Catch up on the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week, powered by Opta.
The Isuzu UTE A-League 2025-26 season continued with plenty of entertainment and drama over the weekend.
Round 20 saw Newcastle Jets extend their lead at the top of the table to four points after defeat Western Sydney Wanderers 2-1 at McDonald Jones Stadium.
Key to the Jets’ 13th win of the season was attacking midfielder Eli Adams, who top scored this week after steering Newcastle to the result which takes their unbeaten run to 10 games in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
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This season, Opta will power the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week using Opta Points – a comprehensive player metric that evaluates a player’s overall contribution to the game. Each Monday, the Isuzu UTE A-League Team of the Week will be displayed in a 4-3-3 formation, highlighting the best-performing players.
*Editor’s Note: The Team of the Week features matches played from Monday to Sunday – some teams may play more than once.
Adams wasn’t the only Newcastle Jets ace to feature in this week’s side as defender Mark Natta also earned selection after a commanding performance which saw him net the winner against the Wanderers.
Joining Natta in the defensive unit are Sydney FC’s Ben Garuccio and Auckland FC loanee Jake Girdwood-Reich whilst there’s also a spot in the side for Mariners debutant Jacob Nasso, who shone on debut against Macarthur.
Alongside Adams in midfield are Central Coast Mariners youngster Bailey Brandtman, who put in a brilliant display against the Bulls while Sydney FC midfielder Ahmet Arslan also earns selection after scoring in the Big Blue.
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This week’s front three consists of Sydney FC striker Apostolos Stamatelopoulos, who bagged his first Sky Blues goal at the weekend, Adelaide United’s Luka Jovanovic and Auckland FC’s Guillermo May, who features for the second week running!
Finally, your goalkeeper in this week’s Team of the Week is Western Sydney Wanderers shotstopper Lawrence Thomas, who made six saves against the Jets and was a whisker away from scoring one of the most memorable goals in Isuzu UTE A-League history!
Opta Points is a system where points are given to players for certain on-field actions. Players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points. (View the full breakdown of Opta Points below).
Explained: Opta’s Team of the Week using Opta Points
The scoring system distinguishes only between field players and goalkeepers, assigning the same number of points to all field players for corresponding actions. A distinctive feature of this system is its exclusive focus on in-game actions, refraining from awarding points for post-game performances, such as securing a victory or allocating bonus points for maintaining a clean sheet.
Positive actions (goals, passes, tackles, etc…) will add to a player’s score and, conversely, negative actions (cards, own goals, goals conceded) will reduce a player’s points total. Theoretically, a player’s points value is unlimited, and players can conclude a game with negative points. However, players who complete the full game duration on the field typically end up with a point total ranging from 10 to 40 points.
Goals, Shots on target, shots off target, blocked shots, own goal, assists, passes, crosses, tackles, interceptions, fouls won, fouls conceded, offsides, yellow cards, red cards, goals conceded, penalty won, saves, penalty saved are included in Opta Points.
