Another week of Premier League football has been and gone, and just two teams still hold a 100% record. Manchester City blew away Bournemouth courtesy of a 4-0 scoreline, but Liverpool staggered to a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace, leaving them 4 points behind the club that they took to the wire last season.
That draw, plus a share of the spoils between Tottenham and Chelsea in a fiery, controversial affair, has meant that it is Pep Guardiola’s former assistant Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal side that sit alongside the Champions, having dispatched Leicester City 4-2 in a game that could well have seen more goals.
Further down the table, a win for Nottingham Forest earned them their first points of the season, and simultaneously left West Ham with nothing from their opening two games, while Newcastle and Wolves played out a bore draw and Leeds threw away a 2-0 lead to cling on to a draw with Southampton.
The story of the weekend, however, undoubtedly came at Brentford, as the Bees humiliated Manchester United 4-0 in the first half, leaving Erik ten Hag’s side bottom of the Premier League table as it stands.
Two of their stars from the day make this XI, alongside duos from Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City. So, who stood out in TOTW 2?
GK: Dean Henderson
A bad weekend for Manchester United was made worse less than 24 hours later when Dean Henderson put in a top performance for Nottingham Forest to gain them their first points in the Premier League since pre-2000.
The Englishman made 11 saves, including once from the spot, as he helped the midlands side pick up a vital three points over West Ham.
RB: Reece James
It was another strong performance for Reece James on the right side of Thomas Tuchel’s defence, with the Englishman keeping Heung-Min Son quiet while also popping up with what should have been the winning goal for the Blues.
CB: Kalidou Koulibaly
It has been some start for the Senegalese defender at Chelsea. Excellent against Everton on the opening weekend, Koulibaly continued this trend with a fine performance against Tottenham, opening his account for the club from a corner in the process.
CB: Ben Mee
In a day that may go down as the lowest in Manchester United’s recent history, a great deal of credit has to go to Brentford. Key to their success was the rock solid performance of Ben Mee, who kept the United frontline quiet and also popped up with a goal in what was a rampant first half for the bees.
LB: Joao Cancelo
Another week, another great performance for Manchester City maestro Joao Cancelo. The impressive Portuguese defender rampaged up and down the left flank, grabbing an assist and helping to keep a clean sheet.
CM: Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
It was perhaps fortunate that Tottenham snatched a draw at Stamford Bridge, but Hojbjerg was key to their success. The Dane came up with a precise finish to drag Tottenham back into the game, and while Rodrigo Bentancur struggled, Hojbjerg was solid in the middle of the pitch for Antonio Conte.
CM: Kevin de Bruyne
Is there a better midfielder in world football than Kevin de Bruyne? The Belgian continues to impress for the Champions, this time grabbing a goal and an assist as Manchester City blew away Bournemouth. With the Belgian and Erling Haaland in the same side, it is hard to see any way around backing them to be Premier League champions.
CM: Mathias Jensen
As all the focus was on Christian Eriksen’s return to the Community stadium, it was fellow midfielder Mathias Jensen who stole the show. A goal and an assist were just the tip of the iceberg for the Dane, who was the heartbeat of everything good for the Bees.
LW: Gabriel Martinelli
It could be a massive season for Gabriel Martinelli if the first two games are anything to go by. The Brazilian made £80m rated defender Wesley Fofana look well off the pace as he toyed with the Leicester City defence all afternoon, and his goal was smartly taken. He looks to have struck up a formidable partnership with Gabriel Jesus.
ST: Gabriel Jesus
As home debuts go, this one was pretty special from the former Manchester City man. Two goals and a consistent threat, Jesus seems to have taken himself and Arsenal to a whole new level in the games since his arrival. While the proof will ultimately come in May, it has been a rapid start for the Brazilian.
RW: Rodrigo
Currently the Premier League’s top goalscorer, Rodrigo may finally be beginning to live up to his hefty price tag when he was bought from Valencia. Two goals for Leeds put them in the driving seat for the game, only for his teammates to allow Southampton back in.
For the Spaniard, however, it was an impressive outing.
:quality(70)/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/xlmedia/75056cb2-70a2-47ac-a9bf-dc86877bc260.png)
