Gameweek three of the 2021-22 Premier League season has drawn to a close, with packed stadiums up and down the country once again being treated to an electric weekend of football.
Defending champions Manchester City claimed their second successive 5-0 home victory over another lacklustre Arsenal outfit, while Manchester United - buoyed by the news of Cristiano Ronaldo's imminent return - scraped a 1-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The blockbuster clash between Liverpool and Chelsea saw the points shared in an entertaining yet controversial 1-1 draw, while Tottenham Hotspur's perfect start to the season continued with a 1-0 success over Watford.
Elsewhere, there were wins for Leicester City and Everton over Norwich City and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively, Burnley and Leeds United played out a 1-1 draw, as did Aston Villa and Brentford, while two four-goal thrillers between Newcastle United, Southampton, West Ham United and Crystal Palace also saw the spoils shared.
With star performers on show throughout the weekend, Sports Mole selects its Team of the Week for gameweek three of the Premier League season.
DEFENCE
© Reuters
Taking advantage of Dean Henderson's enforced absence, David de Gea's message was received loud and clear by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who truly had his goalkeeper to thank for the record-breaking unbeaten run. With a total of five saves on the day - including a spectacular double save to keep out Romain Saiss's efforts, De Gea has certainly proved why he should retain the gloves.
While De Gea continues to prove his worth after 10 years, alongside the Spaniard is new blood at Man United who has made an immediate impression. Raphael Varane and his side were under the cosh for large portions of their clash with Wolves, but the former Real Madrid man stood firm with five clearances, three aerial duels won while also providing the assist for Mason Greenwood's winner. The other centre-back spot is filled by Everton's Michael Keane, who stood out against Brighton with five interceptions, four tackles and two blocked shots during a monumental display.
Whether he plays as part of Thomas Tuchel's resolute back three or is bombing down the right-hand side, Cesar Azpilicueta will always put in a shift for the Blues. The experienced Spaniard was forced to marshal a 10-man team after Reece James's controversial red card, but with nine clearances, six tackles and three interceptions, Chelsea would not have travelled home with a point without him. Our defence is completed by Tottenham mainstay Sergio Reguilon, who finished a stellar performance against Watford with four tackles, three interceptions and most importantly, another clean sheet.
MIDFIELD
© Reuters
Mikel Arteta may have masterminded a rare victory over Manchester City in the 2019-20 FA Cup, but on a day where nothing went right for Arsenal, everything did for the champions. Playing in a more advanced role but shifted out to the right in our XI, Ferran Torres sought to quell the misfortune of missing out on Cristiano Ronaldo by bagging a brace and assisting another against the Gunners, although he was helped by some shambolic visiting defending.
Torres's assist was for a beautiful effort from midfield lynchpin Rodri, who notched up City's fourth on the day with a stunning first-time curler while also winning five ground duels and registering a phenomenal 96% pass accuracy. The other central midfield spot belongs to Conor Gallagher, who twice pulled Palace back against West Ham to end their opponents' perfect start, and his second effort was a thing of beauty, turning away from Craig Dawson before firing home to silence the London Stadium crowd.
While Harry Kane's confirmation that he would be staying may represent the biggest attacking story out of Tottenham right now, Son Heung-min sought to grab his own headlines and was once again Spurs' saviour in a 1-0 success. There was certainly a huge element of fortune about his free kick - which evaded everyone before trickling into the back of the net - but the South Korean continues to demonstrate why life without Kane may not have been so bad after all.
ATTACK
© Reuters
Age has never been anything other than a number for Leicester stalwart Jamie Vardy, with the 34-year-old having a hand in both of his side's goals against Norwich - finding space in the box to hit an eighth-minute opener before laying the ball on a plate for Marc Albrighton to net the winner - and the former England international continues to win the hearts of the Foxes faithful.
The pressure of emulating Sergio Aguero would be too heavy for many strikers to handle, but Gabriel Jesus - relishing his new-found freedom out wide - has made a positive impression already in the new season. Firstly providing a pinpoint cross for Ilkay Gundogan to head home the opener, the Brazilian was in the right place at the right time to meet Jack Grealish's pass and tap home City's third, in spite of a wave of red shirts surrounding him.
SPORTS MOLE'S PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Premier League team of the week (4-4-2): De Gea; Azpilicueta, Varane, Keane, Reguilon; Torres, Gallagher, Rodri, Son; Vardy, Jesus
