Saturday's key Premier League performers

Every week the Premier League throws up drama, action and often controversy. After the international break there was no shortage of any of the above, with strange refereeing decisions and match-winning performances from a number of players up and down the league.

Saturday was a day of many debuts, but it was the players who have been in the league for some time already who made the headlines on Week Four. Here, Sports Mole picks out some of the key performers from Saturday's games.

Aaron Ramsey:

Arsenal's trip to Sunderland was surrounded by talk about whether record signing Mesut Ozil would start, having been taken ill on duty for Germany. As it happened, he was fine to start, but his debut - although excellent with an early assist - was overshadowed by Welshman Aaron Ramsey.

© Getty Images

Ramsey arrived at Arsenal from Cardiff City for nearly £5m an incredible five years ago. He came with huge potential and had begun to work himself into the team before a horrific double leg-break set his progress back. After a few loan spells, last season questions were raised as to whether he would be able to reach the heights that he was expected to just a year or two ago. This season he has answered back.

Before Saturday, Ramsey was already Arsenal's key performer. Having been given an extended run largely due to Mikel Arteta's absence, Ramsey has been creative, energetic and combative at the heart of the Gunners midfield, and yesterday he impressed for different reasons. His side were beginning to run out of ideas at 1-1, so his volleyed effort to put them back in front was timely. He then got forward to finish off a counter-attacking move, ensuring that he almost single-handedly won his side the points. A top showing.

Gylfi Sigurdsson:

It is hard to imagine just what Gylfi Sigurdsson must have been thinking over the summer seeing player after player come through the doors at White Hart Lane. Sigurdsson has rarely been more than an impact player since joining Spurs and with an almost unrecognisable midfield at the club after players such as Paulinho, Etienne Capoue, Lewis Holtby and Christian Eriksen have arrived, the likes of Sigurdsson had a lot to prove.

And prove himself he has. Norwich City on Saturday set out their stall early to defend, keep things tight and hopefully pinch a goal on the break. Breaking teams down is always a tough ask and in fact the Icelandic was the perfect player to include in order for that to happen. He is a fine professional, seemingly happy to wait for his chance and without him Spurs might well have ended up drawing.

© Getty Images

He scored in each half, with two very different goals. The first was finished neatly after a flowing team move and the second he got on the end of a cross to tap in. It was his running from midfield, always looking to get in the box, that turned the game in his side's favour.

Hatem Ben Arfa:

Sometimes in clashes between teams that were expected to struggle before the season started, it takes only one player to turn a result in either side's favour. Hatem Ben Arfa was the difference-maker against Fulham before the international break, giving Newcastle United the points with his fine late goal. He was at it again against Aston Villa.

Newcastle were in control for long spells at Villa Park, but the Villans - who suddenly look a long way from the side that won at the Emirates Stadium on the opening day - were stubborn at the back. The last line of defence, Brad Guzan, was again in fine form, and it needed something special if the Magpies were to take what would be a deserved win.

Ben Arfa was that something special. His positioning had opened the scoring in the first half and had a huge say in the winner - his effort parried by Guzan for Yoan Gouffran to tap in. Villa had no answer to the Frenchman and had he not played, then the result would surely have been different.

© Getty Images