10 Heroes from the weekend across Europe's top football leagues

Tim Howard

Everton keeper Tim Howard was outstanding between the posts

David Marshall wasn’t the only keeper to leave his hand-print on a game in the English Premier League. Tim Howard did what very few people have done so far – stop a vicious penalty heading for the top corner from Aston Villa front-man Christian Benteke.

The 34-year-old American keeper made an outstanding dive to his right to stop Benteke’s effort from going in and stopped Benteke again from open play. He also denied Andreas Weimann and Gabriel Agbonlahor goal-scoring chances and helped his side keep a clean sheet as they netted two goals of their own to emerge 2-0 winners from a tough game at Villa Park.

He also underlined his status as the USA’s no.1 keeper and made it that much tougher for his opposite number, Aston Villa’s Brad Guzan, to depose him in the national team.

USA coach Juergen Klinsmann has so far opted to go with Howard.

Nuri Sahin

Nuri Sahin wheels off in celebration after scoring Dortmund’s second goal against Schalke

The Turkish midfielder capped off a brilliant week with a superb midfield display in the Ruhr valley derby in which Borussia Dortmund emerged 3-1 winners over Schalke in Gelsenkirchen.

Last year, Schalked achieved the double over Dortmund, but there was to be no repeat of that as Sahin scored one and set up one in what was a very impressive performance from Juergen Klopp’s men who maintained the pressure on defending champs and league leaders Bayern Munich with the win.

Sahin, who has started every game for Dortmund so far this season, scored a magnificent long range goal and followed up his impressive display in the midweek Champions League game against Arsenal with another man-of-the-match effort.