Premier League’s opening day best XI – Who joins Bruno and Pogba in the team?

Were you wishing for an abundance of goals this weekend past? Were expecting spine-tingling crowd cheers and chants? Were you filled with heartache and disappointment or with renewed hope that this could be the season your club goes all the way to the top?

All of the abovementioned was present over the weekend, no doubt – and the Premier League did not disappoint in delivering a boatload of goals, uncontainable spine-tingling moments, and assurance that your team is here to compete.

The weekend also did signal a cause for concern for some, but all in all, it was the perfect welcome back party for all to enjoy, home and away, live or at home – club football is back!

Premier League Matchday 1 stats

• Number of games won – 10 Games
• Number of games lost – 10 Games
• Number of games drawn – 0 Games
• Goals scored – 34 Goals scored
• Clean sheets – 5 Clean sheet

Premier League goal of the weekend – Chalobah

How do we know Matchday 1 was one for the books? By the number of contenders for goal of the weekend. But honestly, there can only be one winner and that’s young Chalobah who unleashed the strike that shook the Bridge!

The moment, the meaning, the inch-perfect aim to find the bottom left-hand 90 – a hit a striker would be proud of. Trevoh Chalobah takes this week’s accolade for the best goal scored.

After the first weekend went by as quickly as a single 90 minutes of football, the Premier League table standings give us a view similar to that of the 90s. Why? Because Manchester United are top the table following an emphatic 5-1 victory over rivals Leeds United.

Honestly, picking the best XI becomes a challenging task when so many games enjoyed so much individual brilliance. It was a day to remember and we should have known from the opening fixture when the Bees from London stung the Gunners for their first-ever EPL win.

Best team of Matchday 1 in the EPL: 4-3-3 Formation

Goalkeeper – Hugo Lloris
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Manchester City

The goalkeeper who can be either terribly poor or tremendously formidable, Hugo Lloris came with the latter Super Sunday past and impressed us all in Spurs’ victory. The man with the most saves after Matchday 1 with four saves and a clean sheet to deny the £300m+ Manchester City.

Defender – Marcos Alonso
Chelsea 3-0 Crystal Palace

The fight for the best fullback continues at the beginning of the 2021/22 campaign, and back in the mix is free-kick specialist Marcos Alonso. The Spaniard opened Chelsea’s account in the most Alonso way possible, from a dead-ball situation.

Besides the attacking threat we know him to possess, he was also part of the reason for the clean sheet kept and a marvellous display that totally nullified their opponents.

All English Premier League

Defender – Trevoh Chalobah
Chelsea 3-0 Crystal Palace

A debut goal at 22 years old while playing for the club you’ve been at since eight; I guess there is no better start to life as a professional footballer. Trevoh Chalobah scored arguably the best goal of the weekend.

He has been outstanding for Thomas Tuchel in the preseason and now at the start of the EPL. He has been so good, it’s been difficult for the manager to leave him out of the starting XI.

Defender – Ethan Pinnock
Brentford 2-0 Arsenal

An assist that helped generate the upset of the weekend and was the ball that set up the first goal of the season. Ethan Pinnock and his teammates had everybody asking, “what London team here in this Friday Night fixture is from the Championship?”.

Defender – Ricardo Pereira
Leicester City 1-0 Wolves

An assist for Jamie Vardy to score the only goal of the game at King Power Stadium and get the “Vardy Party” going. It wasn’t just the setup but the buildup to get himself free on the flank – beating his marker seamlessly – then putting the ball close enough for the vet Vardy to jump on and claim three points with a clean sheet kept.

Midfielder – Paul Pogba
Manchester United 5-1 Leeds United

Four assists! That’s it. That is the reason the Frenchman makes TTF’s team of the weekend. He becomes only the seventh player in EPL history to assist four goals in a single top-flight game. Respect!

Midfielder – Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United 5-1 Leeds United

The magnifico Portuguese waited on nobody and got straight to work at Old Trafford in the early kick-off on Saturday afternoon. He recorded a hat-trick against Leeds and was the only player to do so on the Premier League opening day. Also, his goals scored, not one of them was from the spot.

Midfielder – Said Benrahma
West Ham United 2-4 Newcastle United

Benrahma silenced his critics with one of his best performances to date in the EPL, if not, his best. Making his goal and assist on the day even more special, he did it while playing as a number 10 for the first time for the Hammers.

Forward – Michail Antonio
West Ham United 2-4 Newcastle United

Like his Hammer partner, he was involved in everything going forward and on goal, Michail Antonio was also involved in two of West Ham’s four goals with a goal scored and one created, helping complete the strong comeback against Steve Bruce’s men.

Forward – Richarlison
Everton 3-1 Southampton

Richarlison has carried his Olympic form over to Goodison Park and helped the Blues collect their first win of the season and under Rafa. Involved in almost everything, Richarlison garnered a goal, an assist and sadly, a yellow card – the only thing to be disappointed about for the Olympic gold medalist.

Forward – Mohamed Salah
Norwich City 0-3 Liverpool

The only player in Premier League history to score on Matchday 1 five years in a row. Salah was at the forefront of almost every Liverpool attack. He recorded two assists and a goal in their victory over Norwich City while he continues to silence those who called him a one-season wonder.

Manager of the weekend: Thomas Frank – Brentford
Brentford 2-0 Arsenal

The man that they predicted would not only lose his first English top-flight match since Brentford’s last showing back in 1947 but that would also be relegated when the season ends, has just proved they can match any team on the day and that they are a mini force to be reckoned with.

Honourable mentions

Liverpool – Alisson Becker

Yes, Liverpool’s Alisson Becker deserves a shout, pulling off a masterful triple save to help secure the Reds first clean sheet of the season.

Brighton – Shane Duffy

He racked up the most headed clearances and the second-most clearance in their 1-2 win over Burnley at Turf Moor.

Brentford – Sergi Canós

Scored the opening goal of the weekend and the season. He also made the most tackles in the game and the league with seven. He was a live wire and ever-present in their surprise win in their inauguration into the Premier League.