Another week of Premier League action has been and gone, packed with the usual thrills, spills and fair share of controversy.
The pick of the games came at the Emirates where Arsenal continued their top-of-the-table reign with a 3-2 win over Liverpool in an end-to-end thriller.
They had been briefly overtaken by Manchester City, who dispatched Southampton 4-0, while Tottenham, Chelsea, and Manchester United all picked up wins to stay in touch with the top teams.
There was another goalfest for Newcastle as they smashed Brentford 5-1 and West Ham, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth all picked up three important points in a group of 9 games that yielded 32 goals.
101 have picked out the weekend’s standout performers.
GK: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)
Tottenham’s no.1 needed to be in top form to prevent Spurs from dropping points once more this season, with the Lilywhites coming through a tricky clash with Brighton courtesy of a goal from Harry Kane. They weathered plenty of pressure from the Seagulls, and made four important saves to preserve a clean sheet and see Spurs keep pace with Manchester City and Arsenal.
RB: Joao Cancelo (Manchester City)
Another Team of the Week, another appearance for the Manchester City defender, largely because he rarely has to do any defending. Cancelo grabbed a goal and an assist in his side’s 4-0 win over Southampton, continuing to underline his credentials in the new no.7 shirt.
CB: Craig Dawson (West Ham)
Dawson rarely lets West Ham down, and put in another strong performance at the back for David Moyes’ side. He won 2 of his 3 tackles and 5 of his 6 duels, while he also won a penalty for his side which Jarrod Bowen duly converted.
Widely thought to be past his peak when signed by West Ham, he has turned into a £2m bargain.
CB: Marcos Senesi (Bournemouth)
After a rocky start to his Premier League campaign, Senesi is beginning to prove why the Cherries decided to prise him out the Eredivisie over the summer.
The Argentine defender was particularly impressive with his long passing, while one tackle following a foot-race with Patson Daka was another highlight on an all-round top day for the centre-back.
LB: Takehiro Tomiyasu (Arsenal)
Handed his first start of the Premier League season at left-back, and up against Mo Salah, Tomiyasu was excellent for Mikel Arteta’s side, helping both defensively and also in build-up as the Gunners snatched a win against last season’s runners-up.
The Japanese defender’s versatility is a massive plus for Arsenal, and he showed on Sunday that he can perform to the top level on either flank.
CM: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle)
How Newcastle United were allowed virtually a free run at the Brazilian back in January is still a headscratcher, but Guimaraes has wasted no time in proving his worth and is the key man in this new-look Newcastle side.
He added another two goals to his tally this season over the weekend, and will be leaving plenty of clubs wondering “what if” after a series of top performances.
CM: Mason Mount (Chelsea)
Mount is looking a man reborn under Graham Potter, thriving in his new role and with more attacking fluidity around him. The English midfielder grabbed two assists as the Blues downed managerless Wolves, including a delicious cross to find Kai Havertz for the opener.
CAM: Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)
Eze was an outside shout for the Euro2020 England squad before suffering a knee injury, and has taken time to get back to his best.
His goal for Palace to hand them the win against Leeds United was him right back up there, however, and the Englishman is thriving in his more central role under Patrick Vieira.
RW: Phil Foden (Manchester City)
Foden followed up his hat-trick in the Manchester Derby with a goal and an assist as Manchester City continued on their imposing run of form with a 4-0 hammering of Southampton.
The Englishman is hitting form at just the right time with the World Cup on the horizon, but is still uncertain of his place in Gareth Southgate’s best XI. Performances like this will only serve to help his cause.
ST: Gianluca Scamacca (West Ham)
West Ham needed to get their striker purchase right this summer as they looked to continue their upwards trajectory from last season, and it looks as though they very much have.
Scamacca was handed his first Premier League start after impressing in the Europa League, and rewarded David Moyes with a great display, adding a goal for good measure.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
Arsenal and Gabriel Martinelli continued to showcase their credentials this season with an impressive performance against Liverpool. Though the whole team impressed, it was Martinelli that stood out, his driving runs and skill forcing Trent Alexander-Arnold to be withdrawn at half time as the Brazilian grabbed a goal and an assist to secure all three points.
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