Hero: Anthony Martial
A brace from the Frenchman means he is currently hot real estate at Old Trafford. He took his goals against Chelsea with expert composure and with real confidence, especially the second. Manchester United need someone to take ownership on the pitch with the likes of Pogba and Sanchez shying away all too often, Martial could well take his chance with both hands and make himself indispensible to Mourinho. Then again he could well be on the bench next weekend and not score for a month. You never can tell with United anymore!
Villain: Marcus Alonso
What you really don’t want to see from one of your defenders, when you’re one nil up at home and in the middle of trying to repel an attack, is him writhing around on the floor clutching his ankle, thigh, knees or whatever he’s trying to say is injured.
Alonso was lying on the ground with his faux injury, just inches from where the ball fell to Anthony Martial for a tap in. To make matters worse, having been down like a sack of spuds, he then rose back to live like Lazarus, to confront the referee. Call me old fashioned but how about just defending in the first place?
Hero: Jordan Pickford
Jordan Pickford is fast becoming a confident, popular number one at Goodison Park. His penalty save from Luka Milivojevic on Sunday was top drawer. He refused to be deceived by the normally reliable Serbian and kept the ball out brilliantly with his legs. It was the platform from which Everton were able to build their late assault on Wilf Zaha FC and get all three points on the day.
http://gty.im/1052702262
Villain: Marco Ianni
Almost makes it into the hero category for making Mourinho move faster than a buffet queue at a wedding. However, all jokes aside, it was pretty low of Sarri’s assistant to rub salt into the wounds. A stoppage time equaliser is hard to take for anyone, you don’t need a smug opposition coach lauding it over you. He obviously said something pretty lousy to get such an angry response from Mourinho. At least they kissed and made up at the end.
Hero: Joe Gomez
Once again shunted out to right back in place of the self proclaimed world’s best centre-half, Dejan Lovren; Gomez was at his brilliant best at Huddersfield. He looks so composed and measured in his work at the moment. His exquisite timing in one particular counter-attack in the first-half snuffed out a pretty dangerous looking move for the hosts. He is learning and improving every game and looks set to keep Lovren and Matip at bay, Liverpool fans will be praying the injuries stay away!
Villain: Vincent Kompany
It’s hard to tell where this one came from to be honest. Kompany is not one of the Premier League‘s dirtier players, and yet his challenge in the first few seconds of City’s game with Burnley was pretty vile. Lunging in, foot up, very high and very late, he went right through Aaron Lennon and left the former England man needing treatment. It was as a straight red but the Belgian somehow escaped punishment. He’s a lucky man, but then, so is Lennon, who is probably still picking studs out of his legs.
