WINNERS
Eric Dier
When Dier was used in a new midfield role in pre-season and early on in the Premier League campaign, Spurs fans were sceptical.
This was a former full-back who had dropped out of international squads to focus on improving his work in the centre of defence, so there was an entirely reasonable amount of concern about the 6’2″ 21-year-old being a square peg in a round hole.
But his form has been a pleasant surprise that has helped Tottenham cope with the injury suffered by last season’s key man Nabil Bentaleb, and Dier’s long-range blast against Man City was just one component of an impressive display against one of the Premier League’s most daunting midfields.
Alexis Sanchez
There was a genuine worry that Arsenal’s main man last season was beginning to suffer from burnout after helping take Chile to Copa America glory over the summer.
Questions over Sanchez’s form got so serious that Arsene Wenger took it upon himself to question whether the former Barcelona man had been rushed back into first-team action too soon.
There’s no better way to answer such a question than with goals. Three of them at that, in a crushing victory over a hitherto undefeated Leicester team. Now to do the same in Europe.
Alexis looks more threatening with Theo up top. Has much more license to join him and play centrally.
— Tim Stillman (@Stillmanator) September 26, 2015
Daniel Sturridge
With Christian Benteke ruled out for a while through injury, there has never been more pressure on Sturridge to perform – a tough task considering his own fitness woes.
Many had speculated that defeat at home to Aston Villa could have cost Brendan Rodgers his job, so Sturridge’s two-goal contribution to a more-comfortable-than-it-sounds 3-2 win could prove a turning point.
And for those saying ‘it’s only Villa’, the manner of his first goal – a measured outside-of-the-boot volley – suggests we could be set to see the kind of play from Sturridge that took Liverpool within touching distance of the title in 2014.
Kevin Mbabu
Show us someone who knew all about Kevin Mbabu before Newcastle’s draw with Chelsea and we’ll show you a liar.
The Swiss full-back couldn’t even get a game on loan at Rangers last season, so it’s fair to say many feared the worst when seeing him line up against Champions League winner Pedro.
But Mbabu was one of the weekend’s true success stories, taming the Spaniard and then dealing with Eden Hazard when Chelsea mixed things up, as Newcastle were desperately unlucky not to claim their first win of the season.
https://twitter.com/CaulkinTheTimes/status/647864601426677760
LOSERS
Dick Advocaat
A defeat at Old Trafford is no bad thing in and of itself – indeed Sunderland seem to lose to Manchester United on a fairly regular basis – but it was the manner of the loss that stood out.
Trying to hold out for a goalless draw against one of the league’s most in-form attacks is naive at best, and the teams that have run United the closest this season have been those taking the game to Louis van Gaal’s team.
Sunderland looked to have turned a corner with their draw at Villa and narrow defeat to Spurs, but this looks like being a very long season for them and manager Advocaat will have to act quickly to stop his team being cast adrift.
Nicolas Otamendi
Otamendi might not have been the worst performer in Man City’s defeat at White Hart Lane, but he will surely be disheartened by what has happened since he took his place in the starting line-up.
In the first five games of the new campaign, City had picked up five wins without conceding a single goal as Vincent Kompany returned to his imperious best.
But since Kompany went off injured in the Champions League loss to Juventus, Manuel Pellegrini’s team have lost twice with Otamendi in the team. The additional loss of Eliaquim Mangala can’t have helped, but the Argentine could be forgiven for thinking he’s cursed.
Thought De Bruyne and Otamendi started this game really well but two errors have cost City two goals. Bit of a PL lesson.
— Jack Pitt-Brooke (@JackPittBrooke) September 26, 2015
Callum Wilson
Speaking of curses, Bournemouth’s injury woes are just getting worse and worse.
After losing Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel for a matter of months, the last thing Eddie Howe will have wanted is for top scorer Wilson to join them on the sidelines.
The England Under-21 international had been a revelation in the Premier League, with his hat-trick at West Ham standing out, and the Cherries will struggle to replace his goals and all-round impact.
