It was another stellar weekend of Premier League action with some suprise results, big performances and standout showings. Using the FotMob ratings, here’s your Team of the Week. 

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Goalkeeper: Alphonse Areola

The 30-year-old wasn’t too busy against Chelsea despite the Blues dominating possession. He made just three saves on the day. For a little context here, last week’s Team of the Week goalkeeper was Bernd Leno after his nine saves against Everton. However, Areola made one key stop when he palmed away Enzo Fernandez’s penalty at 1-1. This was a key moment for the Hammers as they went on to win 3-1. 

Right-Back: Thomas Partey

Mikel Arteta has been trying something a little different over recent weeks with Thomas Partey deployed at right-back. 

The 30-year-old starts out as a full-back but inverts to form a double pivot with Declan Rice when the Gunners are in possession. In Arsenal’s 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace, Partey completed 86% of his passes, created one chance, played seven passes into the final third, while also winning all of his tackles, recovering the ball on six occasions and he come out on top in seven of his eight duels. 

Rice might get a lot of the plaudits but the Arsenal No5 put in an impressive showing too. 

Centre-Back: Ethan Pinnock

The Brentford centre-back put in an utterly dominant performance in the 3-0 win against Fulham. The 30-year-old completed 86% of his 57 passes and found a teammate with 50% of his attempted long passes. 

He made two blocks, six clearances, two interceptions and recovered the ball on eight occasions. Pinnock won two of his three ground duels and six of his seven aerial battles as he helped Thomas Frank’s men to a clean sheet and three points. 

Centre-Back: Virgil van Dijk

Whisper it, but Van Dijk might be getting back to his very best. The new Liverpool skipper bossed things against Bournemouth. Liverpool didn’t get off to the best of starts, conceding a goal inside of three minutes, but bounced back to claim a 3-1 victory. Van Dijk completed 97% of his passes, made five interceptions and five clearances while also winning five of his six aerial duels. 

Left-Back: Pervis Estupinan

Another game, another four goals for Brighton and another impressive showing from their left-back. This time around, Estupinan claimed an assist and a goal in the 4-1 demolition of Wolves at Molineux. 

The 25-year-old wasn’t at his best defensively, winning just three of his 11 ground duels, but he was instrumental in everything Roberto De Zerbi’s men did going forward. He completed 87% of his passes, created two chances and played four passes into the final third. 

Centre-Midfield: Serge Aurier 

A bit of a surprise inclusion in midfield. He did, however, start as a wing-back for Nottingham Forest in their win over Sheffield United and this meant he spent a lot of time as a wide midfielder in possession, so we’re going to allow this. Aurier was the star of the show at the City Ground, assisting both goals in what was an impressive outing by the 30-year-old. 

Centre-Midfield: Solly March

March is really enjoying himself under De Zerbi. The 29-year-old was amongst the goals again, this time finding the back of the net on two occasions having taken five shots against Wolves. He created a chance, attempted four dribbles and completed 50% of his attempted dribbles on his way to a 9.4 FotMob rating. 

Centre-Midfield: Kaoru Mitoma

The dynamic left-winger scored one of the goals of the season and we’re only in week two of the campaign. He powered past a number of players having picked the ball up on the touchline before calmly firing past Jose Sa to give the Seagulls the lead. He also claimed an assist on the day and created four chances, while also attempting five dribbles in what was a mesmerising display. 

Centre-Forward: Bryan Mbeumo

Mbeumo has really stepped up in the absence of Ivan Toney. The 24-year-old scored twice in the 3-0 win over Fulham to take his tally to three for the season. He was a constant threat throughout, landing all three of his efforts on target and creating an opportunity. He actually finished the match with an Expected Goals total of 1.86 and an Expected Assists total of 0.24. It was some performance from the explosive left-footer. 

He wasn’t the only Brentford forward to have a successful day at Craven Cottage.

Centre-Forward: Yoane Wissa

Wissa also impressed in his new role for the Bees. 

Remarkably, the 26-year-old attempted just 11 passes but took a total of seven shots. Those two stats alone highlight exactly what he’s in the team to do. He finished with an Expected Goals haul of 1.41, while also winning the penalty and coming out on top in five of his seven duels. He was a constant menace leading the line for Brentford. 

Centre-Forward: Diogo Jota

Jota had a very stereotypical performance for Liverpool against Bournemouth. He frustrated fans with his on-ball stuff, completing just 70% of his attempted passes, but somehow finished the game with a goal and an assist. The No20 attempted five shots, four dribbles and involved himself in 15 duels to cap off a busy day leading the line for the Reds at Anfield. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the Premier League live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.

The Premier League certainly lived up to the hype this weekend. There were shock results, standout performances and eye catching moments galore. Here’s a round-up of the biggest talking points.

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

The Bees have a sting without Toney 

Ahead of the new campaign, many wondered how Brentford would cope without Ivan Toney. The striker was the focal point for the team and the main goal threat. 

They don’t seem to be missing him though. They followed up their two goal showing against Spurs with three against Fulham. Bryan Mbeumo found the back of the net twice to take his tally to three for the campaign already. At this rate, he’ll definitely surpass his career high nine goals from last season. 

Thomas Frank’s side created five big chances and finished with an Expected Goal (xG) total of 3.93. Marco Silva is yet to figure out how to set up a solid, reliable defensive unit, though the return of João Palhinha should help things. 

Lucky number 13 for Liverpool

Liverpool are currently unbeaten in 13 Premier League matches. You wouldn’t have known that watching the opening five minutes at Anfield. Bournemouth had the ball in the back of the net on two occasions but the first was ruled out for offside. 

The Reds did rally though and responded well. Luis Diaz levelled things up before Mohamed Salah followed up his saved penalty with a tap-in from close range. Diogo Jota added a third not long after a questionable red card was given to Alexis Mac Allister. 

Up until this game, Salah had never found the back of the net on matchday two as a Liverpool player. 

Wolves are mauled

For a second successive match, Wolves failed to make the most of their opportunities. The 4-1 loss to Brighton wasn’t deserved. 

The hosts had a similar xG to their opponents (2.14 to 2.22) but poor finishing prevented them from taking anything from the match. It was the same story against Manchester United earlier in the week. 

Roberto De Zerbi has his fowards firing though. Kaoru Mitoma scored a brilliant individual goal and assisted the second while also creating four chances – the most in the match. Julio Enisco finished with two assists while Solly March scored twice as the Seagulls soared once again. 

Brighton have now scored four in back to back games and top the Premier League.

Laying down a marker

Spurs picked up their first win under Ange Postecoglou and it came at the expense of Manchester United. 

The Red Devils, once again, lacked a ruthlessness in the final third as they spurned four big chances in the 2-0 defeat. They’re also having issues in the defensive third too. Casemiro, for example, won just four of his nine duels while Lisandro Martinez won just 50% of his duels and was fortunate not to give away a penalty. Erik Ten Hag needs to figure out a way to fix this situation before it spirals. For a second successive match, his big signings from last summer have struggled. 

By comparison, Spurs look like a team heading in the right direction with all of their players on the same page. 

They brought Pape Sarr into the starting XI and it was an inspired decision. He scored the opener, won 100% of his tackles and won four of his five duels. The box-to-box midfielder had five shots and finished with a pass success rate of 86%. 

Sticky situation for the Toffees 

This was a big game for both teams following losses on opening day. Aston Villa responded to the 5-1 loss to Newcastle United with an emphatic win over the Toffees. Unai Emery’s men deserved the win, racking up an xG of three having created five big chances. 

They were totally dominant and Leon Bailey was the star of the show with a goal and an assist. He also completed all of his dribbles and won two of his three duels to complete a well-rounded outing.

Everton look like they could well be in trouble again. Dominic Calvert-Lewin was substituted off and they created next to nothing in the game. Sean Dyche needs to get his team firing and quickly. 

A debut to remember…and one to forget

West Ham had less of the ball – just 24% – in their 3-1 win over Chelsea, and finished with fewer shots, but they executed their game plan to perfection.

James Ward-Prowse, on his debut for the Hammers, assisted two goals while also finishing with a pass success rate of 96%. He had a day to remember while Moises Caicedo had one to forget. The £115million summer signing came off the bench for the Blues after an hour. He won just four of his seven duels, committed two fouls and gave away a penalty. 

Chelsea had all of the ball but did very little with it. Their only big chance of the game was the Enzo Fernandez penalty which was saved by Alphonse Areola. Mauricio Pochettino has some decisions to make. 

(Images from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the 2023/24 Premier League season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

The Premier League returned with a bang last weekend. Expectations have been altered, perceptions have been skewed and there is even pressure mounting on some teams, and we’re only two weeks into the new campaign. With this in mind, a look at five talking points for this round of fixtures. 

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

An early six-pointer

It is never too early to claim a match is a six-pointer, is it? Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United kick off matchday two on Friday night with both having suffered losses in their opening games. 

The Blades struggled against Crystal Palace. Paul Heckingbottom’s side managed just eight shots, created zero big chances and finished with an Expected Goals total of 0.51 in the 1-0 loss. They have added reinforcements this week with the arrivals of Gustavo Harmer and Tom Davies, but they are going to need an improved performance. 

Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, lost to Arsenal but caused one of the title favourites a lot of issues. They created more big chances (two to zero) and had a higher xG (1.18 to 0.83). Taiwo Awoniyi was only given 20 minutes at the Emirates but he scored the goal to give Forest a chance of salvaging something late on. Expect him to start what is a potential early six-pointer at the City Ground. After all, the No9 was key to their survival last season, he could be vital again. 

Ange-ball versus Ten Hag-ball

This is going to be an intriguing match-up. Both managers have a distinct style that they are famed for but only one of the teams managed to execute this during matchday one. Oddly enough, it wasn’t from the team who are one year into their project. 

United claimed victory over Wolves but it wasn’t pretty. Erik Ten Hag’s men, playing at Old Trafford, were out-shot (23 to 15) and finished with a lower xG (2.21 compared to the away side’s 2.35). 

The Red Devils were forced to take Lisandro Martinez off at half-time with an ankle injury, though his performance in the first half alone probably justified the early withdrawal. He was booked and won just two of his seven duels. 

By comparison, Spurs really caught the eye in their season opener against Brentford. They may have only managed a 2-2 draw but there were real signs that the players understood their new roles within Ange Postecoglou’s system. Yves Bissouma and Emerson Royal caught the eye in their new roles, with both attempting over 100 passes in the game. The latter even scored the equaliser. 

If the hosts are able to impose themselves onto Manchester United, it will be a statement performance that makes a lot of people sit up and take notice. 

A top-of-the-table clash?

Newcastle United laid down a marker during their opening-day victory over Aston Villa. 

Eddie Howe’s men ran riot at St James’ Park against European hopefuls Villa, romping to a 5-1 win. Alexander Isak netted twice in a 5-1 win as the Magpies racked up the second-highest xG of the weekend (3.41). Newcastle’s high energy could pose a number of problems for Manchester City. 

The reigning champions picked up all three points against Burnley on Friday night and they did so at a canter. City looked back to their ruthless best with Erling Haaland scoring twice and Rodri running the show from midfield – he attempted over 100 passes and finished with a 97% success rate. The Spanish midfielder also chipped in with a goal and an assist. However, a long-term injury to Kevin De Bruyne could well nullify some of City’s attacking threat in the short-term and it is no wonder they’ve reportedly sped up the process to sign Lucas Paqueta. 

This has the potential to be one of the games of the season, though, and the outcome could go some way to determining what sort of campaigns these two sides have. 

Righting the wrongs of last weekend

There’s more than just three points at stake as Aston Villa host Everton this weekend. 

As we’ve mentioned above, Villa were rocked by a hungry Newcastle United side on Saturday evening. The heavy 5-1 loss also saw Unai Emery’s men lose Tyrone Mings to a long-term knee injury and the Villans are already without Emi Buendia. They are going to want to kick off their campaign at Villa Park with a good performance otherwise all of the pre-season excitement will have disappeared within two weeks. 

Good home form will be vital for a European push. 

Everton, by comparison, deserved better in their season opener against Fulham. The Toffees lost, at home, to Fulham in one of the most one-sided games witnessed at  Goodison for quite some time. Bernd Leno was in inspired form for the visitors, saving nine shots with an Expected Goals on Target total of over three. 

They need to build on the performance rather than the result and getting something away to a team tipped for a European place would be a big statement. However, this is a must not lose match for Sean Dyche’s men. They can’t kick off the campaign with back-to-back defeats. 

The Gunners under the microscope and under pressure

Mikel Arteta will want a better performance from his side this weekend as they travel to Crystal Palace. Arsenal controlled the ball against Forest but weren’t as threatening as they should’ve been. Both of their goals in the 2-1 win arrived as a result of individual brilliance rather than anything else and if a team becomes reliant on that it is a recipe for disaster. 

The loss of Jurrien Timber will be a blow, the summer signing had looked right at home playing as a left-back for the Gunners so it will be interesting to see how they adapt to that. 

Roy Hodgson will no doubt be looking at Odsonne Edouard again to put in yet another big performance. He scored the winner against Sheffield United and had seven shots during the game. The former Celtic man looked sharp and hungry. If he’s on it at Selhurst Park, he could cause the Arsenal defence some issues. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the Premier League live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.

The Premier League returned with a bang last weekend. Expectations have been altered, perceptions have been skewed and there is even pressure mounting on some teams, and we’re only two weeks into the new campaign. With this in mind, a look at five talking points for this round of fixtures. 

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

An early six-pointer

It is never too early to claim a match is a six-pointer, is it? Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United kick off matchday two on Friday night with both having suffered losses in their opening games. 

The Blades struggled against Crystal Palace. Paul Heckingbottom’s side managed just eight shots, created zero big chances and finished with an Expected Goals total of 0.51 in the 1-0 loss. They have added reinforcements this week with the arrivals of Gustavo Harmer and Tom Davies, but they are going to need an improved performance. 

Nottingham Forest, on the other hand, lost to Arsenal but caused one of the title favourites a lot of issues. They created more big chances (two to zero) and had a higher xG (1.18 to 0.83). Taiwo Awoniyi was only given 20 minutes at the Emirates but he scored the goal to give Forest a chance of salvaging something late on. Expect him to start what is a potential early six-pointer at the City Ground. After all, the No9 was key to their survival last season, he could be vital again. 

Ange-ball versus Ten Hag-ball

This is going to be an intriguing match-up. Both managers have a distinct style that they are famed for but only one of the teams managed to execute this during matchday one. Oddly enough, it wasn’t from the team who are one year into their project. 

United claimed victory over Wolves but it wasn’t pretty. Erik Ten Hag’s men, playing at Old Trafford, were out-shot (23 to 15) and finished with a lower xG (2.21 compared to the away side’s 2.35). 

The Red Devils were forced to take Lisandro Martinez off at half-time with an ankle injury, though his performance in the first half alone probably justified the early withdrawal. He was booked and won just two of his seven duels. 

By comparison, Spurs really caught the eye in their season opener against Brentford. They may have only managed a 2-2 draw but there were real signs that the players understood their new roles within Ange Postecoglou’s system. Yves Bissouma and Emerson Royal caught the eye in their new roles, with both attempting over 100 passes in the game. The latter even scored the equaliser. 

If the hosts are able to impose themselves onto Manchester United, it will be a statement performance that makes a lot of people sit up and take notice. 

A top-of-the-table clash?

Newcastle United laid down a marker during their opening-day victory over Aston Villa. 

Eddie Howe’s men ran riot at St James’ Park against European hopefuls Villa, romping to a 5-1 win. Alexander Isak netted twice in a 5-1 win as the Magpies racked up the second-highest xG of the weekend (3.41). Newcastle’s high energy could pose a number of problems for Manchester City. 

The reigning champions picked up all three points against Burnley on Friday night and they did so at a canter. City looked back to their ruthless best with Erling Haaland scoring twice and Rodri running the show from midfield – he attempted over 100 passes and finished with a 97% success rate. The Spanish midfielder also chipped in with a goal and an assist. However, a long-term injury to Kevin De Bruyne could well nullify some of City’s attacking threat in the short-term and it is no wonder they’ve reportedly sped up the process to sign Lucas Paqueta. 

This has the potential to be one of the games of the season, though, and the outcome could go some way to determining what sort of campaigns these two sides have. 

Righting the wrongs of last weekend

There’s more than just three points at stake as Aston Villa host Everton this weekend. 

As we’ve mentioned above, Villa were rocked by a hungry Newcastle United side on Saturday evening. The heavy 5-1 loss also saw Unai Emery’s men lose Tyrone Mings to a long-term knee injury and the Villans are already without Emi Buendia. They are going to want to kick off their campaign at Villa Park with a good performance otherwise all of the pre-season excitement will have disappeared within two weeks. 

Good home form will be vital for a European push. 

Everton, by comparison, deserved better in their season opener against Fulham. The Toffees lost, at home, to Fulham in one of the most one-sided games witnessed at  Goodison for quite some time. Bernd Leno was in inspired form for the visitors, saving nine shots with an Expected Goals on Target total of over three. 

They need to build on the performance rather than the result and getting something away to a team tipped for a European place would be a big statement. However, this is a must not lose match for Sean Dyche’s men. They can’t kick off the campaign with back-to-back defeats. 

The Gunners under the microscope and under pressure

Mikel Arteta will want a better performance from his side this weekend as they travel to Crystal Palace. Arsenal controlled the ball against Forest but weren’t as threatening as they should’ve been. Both of their goals in the 2-1 win arrived as a result of individual brilliance rather than anything else and if a team becomes reliant on that it is a recipe for disaster. 

The loss of Jurrien Timber will be a blow, the summer signing had looked right at home playing as a left-back for the Gunners so it will be interesting to see how they adapt to that. 

Roy Hodgson will no doubt be looking at Odsonne Edouard again to put in yet another big performance. He scored the winner against Sheffield United and had seven shots during the game. The former Celtic man looked sharp and hungry. If he’s on it at Selhurst Park, he could cause the Arsenal defence some issues. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the Premier League live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.

In this new weekly feature, we’re going to be taking a look at the Premier League Team of the Week based on our very own FotMob ratings. For continuity, it will always be a 4-3-3 system and we may, at times, get a little creative with positions. But here’s the TOTW for week one of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign. 

By Sam McGuire, Premier League expert

Goalkeeper: Bernd Leno

The Fulham shot-stopper single-handedly kept his team in the game against Everton and, in the end, Marco Silva’s men netted what was an undeserved winner to kick off their season with a win away at Goodison Park. Leno made nine saves and these efforts had an Expected Goals on Target total of 3.31. It will go down as one of the goalkeeping performances of the season and we’re only in week one. 

Right-back: Emerson Royal 

To the disappointment of many Fantasy Football players, Pedro Porro was benched for Tottenham’s trip to Brentford. Ange Postecoglou opted to use Emerson Royal in a new inverted full-back position and it paid off. The 24-year-old was heavily involved and only Yves Bissouma (116) attempted more passes for Spurs on the day (106). The Spurs No12 found a teammate 91% of the time and scored an unlikely equaliser to cap off a standout showing. 

Centre-back: Axel Disasi

As far as debuts go, Disasi had a pretty good one for Chelsea. The summer signing started as one of the three centre-backs for Mauricio Pochettino’s men and he immediately made himself at home. The former Monaco man was heavily involved, attempting 97 passes, while also winning 100% of his ground and aerial duels. The 25-year-old also scored the equaliser to really endear himself to the Stamford Bridge faithful. 

Centre-back: Joachim Andersen

The 27-year-old put in a monstrous performance for Crystal Palace as they claimed a 1-0 win over Sheffield United. Andersen completed 93% of the 84 passes he attempted, he completed 100% of his dribbles and found a teammate with 10 of the 12 long passes he tried. The Palace No16 made five headed clearances, won 80% of his headed duels and 75% of his ground duels as he played a significant role in Roy Hodgson’s men keeping a clean sheet. 

Left-back: Pervis Estupinan 

Brighton’s left-back was a real attacking menace against Luton. The 25-year-old ran riot down the left flank and chipped in with an assist having created six chances in the 4-1 win. He also landed 100% of his efforts on target and completed all of his attempted dribbles. The Ecudoar international also won 100% of his tackles and recovered the ball on six occasions to round out an impressive overall showing. 

Centre-midfield: Pascal Gross

Estupinan’s teammate, Pascal Gross also makes the cut. The versatile German was used in midfield following the sale of Alexis Mac Allister and the absence of Moises Caicedo. He created six chances and completed 90% of his passes on the day. The 32-year-old also won  80% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels in what was a fairly dominant performance in the middle of the park. 

Centre-midfield: James Maddison 

There was a lot of pressure on Maddison. Following the sale of Harry Kane, he was given the No10 jersey and  Postecoglou trusted him to be the creative hub for his new-look Spurs side. He certainly responded, creating six chances and finishing the game with two assists. Maddison worked the goalkeeper twice and finished with a pass success rate of 89% while also involving himself in 11 duels. It was an eye-catching debut from the new Tottenham talisman. 

Centre-midfield: Rodri 

The 27-year-old just seems to be improving with every game. Against Burnley, the midfielder assisted and scored. He attempted 110 passes and completed 97%, while also finishing the game with four shots on the Burnley goal. Rodri won six of his nine duels and recovered the ball on eight occasions in what is quickly becoming a standard performance for the Spain international. 

Centre-Forward: Erling Haaland

What can you say about Haaland? He is just utterly ruthless, isn’t he? The City No9 had four shots, scored twice and created two chances in the 3-0 win over Burnley. He attempted just 11 passes and managed to touch the ball on 22 occasions but he made his time on the ball count. It was quintessential Haaland. 

Centre-Forward: Alexander Isak

Isak went a little under the radar last season because of his injury and the form of Callum Wilson, but he was a serious goal threat for Newcastle United and he showcased that again in the 5-1 win over Aston Villa. On another day, he finishes with a hat-trick but he will just have to be content with the double he scored. If the 23-year-old stays injury free, he might be a rival to Haaland for the Golden Boot. 

Centre-Forward: Odsonne Edouard

The former Celtic man scored what turned out to be the winner for Crystal Palace against Sheffield United and you have to say it was deserved. The 25-year-old had seven shots on the day and created two chances. He finished with an expected Goals on Target total of 1.31. Edouard also completed two of his three attempted dribbles and won 11 of his 18 duels. 

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every match from the Premier League live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage and player ratings. Download the free app here.