Team of the week

Manuel Almunia - Watford

The Spaniard may have thought his time in London was over when his Arsenal career was fizzling out this time last year. However, he then joined up with Gianfranco Zola at Watford and hasn't looked back since. He has started 34 games for the club so far this season, with the latest two this week yielding back-to-back clean sheets as Watford picked up six more points in their push for promotion.

Elliott Ward - Nottingham Forest

Thanks to the managerial merry-go-round at the City Ground this season, Ward's loan spell at Nottingham Forest from Norwich City has lacked the stability he would have been hoping for. However, the 28-year-old's performances have been solid and that continued as Forest swept aside Huddersfield Town 6-1 on Wednesday, with Ward even getting on the score-sheet with a confident header.

Lloyd Doyley - Watford

One-club man Doyley is a legend at Watford and that reputation will be further enhanced if he can help them to promotion this season. The latest two of his 393 appearances for the Hornets went a long way to achieve that goal, and the six points they picked up from away trips to Birmingham City and Ipswich Town both came with clean sheets that Doyley played a key role in ensuring.

James Chester - Hull City

The former Manchester United defender is a firm fans' favourite at the KC Stadium and further cemented that status with two more clean sheets as Hull City gave their hopes of promotion a major boost with home wins over Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers. As competent in the air as he is at reading the game on the ground, Chester is a big reason why Hull have conceded only three goals this season.

Ikechi Anya - Watford

The 25-year-old Scottish-born winger has had to wait for his chances since joining Watford on loan from Spanish side Granada but suggested he could have an integral part to play in Watford's promotion run-in by scoring in both of their wins this week. A man-of-the-match performance against Birmingham City saw him net the second in a 4-0 win and assist two other goals, before setting up a 2-0 triumph over Ipswich Town with a fine, curling finish after 18 minutes.

Radoslaw Majewski - Nottingham Forest

Few people will have been happier to welcome Billy Davies back to the City Ground more than Majewski. The Pole played a key role during the Scot's previous stint as Nottingham Forest manager and a hat-trick in a 6-1 demolition of Huddersfield Town suggested he could be just as pivotal in his second spell. Although his first goal was opportunist, his other two were sweetly taken strikes.

Andrea Orlandi - Brighton

The Spaniard can be a delight to watch on his day and was in such form as Brighton sprang a surprise by beating Cardiff City on their own turf on Wednesday night. A former Barcelona player, Orlandi is best known for his incisive passing, but it was his finishing that proved most effective in the Welsh capital as he got the visitors off the mark by turning in David Lopez's just before half-time.

Gedo - Hull City

The Egyptian has made a flying start to his Hull City career following his loan move from Al Ahly and took his tally to three goals from four appearances with strikes in each of Hull's home wins over Charlton Athletic and Blackburn Rovers. The 28-year-old marked his full debut with a scrambled winner against Charlton on Saturday, and then netted his third in as many games by side-footing home Stephen Quinn's cross to set Steve Bruce's side up for a 2-0 win over Blackburn.

George Boyd - Peterborough United

Boyd very nearly moved to Nottingham Forest in January and Peterborough will be delighted he didn't after inspiring Darren Ferguson's side to a surprise 5-1 win over Millwall at The Den on Wednesday. The 27-year-old scored the fifth goal in the 88th minute, but even more impressive was the way in which he dictated the play and skilfully set up the first three of Peterborough's goals in a man-of-the-match display.

Glenn Murray - Crystal Palace

The 29-year-old forward has been outstanding for Ian Holloway's side this season and continued that formed with three more goals in two games this week to take his tally for the campaign to 28 in 31 appearances. He started off with two goals - plus an assist - in the 4-1 demolition of Middlesbrough at Selhurst Park on Saturday, before setting Palace on the road to a 2-1 win over Bristol City with a brilliantly taken volley on Wednesday.

Lee Tomlin - Peterborough United

The 24-year-old has kept his goals tally ticking over in what has been a difficult season for Peterborough United and moved into double figures with a brace in the 5-1 win over Millwall at The Den. Both strikes were set up by the excellent George Boyd, and both came thanks to cool finishes from Tomlin, whose goal-scoring could play a crucial role in Peterborough's fight against the drop.