MY ACCOUNT
Another exciting Premier League weekend saw leaders Manchester City earn a late victory at Everton to extend their gap to Liverpool.
Elsewhere, West Ham edged Wolves in a top-four tussle, Newcastle earned three points at relegation rivals Brentford and Watford held Manchester United to a goalless draw at Old Trafford.
Read on to discover the stars we have picked out from a hard-fought round of top-flight fixtures.
Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son
Fine performances from both Harry Kane and Heung-Min Son in Tottenham’s emphatic 4-0 win at Leeds make it too difficult to choose between the two.
By combining for Spurs’ fourth of the game, the pair are now the Premier League’s most deadly strike partnership after surpassing Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba with their 37th link-up.
Having already netted earlier in the game, Kane’s first reaction when picking up the ball deep in his own half late on was to look up and spot his South Korean counterpart who was already on the run.
Finding him with a typically sublime pass over Leeds’ helpless defence, Son ensured they would break the record with a clinical finish.
With the pair looking at their very best right now and no other current partnerships coming close, beating their haul will certainly take some doing.
Ben Foster
Relegation-threatened Watford knew a resilient defensive display would be paramount if they were to leave Old Trafford with anything.
That is exactly what Roy Hodgson’s men put in — and no one embodied their spirited performance more than ex-Red Devil Ben Foster.
The 38-year-old prevented Bruno Fernandes from finishing off a lovely United move early on with a strong stop and he was continually busy all afternoon in the 0-0 draw.
While a host of missed chances mean United were partly to blame, Foster made three saves, caught one cross and punched another clear to earn himself a second clean sheet in three games.
The 19th-placed Hornets will need their experienced No1 to put in plenty more performances like this if they are to secure Premier League safety.
Joelinton
Newcastle’s recent resurgence to move away from the relegation zone has been remarkable — as has Joelinton’s turnaround in fortunes this season.
The Brazilian had become a figure of fun since his £40million move to Tyneside in 2019 but, after a mid-season switch from striker to combative midfielder, he is now helping the Magpies thrive.
His dramatic shift has earned plaudits galore during a seven-game unbeaten run in the Premier League, but his opener against Brentford was that of a top class centre-forward.
The 25-year-old timed his run into the box perfectly to head home Ryan Fraser’s cross with expert precision in the first half.
Running in celebration towards a Newcastle away end filled with Brazilian flags, the bond developing between player and supporters is clear to see.
After the victory, Newcastle’s No7 said: “I ran to the fans because they always support me and the team. This goal is for the fans, my family and everybody who is behind me.”
Phil Foden
With Liverpool not in Premier League action, City’s trip to face Everton was the perfect chance for Pep Guardiola’s men to reassert their control of the title race.
But from the first whistle, it was clear that it would be no easy game for the Citizens after a spirited display from Frank Lampard’s hosts.
The Toffees stifled City from being their usual free-flowing selves, though Phil Foden remained lively throughout.
With it looking much like City may drop points, the England man reacted well to Michael Keane’s mistake to dramatically score the winner with less than 10 minutes to play.
It is the sheer importance of his goal, which re-established City’s lead at the top of the Premier League to six points, which lands him a place in this list.
Christian Eriksen
The final star of the weekend is the only one to have been on the losing side, but seeing Christian Eriksen on a football pitch again felt like a victory all the same.
Just 259 days after suffering a cardiac arrest on the pitch in Denmark’s Euro 2020 opener versus Finland, the 30-year-old made his much-anticipated return for new club Brentford against Newcastle.
Clapped from the moment he embarked on his pitchside warm-up, Eriksen was welcomed back to the Premier League in the 52nd minute with rapturous applause from all four sides of the Brentford Community Stadium.
While he was unable to prevent his new club slipping to a disappointing defeat, there was no stopping his delight at the final whistle.
Eriksen said after the game: “If you take away the result, I’m one happy man. To go through what I’ve been through, being back is a wonderful feeling.”
Manager Thomas Frank added: “I think for everyone in football, it was a big moment.
“He got a big reception, from the Newcastle fans and all our fans, and it was big for Christian and his family.
“It was nice to see and hopefully now he can talk with his feet and speak only about football.”
