Another round of Premier League fixtures draws to a close with important wins for both Tottenham and Leicester and a thriller at Upton Park.
Before we start getting excited for next week’s set of mathces there’s just enough time to praise all those who carried their teams this weekend, so here they are in a 4-3-3.
1. Heurelho Gomes, Watford.
Played 90 minutes (1-1 v Everton). The Hornets earned their first point in five games thanks largely to goalkeeper Gomes’s heroics which included a slew of second-half saves.
2. Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Manchester United.
Played 68 minutes (0-3 v Tottenham). The 18-year-old made two vital first-half blocks in just his second Premier League start and United completely fell apart as soon as he came off with injury.
3. Alberto Moreno, Liverpool.
Played 90 minutes (4-1 v Stoke). A first goal since December 2014 set Liverpool on their way to a comfortable home victory as he lashed into the far corner having been afforded time and space to pick his spot.
4. Steve Cook, Bournemouth.
Played 90 minutes (2-1 v Aston Villa). Broke the deadlock in the Midlands with a near-post flick and helped keep Villa quiet at the other end as Bournemouth went past the 40-point mark in their maiden Premier League campaign.
5. Kevin Stewart, Liverpool.
Played 90 minutes (4-1 v Stoke). Handed a first Premier League start in a much-changed Liverpool side and did not disappoint or hide, making 67 passes with an accuracy rating of 88 per cent.
6. Danny Drinkwater, Leicester.
Played 90 minutes (2-0 v Sunderland). Not just a shield in front of a back four that recorded their fifth straight clean sheet, it was Drinkwater’s long ball that Jamie Vardy collected for the opening goal.
7. Erik Lamela, Tottenham.
Played 87 minutes (3-0 v Manchester United). Missed a gilt-edged opportunity in the first period but made up for it by having a part to play in each of the goals as Spurs struck three times in six second-half minutes.
8. Gylfi Sigurdsson, Swansea.
PHOTO: Gylfi and @JeffMONTERO23 celebrate our opening goal at the Liberty Stadium. #SWACHE pic.twitter.com/c0za23OYHE
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) April 9, 2016
Played 90 minutes (1-0 v Chelsea). Ended Chelsea’s unbeaten Premier League run under Guus Hiddink with a volley into the corner for his ninth goal in 14 appearances.
9. Divock Origi, Liverpool.
Played 45 minutes (4-1 v Stoke). Despite only coming on as a half-time substitute, promising forward Origi found the net twice – three days after his all-important goal at Borussia Dortmund – to put Stoke to the sword.
10. Andy Carroll, West Ham.
Played 90 minutes (3-3 v Arsenal). Marked his first start since March 13 with an eight-minute hat-trick either side of half-time that will have provided England boss Roy Hodgson with food for thought ahead of next month’s Euro 2016 squad announcement.
11. Jamie Vardy, Leicester.
Played 90 minutes (2-0 v Sunderland). The England international took his tally for the season to 21 top-flight goals with a well-taken brace in the North East that has inched Leicester ever closer to an improbable title.