The Premier League has returned, and so has Troy Deeney’s team of the week.
Here are his selections following the initial round of fixtures. Do you concur? Share your opinions using the comments section at the bottom of this page.
David Raya (Arsenal): He made eight saves against Manchester United. The one diving to his left was exceptional – had that gone in, it would have altered the game’s trajectory. He’s poised to be a cornerstone for Arsenal.
Rico Lewis (Manchester City): I’ve actually selected both full-backs from Manchester City. I felt Lewis and Rayan Ait-Nouri were outstanding. They contributed significantly in attack and were defensively sound. Lewis provided that excellent assist for Erling Haaland.
Rayan Ait-Nouri (Manchester City): Ait-Nouri managed the game brilliantly against his former club. He was defensively secure and offered a great deal going forward. They seem to have found a solution at left-back, a position they’ve struggled with for quite some time.
William Saliba (Arsenal): Saliba delivered a robust performance against Manchester United. Securing a 1-0 victory despite United appearing to be the stronger side underscores that Saliba is the bedrock of that defense. He was faultless and displayed his quality once more. Arsenal need to achieve success this season if they want to retain his services.
Dan Ballard (Sunderland): I was present at the Championship semi-final when he scored the goal that propelled them into the final, and he ignited the atmosphere. I can only imagine his emotions after scoring his first Premier League goal. The stadium must have erupted, and he was excellent overall.
Ethan Ampadu (Leeds United): In the holding midfield role, Ampadu was superb. He executed a particularly fierce tackle, and it seemed he might have injured his ankle, but he was exceptional. He epitomized leadership, winning headers, making tackles, and displaying aggressive forward passing – he was the catalyst for Leeds’ victory.
Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest): Alongside Ampadu is Anderson. That through ball alone merits his inclusion in the team. He’s emerging as a dark horse for a potential England squad place for the World Cup. While some might have considered Forest’s performance last year a fluke, he was the driving force against Brentford. The pass to Chris Wood was perfectly weighted; many players would have rushed and cleared the ball, but he executed the pass flawlessly.
Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City): Reijnders delivered the standout performance of the weekend. Many unfamiliar with Serie A might not know much about him, but he was fantastic for AC Milan. Pep asked him to play slightly deeper than his natural number 10 position, and I thought he excelled. His flick for Lewis showcased his quality, and his deft touch to evade two players highlighted not only his physical resilience but also his creativity. His finish was exquisite – simply passing it into the corner.
Mohammed Kudus (Tottenham): Up front, Kudus was excellent for Spurs on the right flank. He appears rejuvenated. He’s joined a Spurs team that needs him to perform well, and it seems he’ll thrive exceptionally within this setup.
Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth): Semenyo scored twice for Bournemouth, and he served as an exemplary model for young players – or any player, for that matter – when confronted with negativity or adversity. He brought the situation to the referee’s attention, and subsequently, his stature grew, demonstrating true character. He scored two goals and, unfortunately, wasn’t on the winning team, but his conduct made him a winner.
Richarlison (Tottenham): In the central role, I could have opted for Wood (Nottingham Forest) but chose not to, and I could have selected Haaland (Manchester City) but decided against it. I chose to go with Richarlison at Tottenham. He endured a challenging start due to injuries, but Thomas Frank decided to start him over Dominic Solanke, and Richarlison rewarded him with two wonderful goals. His link-up play was exceptional, and his runs in behind were excellent. It’s a World Cup year, and this could be the catalyst for him to truly excel.
Regis le Bris (Sunderland): Excellent, truly excellent performance. I believe he’s been remarkably astute in the transfer window, bringing in a wealth of talent. The game plan against West Ham was fantastic, very pragmatic. A significant victory.
Richarlison
Last season was a difficult one for Richarlison at Spurs, missing long periods with injury. He has hit the ground running in 2025-26, though it was time spent off the ground that was most impressive about his opening day against Burnley – scoring a superb bicycle kick, one of two goals he netted on Saturday.
It was the Brazilian’s first Premier League double since scoring two against former side Everton in February 2024, while he’s the first Spurs player to score two on opening day since Harry Kane in 2019-20 – a season Kane ended with 18 Premier League goals. The same for Richarlison in 2025-26 would be very well received by Spurs supporters. Just eight more doubles to go…
Tijjani Reijnders
It was an incredibly impressive debut for midfielder Tijjani Reijnders, who became the first player to score and assist on his Premier League debut while playing for Manchester City since Sergio Aguero in August 2011. Perhaps surprisingly, it’s only the second time in 179 top-flight appearances in his career that he’s achieved that feat.
Only Erling Haaland had both more shots and more touches in the opposition box against Wolves than Reijnders (3 shots, 5 touches in box), while only Nico Gonzalez made more successful final third passes than the Dutchman (20). A standout debut to build on – and no City player has ever scored and assisted in each of their first two appearances before.
Virgil van Dijk
Reigning champions Liverpool got their season off to a winning start against Bournemouth and – in a game they scored four goals – their standout player was captain Virgil van Dijk.
In what was his 235th Premier League appearance for the club, Van Dijk posted his best totals for both clearances (17) and headed clearances (14), and his joint-best for aerial duels won (12). He was the first player to post all those totals in a single Premier League match since Jan Vertonghen in December 2016, and the only Liverpool player Opta has on record to do so.
He may have turned 34 over the summer, but Van Dijk is still a colossus for the Reds.
Do you agree with Troy’s selections? Who would be in your Team of the Week? Have your say using the comments form below:
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