Super Sanchez features in Coral’s Premier League Heroes & Villains

Another Premier League round gone and more shocks, as Chelsea edge further towards the title, now odds-on at 2/5 with Coral, Manchester United lose at home and Arsenal put three past Stoke City.

Heroes
Alan Pardew
Give the man a job for life! The former Crystal Palace player got the Eagles off to a flier, as the south London outfit beat city rivals Tottenham 2-1 at Selhurst Park. Having gone behind early in the second half, Pardew rallied his troops from the touchline and inspired a superb fightback.

Alexis Sanchez
Who needs Lionel Messi when you’ve got this guy? What a start to the year the Chilean is having; that’s three goals in two matches, carrying his fine form through from 2014. Sanchez is fast becoming a candidate for player of the season, and his second goal at the Emirates took pure nerve.

Leighton Baines
We can’t not mention the left back in any of our Monday features. Everton’s Baines broke the assist record for a defender, when he set up Steven Naismith to equalise against Manchester City. The 30-year-old now has 45 Premier League assists and doesn’t look like letting up anytime soon.

Villains
Angel Di Maria
He may have jut returned from injury, though that shouldn’t be any excuse for some of the Argentinian’s decision making. Numerous times he decided to shoot when he could have teed up Robin van Persie. Teammate Daley Blind had just returned from a long lay-off, though he at least did most things right.

Louis van Gaal
“Tactical reasons” prevented the Dutchman from picking Colombian hitman Radamel Falcao in his squad, and he was certainly proved right. Without him, Southampton found it easy to snuff out any United attack, and his presence would certainly have been appreciated by his teammates late on in the match.

Philip Wollscheid
A debut to forget for the German centre back, whose every touch was cataclysmic. Manager Mark Hughes may have thrown him in too early, and it was certainly a big test against a resurgent Arsenal side at the Emirates. Wollscheid will probably acclimatise in time, and has compatriot Robert Huth to learn from at Stoke.