TEAM: MANCHESTER CITY
Although it seems Palace are not what they were last season, and there were several good performances this week, not many teams will go to Selhurst Park and be this comfortable.
Even for a dominant team like City, who didn’t have it all their way, but when they got into their stride, there was no stopping them with four goals, and it could have been more.
Well done to Hull City. Newcastle. Arsenal. Man Utd. Sunderland and Chelsea.
GOALKEEPER: KOSTANTINOS TZOLAKIS
The Hull keeper more than played his part in his team’s second straight win back in the Premier League, earning a clean sheet.
Although the defenders in front of him did very well to keep the shots down, when Coventry did get a chance, he made two excellent saves to help earn the impressive away win.
Shout out to Leeds’ Trafford. Everton’s Pickford. Newcastle’s Hornicek. Bournemouth’s Petrovic and Brentford’s Kelleher.
DEFENDER: NORDI MUKIELE (Sunderland)
The Sunderland man performed admirably last season as a full-back, but this season he has transitioned to centre-back to good effect.
It is not easy, but he has made the transition look easy with another superb performance, and started the move that brought the only goal and the winner of the game. He was the standout in a defence that reduced Fulham to no shots on goal.
Well done to his teammates Mueller and Ballard. Everton’s Tarkowski. Newcastle duo Hall & Dedic. Man Utd’s Maguire. Arsenal’s Calafiori.
Man City duo Guehi & Dias. Brentford’s Lewis-Potter. Bournemouth’s Hill. Hull trio Ajayi, Egan and Mendy and Leeds’ Muharemovic.
MIDFIELDER: BRUNO FERNANDES (Man Utd)
Manchester United’s modern-day talisman, go-to man, leader and all-around everything, continued where he left off last season, winning the player of the season award.
He notched a superb hat-trick. His first was a great finish at a pivotal time to equalise, then went from strength to strength, scoring two more and even had time to assist the fifth goal.
Shout out also to his teammate Mainoo. Man City trio Cherki, Foden and Semenyo. Newcastle’s Elanga. Hull City duo Miller & Belloumi. Bournemouth’s Scott. Chelsea foursome Palmer, Neto, Rogers & Lavia. Liverpool’s Munoz
Forest trio Gibbs-White, Williams & Schalager. Arsenal’s Rice. Ipswich duo Enciso & Fatawu. Sunderland duo Diarra & Xhaka. Brighton duo Gross & Yalcouye.
FORWARD: ERLING HAALAND (Man City)
Although we shouldn’t really be surprised, despite his week one blank, I am sure he was happy to travel to Selhurst Park in week two, a ground where he has a great scoring record.
The Norwegian opened his account for the season with a lovely looping header, then finished the scoring in the second half with a typical powerful and clinical finish at the near post to continue his superb record.
Well done to Chelsea’s Joao Pedro. Newcastle’s Wissa. Arsenal’s Saka. Brentford’s Schade. Leeds’ Calvert-Lewin. Man Utd’s Mbeumo. Liverpool’s Gakpo. Bournemouth’s Evanilson. Sunderland’s Isidor. Notts Forest’s Ndoye.
MANAGER: SERGEJ JAKIROVIC (Hull City)
There were a few managers in the running for this, but to be a newly promoted team to start the season with two wins is superb.
Not conceding a goal in the two games will please him even more. Against last season’s runaway Championship winners, they were tactically superior, staying defensively solid and eventually snatching a breakaway goal to win it.
Shout out also to Man City’s Maresca. Man Utd’s Carrick. Sunderland’s Le Bris and Chelsea’s Alonso.
UNSUNG HERO: JAMES TARKOWSKI (Everton)
I had to debate long and hard about this one as it was a close two-horse race, but in the end I gave it to the Everton defender who salvaged a point for his team.
Not only did he do as much as he could defensively to keep the score to just one after conceding in the first half. But in stoppage time, he clinched a draw with a superb finish any forward would have been proud of.
Well done to Man City’s Cherki, who was close to winning this. Sunderland’s Isidor. Leeds’ Trafford. Brighton’s Gross. Newcastle duo Elanga & Wissa. Also, Liverpool’s Munoz.
GAME: CHELSEA 4-3 FULHAM
Chelsea raced into an impressive three-goal lead in the first half through Lavia (4), following a mistake by the goalkeeper. Neto (14) added a second after exploiting some lax defending, and Joao Pedro (32) scored the third with a neat finish.
Brighton pulled a goal back with a superb volley from Yalcouye (34). Then a second when Goss’ shot went in off Joao Pedro (63). However, Palmer restored Chelsea’s two-goal lead (74), before Fulham got another consolation with a lovely header from Gross (90+6).
GOAL: RAYAN CHERKI (Man City) vs Crystal Palace
After an uninspiring first half, he looked determined in the 54th minute. He picked up the ball on the edge of the box, dead centre, with about four defenders in front.
He glided to his right, weaved his way past three defenders, then used his strength, skill and balance to evade one more. Just when you thought he was losing the ball, he composed himself and passed the ball into the far bottom corner with his left foot.
FOOL: TOTTENHAM
After finishing 17th two years in a row and now spending nearly £400m on several players, Spurs are anticipating a better season.
However, their start to the season suggests nothing has changed, with a demoralising 3-0 defeat last week and a humbling 2-0 loss at home this week. Now the pressure is already well and truly on for De Zerbi and his boys. FOOLS!
