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in Opinion/Features, Weekly features

Premier League Weekend: Heroes and Villains

As another weekend of Premier League action passes us by, it’s time to take stock and decide which players were a help or a hindrance to their sides over the weekend.

Hero: Matt Doherty 

The Republic of Ireland international went all 2018/19 on us this weekend after helping to fire a struggling Wolves side to their first Premier League win of the season. The 27-year-old scored one and notched an assist for the horrible own goal scored by Daryl Janmaat in the second half.

The Wolves stalwart has now joined fellow fullbacks Andrew Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Lucas Digne as being directly involved in more than 10 goals since the start of last season. That’s not bad company to keep at all, is it!

Villain: Hugo Lloris 

Oh, Hugo, what were you thinking!? If you haven’t seen the Frenchman’s howler against Southampton go and take a look for yourself. Think Alisson Becker’s dodgy attempt at a Cruyff turn away at Leicester last season, only slower and somehow funnier.

The Spurs keeper’s gift of a goal to Danny Ings against Southampton not only robbed many of us good folk of some valuable Fantasy Football clean sheet points, but it also marred an otherwise decent performance from the experienced goalie.

Hero: Riyad Mahrez

It feels almost as though Manchester City are showing off, when you consider they have a player as good as Riyad Mahrez in their ranks, and he’s not even guaranteed to start every week. This is the kind of crazy strength in depth that City boast in attack that makes them such a special team.

The Algerian was superb against Everton on Saturday. Running the show from a central, creative role, Mahrez showed just what he is capable of. Okay, Jordan Pickford should have comfortably saved his free-kick in the second-half, but take nothing away from Mahrez. Although, he’ll probably be rewarded for this display with another spot on the bench next week.

Villain: Dean Henderson 

It wasn’t a good weekend for goalies was it!? After seeing his team give the champions of Europe one hell of a game for 70 minutes, Sheffield United’s keeper contributed to the occasion in the worst possible way. A well struck but routine effort from Gini Wijnaldum should have been Henderson’s to claim all day long. Somehow the 22-year-old allowed the ball to squirm under him and roll slowly over the line much to the delight of the travelling Liverpool supporters. It was the kind of thing you see on a blooper reel video. In fact, that’s where you’re likely to see from now on to honest.

Hero: Jamie Vardy 

The Leicester legend is well and truly enjoying a new lease of life under Brendan Rodgers. The former England man has now netted 14 times in 17 matches since the former Celtic man took over at the King Power Stadium.

His tidy, instinctive brace against an abject Newcastle side helped fire the Foxes up to third in the table, where they currently look pretty good value for money.

Villain: Isaac Hayden

A grim tackle during a grim afternoon at the King Power saw Newcastle midfielder Isaac Hayden shown a straight red card just before the interval. The 24-year-old flew in with his studs up and almost cleaved Dennis Praet’s leg off. The fact he was even protesting this one was baffling enough. It was a horrible challenge that left his team short and facing a second-half onslaught of mammoth proportions.

Read: Chelsea’s worst XI of the Roman Abramovich era

Read Also: Five of the best Manchester United v Arsenal games 

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