The opening weekend of the 2020/21 Premier League is already in the books, with 16 of the 20 clubs in action over the course of Saturday, Sunday and Monday.
There were goals galore and plenty of talking points up and down the country, suitably whetting appetites for the rest of the season ahead.
Take a look at the 90min selections for Team of the Week in gameweek one.
Goalkeeper & Defenders
Vicente Guaita (GK): Following an early goal from Wilfried Zaha, Crystal Palace had goalkeeper Guaita to thank for their opening day victory over a fancied Southampton side. The Spaniard kept out Che Adams with a top save and went on to deny Danny Ings a late equaliser.
Reece James (RB): At 20 years of age, James appears to be Chelsea’s long-term right-back of choice, having now started six of the club’s last seven Premier League games. He stole the headlines in Monday’s win over Brighton with a goal and assist in the 3-1 victory.
Romain Saiss (CB): Wolves star Saiss was another goalscoring defender on Monday night, with the Moroccan international enjoying an impressive all-action performance against Sheffield United. He also later hit the post and was part of back-line that kept a clean sheet.
Gabriel Magalhaes (CB): Gabriel marked his debut for Arsenal following a £22m summer transfer from Lille with a goal and clean sheet. It was doubly impressive given that it was his first game in six months, as a result of the 2019/20 French season finishing prematurely because of the pandemic.
Lucas Digne (LB): Former PSG and Barcelona player Digne remains one of the Premier League’s top left-backs and started the new campaign as he means to go on. It was his free kick that Dominic Calvert-Lewin headed in for the only goal in a 1-0 win over Tottenham.
Midfielders
Jeff Hendrick (MF): Following a turbulent summer, Newcastle got off to the perfect start by beating West Ham 2-0 on the road. Summer signing Jeff Hendrick played a major role, setting up fellow new arrival Callum Wilson and later making sure of the result with a goal of his own.
Dennis Praet (MF): West Brom had no answer to Leicester midfielder Praet, who gave an excellent account of himself in the 3-0 Foxes win. He often gave his side an extra body in the penalty area with well-timed runs and got a crucial assist to open the scoring.
James Rodriguez (MF): Grateful for a fresh start under Carlo Ancelotti, James stood out as Everton beat Tottenham. The Colombian defied the critics to become the first player to create five chances on their Premier League debut since Alexis Sanchez for Arsenal in August 2014.
Forwards
Willian (FW): As a free transfer in the summer, Willian is already proving to be an important addition to Arsenal’s squad. The 32-year-old bagged himself two assists and indirectly created a third when his shot was saved and rebounded in the 3-0 win over Fulham.
Raul Jimenez (FW): Jimenez needed only three minutes to pick up where he left off last season, putting Wolves into the lead against Sheffield United with a carefully composed and place strike. He had other chances to score, while his all-round display as a focal point was excellent.
Mohamed Salah (FW): Salah scored on the opening weekend of a Premier League season for the fourth year running for Liverpool. The Egyptian netted from the penalty spot early against Leeds and his hat-trick was ultimately the difference in the 4-3 win.
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Source: 90min
