Premier League - Winners and Losers

Eurosport - Mon, 17 Mar 15:47:00 2008

We run down the winners and losers from the weekend's Premier League action.

FOOTBALL 2007-2008 Premier League Man United-Everton Cristiano Ronaldo - 0

Cristiano Ronaldo

What do Ronaldo and Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci have in common? Give up? The "Perfect 10". Ronaldo's two-goal virtuoso performance for Manchester United in their 2-1 victory over Everton on Sunday had his manager drooling: "I don't think he ever made a mistake today. He was absolutely perfect, a marvellous performance."

Derby County fans

"Can we play you every week?" the travelling Rams fans sang as their team took their fourth point of the season against Newcastle United on Sunday. They have a point: if Derby did play Newcastle every week, on this form they'd finish the season with 76 points - enough to net them a Champions League spot.

Fernando Torres

The £20million summer signing from Atletico Madrid, took his tally for the season to 14 goals after a brace in the 4-1 victory against Portsmouth at Anfield. Message to Rafa Benitez: Play. Him. Every. Week. It's not rocket surgery, is it?

LOSERS

Robbie Keane

Keane had scored his previous 10 penalties for Spurs, but he chose a rotten moment to snap that run as Manuel Almunia dived low to his right to ensure Arsenal maintained their unbeaten run against the north London rivals - a run that goes back to 1999.

The linesman at Reading - Sunderland

There was no chance the excellently-named Steve Rubery could have seen whether Stephen Hunt's stoppage-time shot crossed the line before Black Cats goalkeeper Craig Gordon had clawed it back - but he gave the goal anyway. Cue foam-mouthed rant from Sunderland boss Roy Keane? Not at all. "You just keep hoping that over the course of the season these decisions will even themselves out," the disoncertingly restrained Irishman said. "It hasn't for the last few weeks but we hope, come May, that we look back and say 'well some went for us and some went against us'."

Stephen Hunt and Emmanuel Adebayor

If you were fortunate to see the post-match interviews, you'd immediately know why - those ridiculous hats. Now I'm the last person you can accuse of an anti-titfer bias: I love a snap-brimmed fedora, a worn old trillby or a starched Derby as much as the next man. But Hunt's grubby Gatsby made him look like a pavement-tarmacing tinker, and Adebayor's over-sized baseball cap just looked stoopid.

Alex Sharratt / Eurosport