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The Premier League is again – and so is Troy Deeney’s staff of the week.
Listed here are his decisions after the primary spherical of fixtures. Do you agree? Ship us your ideas utilizing the feedback kind on the backside of this web page.
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David Raya (Arsenal): Eight photographs saved towards Manchester United. The one right down to his left-hand facet was sensational – if that goes in, it adjustments the course of the sport. He’s going to be the inspiration for Arsenal.
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Rico Lewis (Manchester Metropolis): I’ve truly picked each full-backs from Manchester Metropolis. I assumed Lewis and Rayan Ait-Nouri have been glorious. They provided lots going ahead and have been defensively strong. Lewis provided that great help to Erling Haaland.
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Rayan Ait-Nouri (Manchester Metropolis): Ait-Nouri dealt with the sport excellently towards his previous membership. He was defensively strong and provided a load going ahead. They’ve managed to seek out that left-back answer, which they’ve struggled with for a very long time.
William Saliba (Arsenal): Saliba produced a strong efficiency towards Manchester United. A 1-0 win regardless of United clearly being the higher staff – Saliba is the rock of that defence. He did not put a foot flawed and confirmed his class once more. Arsenal should win one thing this season in the event that they wish to hold him.
Dan Ballard (Sunderland): I used to be there on the Championship semi-final when he scored the aim to get them into the ultimate, and he set the place alight. I can solely think about how he’s feeling after his first Premier League aim. The place can have erupted and he was glorious for that.
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Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United): In holding midfield, Ampadu was glorious. He had a extremely nasty deal with, and it seemed like he might have accomplished injury to his ankle, however he was glorious. He confirmed the armband, headed every thing, tackled every thing, and was actually aggressive in his passing forwards – he was the catalyst for Leeds to go on to win.
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Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest): Subsequent to Ampadu is Anderson. That via ball alone will get him within the staff. He has grow to be an out of doors horse for being within the England squad for the World Cup. We thought final yr might have been a little bit of a fluke with Forest, however he was the driving drive towards Brentford. That go via to Chris Wooden was completely weighted and plenty of gamers would have rushed and tried to kick the ball away, however he performed the go.
Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester Metropolis): Reijnders produced the most effective efficiency of the weekend. Lots of people would not know a lot about him if they do not watch Serie A, however he was unbelievable for AC Milan. He is naturally a quantity 10 and was requested by Pep to play a bit bit deeper, and I assumed he was glorious. His flick for Lewis confirmed his high quality and his left-right contact when he beat two gamers confirmed he couldn’t solely take care of the physicality, however that he has that creativity. His end was simply beautiful – to only go it into the nook.
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Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham): Up entrance, Kudus was glorious for Spurs on that proper facet. He simply appears to be like like he had a brand new lease of life. He has gone right into a Spurs staff that wants him to play nicely and he appears to be like like he’ll develop exceptionally with this staff.
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Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth): Semenyo scored two objectives for Bournemouth, and he was the right instance for a younger participant – or any participant usually – when there’s one thing detrimental or some adversity in direction of you. , however then he grew in stature and that was a real mark of the person. He scored two objectives and sadly wasn’t on the successful staff, however he was a winner for a way he dealt with it.
Richarlison (Tottenham): Within the center I might have gone for Wooden (Nottingham Forest) however selected to not, and I might have gone for Haaland (Manchester Metropolis) however I selected to not. I selected to go together with Richarlison at Tottenham. He has had a extremely robust begin with accidents, however Thomas Frank determined to start out with him over Dominic Solanke and Richarlison repaid him with two great objectives. Actually good link-up play, nice operating in behind. It is a World Cup yr and that might be the catalyst for him to actually kick on.
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Regis le Bris (Sunderland): Glorious, glorious efficiency. I believe he has been actually robust within the switch window and he has obtained so many individuals on board. The gameplan towards West Ham was unbelievable, very pragmatic. An enormous win.
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Opta’s gamers of the week
Richarlison
Final season was a troublesome one for Richarlison at Spurs, lacking lengthy intervals with damage. He has hit the bottom operating in 2025-26, although it was time spent off the bottom that was most spectacular about his opening day towards Burnley – scoring an outstanding bicycle kick, one in every of two objectives he netted on Saturday.
It was the Brazilian’s first Premier League double since scoring two towards former facet Everton in February 2024, whereas he is the primary Spurs participant to attain two on opening day since Harry Kane in 2019-20 – a season Kane ended with 18 Premier League objectives. The identical for Richarlison in 2025-26 could be very nicely obtained by Spurs supporters. Simply eight extra doubles to go…
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Tijjani Reijnders
It was an extremely spectacular debut for midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, who turned the primary participant to attain and help on his Premier League debut whereas enjoying for Manchester Metropolis since Sergio Aguero in August 2011. Maybe surprisingly, it is solely the second time in 179 top-flight appearances in his profession that he is achieved that feat.
Solely Erling Haaland had each extra photographs and extra touches within the opposition field towards Wolves than Reijnders (3 photographs, 5 touches in field), whereas solely Nico Gonzalez made extra profitable last third passes than the Dutchman (20). A standout debut to construct on – and no Metropolis participant has ever scored and assisted in every of their first two appearances earlier than.
Virgil van Dijk
Reigning champions Liverpool obtained their season off to a successful begin towards Bournemouth and – in a recreation they scored 4 objectives – their standout participant was captain Virgil van Dijk.
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In what was his 235th Premier League look for the membership, Van Dijk posted his finest totals for each clearances (17) and headed clearances (14), and his joint-best for aerial duels gained (12). He was the primary participant to publish all these totals in a single Premier League match since Jan Vertonghen in December 2016, and the one Liverpool participant Opta has on report to take action.
He could have turned 34 over the summer season, however Van Dijk remains to be a colossus for the Reds.
Do you agree with Troy’s alternatives? Who could be in your Workforce of the Week? Have your say utilizing the feedback kind beneath: