Six of the Best Moments From a Pivotal Weekend in the Premier League

After an intense round of midweek European action, the Premier League had a lot to live up to. Thankfully, it delivered, with ample upsets and last-gasp winners and levellers. Sure, we all missed VAR and it's wonderfully erratic nature, but you can't always have everything. 

What you can have, though, and right away, is the six best moments from this weekend kindly laid out for you. You're welcome. 

Best Goal

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There were quite a few contenders here. Eden Hazard pulled the rabbit out of the hat once again (the magic hat duties are his after Cesc Fabregas' departure) with his unstoppable last minute leveller at Stamford Bridge. James Ward-Prowse nestled an astonishingly accurate free kick to nab all three points. And Ashley Westwood did it from a corner, FFS!

But it was still Anthony Knockaert who came away with the crown. The strike? Simply sumptuous. Always curling and gaining speed until it thundered into the post and flew in. You CANNOT beat a goal like that. Any kind of cannoning in of the woodwork - be it the bar or post - is an automatic win. The fact that it was a winner in the M23 Derby (I mean A23, they're very particular about their roads in these parts, apparently) is the icing on the cake. 

Best Touch

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We need to talk about Romelu Lukaku's touch. Now, a good touch isn't usually the headline-grabber from a weekend as good as this, but at one point it felt like it on Sunday afternoon. Because THAT touch from Romelu Lukaku - after THAT pass from Paul Pogba - was utterly phenomenal. 

And it begs the question, has Lukaku, as a professional footballer playing at one of the biggest clubs in the world, actually got a decent first touch after all? Mind-warping, I know.

Best Assist

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There weren't many assists to shout about this weekend, but a lot of the noteworthy ones occurred at St. James' Park. From Lucas Digne's lovely whipfloated (a beguiling combination of whipped and floated) cross for Dominic Calvert-Lewin's glancing header to Miguel Almiron's piledriver of a shot that prompted Ayoze Perez's dramatic winner, there was plenty to be admired. 

But neither eclipsed the burst of speed, control and power exhibited by Andre Gomes for Everton's second. There was just something about the way he shrugged off his opponent before thwacking it across goal with untameable power that won me over.

Best Save

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Brendan Rodgers' (I initially wrote 'Brendad' here, which is an excellent freudian typo) first win as Leicester boss was fairly low-key, mostly due to the fact that, unfortunately, a 3-1 win over Fulham is run-of-the-mill these days. 

But, aside from their goal, there was one moment the Cottagers' fans could take pleasure from, and that was a gorgeous save from Sergio Rico. No, not the one he's about to catch up there (unfortunately, there's no photo evidence of this save, so you'll just have to believe me), the one where he, already at full stretch, thrust out his fingertips to poke wide a bottom corner-bound effort from Harvey Barnes.

Best Nutmeg of a Tottenham Defender

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Here at 90min, we only answer the big questions. And one of the biggest from this gameweek came at St. Mary's. No, not is Mauricio Pochettino a fraud? Not even are Spurs perennial bottlers? (Besides, that's been answered.)

No, we're talking about which Tottenham defender sold their nutmeg for Southampton's equaliser better? Danny Rose or Davinson Sanchez? And it's an age-old question. Because Sanchez's was the more dramatic, and more flailing, as he attempted to block the cross only to tie himself in knots with the ball long-since splicing his legs. But Rose did it ON PURPOSE!!! He deliberately let it go through in an attempt to then RE-COLLECT the ball.

Some fans might condemn it, but for me, that kind of brazen confidence at this stage of the season and that stage of the game can only be applauded. And the out-stretched arms showed in this picture as if to blame others around him after? Priceless. Rose, you're the real MVP.

Worst Goalkeeping Gaffe

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There were two goalkeeping howlers this weekend. But which was worse? In the red corner you have David de Gea and his permitting of Granit Xhaka's speculative and sort-of swirling effort to saunter into the centre of the net. In the blue corner you have Jordan Pickford, and his gaffe-filled display in the northeast. 

First he spilled a tame cross and then rugby tackled Salomon Rondon (though saved the resulting penalty). Then he parried Almiron's (albeit powerful) effort right into the path of the ensuing Perez, who snuck it home. It's a tough, tough decision. And, in these kind of moments, I turn to one man to set the record straight. Jurgen Klopp. 

What's that, Jurgen? It was a great use of the wind from Granit Xhaka? Impossible for De Gea to deal with it? And we know what Pickford's like with high balls? Well, that settles it then.