Joleon Lescott's Premier League stars of Matchday 19

Matchday 19 brought mixed results for the Premier League's leading sides and I'm sure plenty more twists and turns lie ahead this term.

Here are my five star performers from the latest round of action.

Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)

Scoring a hat-trick against one of your former clubs is a rare feat in football but that's exactly what Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood did against Newcastle.

It was an outstanding all-round performance from the big centre forward, with two of his three strikes showcasing outstanding individual quality.

What surprised me most though was his pace. He was able to keep up with his wingers, offer a constant outlet and he didn't give Newcastle's defenders a minute off.

He probably felt a bit hard done by with how things ended on Tyneside after helping keep the club up but that's how football goes sometimes — and things seem to have worked out well for all parties anyway.

Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United)

I'm sure Erik ten Hag would rather his big-money signings were grabbing the headlines for Manchester United but academy product Alejandro Garnacho is proving his star man instead.

United and Ten Hag can't afford to be picky in that regard currently and when the chips are down, someone with Garnacho's energy and bravery tends to be a difference-maker.

With him being a young winger, he still has that desire to work his defender at every single opportunity, even when it isn't necessarily the correct decision.

He's still got lots of improvement to come but I like what I've seen of him this season and think he has an extremely bright future.

Phil Foden (Manchester City)

Once again, Phil Foden stepped up when Manchester City needed him against Everton and I'm running out of superlatives for his performances.

When the likes of Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland are in the side, his goal threat probably gets overlooked but he's so capable when it comes to producing a moment of magic from nothing.

Phil is a player that excites me as a football fan. He's brave in possession, thrives on responsibility and there's no skill he doesn't have in his locker. 

That City performance in the second half should send fear through other teams and it could easily be the start of a classic winning run that sees them surge back to the summit.

James Milner (Brighton)

James Milner was one of the best players on the pitch during Brighton's impressive win over Tottenham — and I can't say I was surprised one bit.

Not only is he a former team-mate of mine, he's a good friend too and I've seen that outstanding professionalism up close which helps him consistently defy his advancing years.

I think it's often overlooked how dedicated you have to be to be a professional footballer and it's even more remarkable for someone to stay at the top level for 20 years like James has.

Brighton always looked like a good fit for him and he's an absolute credit to our profession.

Angelo Ogbonna (West Ham)

West Ham produced an inspired rearguard effort to beat Arsenal and I thought Angelo Ogbonna was a rock at the back for them at the Emirates.

The experienced Italian showed fantastic distribution, positioning and awareness — but it was his concentration levels coming back into the side which impressed me most.

In a weird way, playing against a team like Arsenal probably suits him better than lesser sides. 

At 35, you're keen to sit deep and compact as a centre-half rather than try to hold a high line.

Ogbonna has been a great servant to West Ham and it's great to see him still putting in such commanding performances for David Moyes' side.

Joleon Lescott was speaking to Matthew Hill