An ever-growing list of Mexico's top talents are making names for themselves abroad. With several key figures playing week in and week out in a number of top European leagues, keeping track of all the high-profile stars can at times be daunting.
In order to help keep tabs on those across the Atlantic, we've created a weekly award that will be given to the most outstanding player. Here are the most noteworthy -- both good and bad -- performances from Mexican players in Europe last week.
Europeo of the Week: Hirving Lozano, FW, PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
Last week, Hirving "Chucky" Lozano had plenty of competition when it came to fellow Mexican goal scorers in Europe's top leagues. Lozano was one of a handful of Europeos to find the back of the net, so what made him stand out amongst his countrymen?
For starters, his acrobatic move that helped secure the goal is worthy of claiming the prize alone. Thrusting himself at a cross in the 72nd minute of a high-profile match against Feyenoord, Lozano somehow connected with the ball in a Zlatan-esque fashion, to the score at 1-1. Thanks to his goal, PSV were able to walk away from the Eredivisie clash with a draw that keeps them two points above second-placed Ajax.
That said, the timing of Lozano's goal shouldn't be overlooked either.
In his previous game for PSV --- a 2-2 draw against Heerenveen --- the Mexican youngster was unexpectedly taken off the field at half-time. Following the end of the match, manager Mark van Bommel stated that the decision to replace Lozano was a technical one due to the fact that the winger wasn't doing what was asked of him. One week later, Lozano responded by not only holding onto his starting role for the entire 90 minutes against Feyenoord, but also by scoring the lone goal in PSV's draw.
More issues and internal strife might ultimately re-emerge, but all seems forgiven for the moment, especially given that the 23-year-old has amassed an impressive total of 14 goals and eight assists this Eredivisie season.
Honorable mention: Raul Jimenez, FW, Wolverhampton Wanderers (England)
Jimenez's recent momentum has yet to slow down as during last Saturday's match against Bournemouth, the Mexican striker helped secure an away point after scoring an 83rd-minute penalty. With Jimenez leading the frontline with 10 goals, Wolves are now undefeated in their last five league games.
Honorable mention: Nestor Araujo, DF, Celta Vigo (Spain)
Before we continue with more of the goal-scoring praise for the Mexicans in Europe, we should first shine a light on Araujo's efforts with Celta Vigo. Over the weekend, the central defender was a key figure for the Spanish side that escaped from the Estadio de Mendizorroza with a 0-0 away draw against Deportivo Alaves. Araujo finished with an eye-catching total of 13 clearances in the match.
Honorable mention: Hector Herrera, MF, Porto (Portugal)
Herrera has looked lethal in front of net in recent weeks. After scoring in last Friday's 3-0 win over Tondela, the Mexican midfielder now has three goals in his last three league matches. Porto fans will likely be keeping their fingers crossed that he is at least saving one more for this weekend's massive rivalry clash against Benfica.
Honorable mention: Javier Hernandez, FW, West Ham (England)
"Javier Hernandez on hand as West Ham recover from early blow to beat Fulham," read one playful and cheeky title from The Guardian about the striker's controversial finish last Friday. Handball or not, Hernandez not only helped clinch a 3-1 win for West Ham, but is also now the first Mexican player to score 50 Premier League goals.
Dishonorable mention: Erick Gutierrez, MF, PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands)
It appears as though Gutierrez is going to need more time to adjust to his new surroundings. After being given a handful of starts in 2018, the midfielder has since struggled to claim more appearances in the new year. Sunday's 1-1 draw with Feyenoord marked the third game in a row without minutes for the 23-year-old Pachuca product.