them relegated after just 2 wins since the start of the year and collecting just 18 points from 32 games this season. The Dutchman will be at the heart of the Liverpool defense, defending not only a clean sheet but the club’s chances of sealing the title early as long as Arsenal slip up against Ipswich Town. A win is imperative and Van Dijk alongside Salah should be two stars to watch closely this weekend.
Alexander Isak
The 25-year-old has scored 59 goals in 103 games for the Magpies this season and in the final stretch of the campaign, he is a no-brainer when selecting three players to highlight this weekend. Isak is objectively one of the best strikers in the world at the moment as he continues to attract attention from Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and several other top sides ahead of the summer transfer window.
However, Newcastle remain determined to keep hold of their star striker and as they push towards Champions League qualification, he may want to stay and work under manager Eddie Howe. Saturday afternoon sees Howe’s side face Aston Villa, another side chasing European qualification but after six wins in a row Newcastle are favourites by some distance. Isak is in the form of his life and he should help find the back of the net again this week.
Mikel Merino
After Arsenal had lost Gabriel Jesus and Kai Havertz to injuries many wrote the manager Mikel Arteta’s side off and claimed both their European run and title race were over. He admitted earlier this season that he had never played as a striker before but the former Real Sociedad ace looks right at home and has been exceptional since operating as a makeshift striker for the North London side.
The Spaniard has registered six goals and three assists for the London giants in all competitions including two assists against Real Madrid in midweek. The Gunners face Ipswich on Sunday in another crucial game in their title race which still isn’t over. Arsenal will be hoping he can continue his sparkling form and contribute more to Arteta’s side who look deadlier than ever despite the lack of a true striker.