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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: Dean Henderson

In what was the very definition of a bonkers goal-line scramble at Bramall Lane on Saturday, Dean Henderson was a man inspired to keep the ball from going into the back of his net. In infuriating and baffling scenes for Norwich fans, the young stopper was at hand three times in about ten seconds to deny the Canaries, first thwarting Ben Godfrey’s header before superbly blocking follow ups by Mario Vrancic and Josep Drimic.

The 22-year-old was roaring in delight after his heroics and rightly so, as his side clung on a for another massive win that moved them to within just two points of fourth place Chelsea at the close of play on Saturday.

Villain: Yan Valery

There is no place to hide on a football pitch and when you’ve just cost your team all three points and a 15th league defeat of the season, sometimes you just have to pull your shirt over your face and contemplate it all.

That’s exactly what Yan Valery did after his chronic dawdling on the ball allowed Allan Saint-Maximin in behind to deal the killer blow and condemn the Saints to yet another miserable home reversal.

Sometimes you just have to hoof it away. God only knows what Valery was doing as he dwelt on the ball on the edge of his own box.

Hero: Mason Mount

One of the poster boys for Chelsea’s early season success with their academy graduates, Mason Mount’s form of late has been patchy at best. His excellent swivel and half-volley to open the scoring during Chelsea’s romping 4-0 victory over Everton on Sunday then, was an overdue return to his brilliant best.

His relief was obvious and he needed that goal to restore some much needed confidence after some very harsh criticism in recent weeks. Mount is a talent for sure and this goal against Everton underpins his obvious ability and wonderful potential.

Villain: Ben Mee

With Burnley deservedly ahead against Spurs at Turf Moor on Saturday evening, you’d have expected Sean Dyche’s charges to know the brief inside and out.

Well, maybe they all did except of course for Ben Mee. Eric Lamela still had a considerable amount to do when he was played in on the edge of the box, so for such an experienced head as Mee to dive in and hang a leg out with no real chance of making a solid tackle was bizarre and bemusing.

The referee was left to decide on the most obvious penalty that you’re likely to see and duly pointed to the spot to give Spurs an easy route back into the game in Lancashire.

Hero: Scott McTominay

It’s been a long time since Manchester United celebrated a win in the manner in which they enjoyed their 2-0 victory over Manchester City on Sunday.

Braving the infamous Mancunian rain the United players did a lap of honour after their hard-fought victory over their rivals at Old Trafford. And it was their Scotland international and all-round midfield terrier Scott McTominay who added the gloss with a fine finish.

After coming on as a second-half substitute, it was his lovely goal from distance in stoppage time to punish Ederson’s sloppy throw that sent the United faithful into raptures as the Red Devils recorded their third victory of the season over Pep Guardiola’s disjointed City side. McTominay doesn’t score many and he’s unlikely to score a more memorable goal again any time soon.

Villain: Ederson

In a decent weekend for Premier League goalies, it was odd to see City’s class Brazilian stopper Ederson having a stinker. But a stinker is exactly what he had after he gifted United both of their goals on a plate.

Firstly, he should have done much better to keep out Anthony Martial’s near-post drive. The ball went through him as he handed a dogged United the advantage.

He was then uncharacteristically sloppy with his bowled ball out in stoppage time, completely missing his man and rolling it straight to McTominay who let fly from 40 yards to punish the Brazilian. It was far from vintage from Ederson as he contributed to City’s seventh league defeat of the season.

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