Weekend awards: Best performance, assist, save and more!

Football writer David Coverdale selects Matchweek 5's winners in several different categories.

Best performance - Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)

In his first two seasons as a Liverpool player, Ryan Gravenberch scored only once in 63 Premier League appearances.

However, in his first four top-flight matches of 2025/26, the Dutch midfielder already has two goals – the latest of which came in an all-action display to lead Liverpool to victory in the Merseyside derby.

Gravenberch gave the Reds an early advantage with a contender for the best goal of the weekend, when he brilliantly hooked home Mohamed Salah’s sublime clipped ball. He then followed that up with a perfect through-ball for Hugo Ekitike to net the home side’s decisive second strike.

In doing so, Gravenberch became the youngest Liverpool player to both score and assist a goal in a Premier League Merseyside derby.

He was also instrumental in helping Arne Slot’s men maintain their lead against Everton, contributing 14 defensive actions and winning seven of his 11 duels.

The 23-year-old is clearly carrying on from where he left off last season, when he was named the Premier League’s 2024/25 Young Player of the Season for his role in Liverpool’s title success.

"He's unbelievable," commented his captain Virgil van Dijk. "He's very important to the way we play.

"For me personally, you see the amount of times I try to look for him. He's in incredible shape. He's in the form of his life."

Best goal – Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)

Gabriel Martinelli has previous with scoring last-gasp goals against Manchester City at Emirates Stadium.

In October 2023, the Brazilian winger came off the bench to fire in Arsenal's winner in the 86th minute. This time the super sub’s crucial intervention came even later and was even more spectacular, albeit it secured one point for his side rather than all three.

A sublime lofted ball from fellow sub – or "finisher" as Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta has come to call them – Eberechi Eze sent Martinelli running clear of Man City’s back four in the third minute of stoppage time. 

And the 24-year-old took one touch before lifting the ball over the advancing Gianluigi Donnarumma with an exquisite flick with the outside of his right boot.

Watch Martinelli's late equaliser against Man City

Martinelli’s stunning equaliser was voted the best goal of the weekend by fans on the Premier League WhatsApp channel, making him the second successive Arsenal winner in the category, following Martin Zubimendi's volley against Nottingham Forest last weekend.

"The timing of his run and the quality of the finish was unbelievable," admitted Arteta.

For Martinelli, lobbing Donnarumma was especially sweet, given the Italian goalkeeper was a thorn in Arsenal’s side when he last visited Emirates Stadium with Paris Saint-Germain in April’s UEFA Champions League semi-final.

"We had an experience against him last season," Martinelli told ESPN Brasil. "He ended up making a great save here in the game against us on one of my shots, but today I came out on top.

“It's for these moments that I work so hard, that I sacrifice so much during the week in training, in everything in my life.”

Best assist – Granit Xhaka (Sunderland)

A goal and a man down, Sunderland looked set to be heading for a home defeat against Aston Villa until their captain Granit Xhaka produced a moment of magic.

After Chemsdine Talbi’s cross was only half cleared, Xhaka skilfully cushioned a header over the top of the Villa backline to pick out Wilson Isidor, who stroked home a crucial equaliser.

Watch Xhaka's assist for Isidor's equaliser

"That is such a difficult skill," Theo Walcott, Xhaka’s former Arsenal team-mate, said on the BBC's Match of the Day.

"It’s like time slows down for him. That will be one of the best assists you will see this year. It’s incredible."

It was the second successive home match in which Xhaka has set up Isidor late on, following his cross for the Frenchman to head in a 96th-minute winner against Brentford.

And it further underlined the 32-year-old’s importance to Sunderland after he was signed from Bayer Leverkusen in July and quickly given the captain’s armband by Regis Le Bris.

Earlier in the weekend, there was another fine assist from a former Gunner, Alex Iwobi, in Fulham’s impressive 3-1 win over Brentford.

Just 98 seconds after he crashed in the Cottagers’ equaliser, Iwobi threaded through a perfect pass for Harry Wilson to finish first-time with his left foot.

Watch Iwobi's sublime assist for Wilson

It was only the second time in Iwobi’s decade-long career that he has both scored and assisted in the same Premier League match.

"It’s up there with one of my best performances so far," admitted the Nigeria international.

An honourable mention must also go to a current Arsenal star, Eze, for his ball over the top which set Martinelli free for that stunning late leveller against Man City.

Best save – Martin Dubravka (Burnley)

Goalkeeping played a pivotal part in Burnley’s promotion to the Premier League.

James Trafford amassed a record-equalling 29 clean sheets in the Championship last season as the Clarets finished second to return to the top flight.

When Trafford then re-signed for Man City in the summer, Burnley head coach Scott Parker had a big hole to fill. But in Martin Dubravka, he appears to have found a very able replacement.

The Slovakian – who arrived from Newcastle United to sign a one-year deal – made seven saves to earn Burnley a hard-fought point against Nottingham Forest.

The pick of the bunch came in the 78th minute when Dubravka reacted sharply to claw away a header from Igor Jesus with his right hand, just as it looked to be going past him for what would have been a Forest winner.

Watch Dubravka's excellent saves v Forest

"I thought his save from the header was unbelievable," admitted Parker.

"He’s the last line of defence and he’s been pivotal. I’ve been immensely impressed with him.

"I probably knew what we were getting, but he’s pulled off some big moments and big saves in this team."

Dubravka’s standout performance meant Burnley extended their run of not conceding more than once at home to 26 league matches.

Best free-kick – Anton Stach (Leeds United)

Leeds had not scored a direct free-kick in the Premier League since Raphinha's effort against Leicester City in November 2021.

Indeed, the last time Leeds netted a direct free-kick away from home in the top flight was back in May 2003, when Ian Harte scored against Arsenal at Highbury.

Stach’s sweet set-piece strike at Molineux was therefore a long time coming but it was worth the wait, as it crashed into the top-right corner from 25 yards to give Leeds the lead against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Watch Stach's brilliant free-kick v Wolves

It was the German midfielder’s first goal for Leeds since his move from Hoffenheim in July. Six minutes later, he followed up with his maiden assist, teeing up Noah Okafor to put Leeds 3-1 ahead and seal their first away win of the season.

Stach’s player-of-the-match performance further endeared himself to his new supporters, as did his latest quirky Instagram post.

Having mocked himself up to look like Wolverine in a post ahead of the match at Wolves, after the game, he produced an image of himself wearing a hard hat and carrying boxes to a forklift truck!

Stach's Instagram post after Wolves match

More reaction from Matchweek 5