The opening weekend of the Premier League season concluded on Monday night as Chelsea’s new-look attack lit up a not-so-fierce West London Derby.
A division defined by attrition and set-pieces last season has seemed to rediscover its verve at the start of a campaign poised to be defined by its unpredictability off the back of a hectic World Cup, including far too many managerial changes.
There were bloody ’Big Six’ noses and a plethora of standout individual performances as the Premier League celebrated its return.
Here’s Sports Illustrated’s Team of the Week for Gameweek 1.
GK: Jordan Pickford (Everton)
Everton eventually cruised to a 2–0 defeat of Crystal Palace on Merseyside, but things could’ve been a whole lot different had the visitors cashed in on their bright start.
A combination of poor finishing and the work of England’s No. 1 defied them, with Jordan Pickford making a particularly outstanding save to prevent Eddie Nketiah from opening the scoring. The stop was reminiscent of Alisson’s expert fingertip denial of a crisp Dele Alli finish during Liverpool’s 2–2 draw at Tottenham Hotspur in December 2021.
Only Newcastle United debutant Lukáš Horniček prevented more goals (1.0) than Pickford (0.9) on the opening weekend.
RB: Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton)
Okay, we’re cheating a bit here and following Troy Deeney’s lead, which isn’t always wise.
Maxim De Cuyper is a versatile fullback who was used in a much more advanced role in Brighton & Hove Albion’s battering of Aston Villa. The Seagulls were four goals to the good with barely a half-hour played, and De Cuyper’s energy proved a real nuisance for the underprepared visitors.
De Cuyper’s clever work directly led to Victor Lindelöf’s own goal, which put the hosts ahead, then he crashed the box like a veteran poacher to double Brighton’s advantage.
The Belgian international was the Fantasy Premier League’s Player of the Week, with his contributions leading to a 17-point haul.
CB: Nobel Mendy (Hull City)
It was the dream Premier League debut for Nobel Mendy, whose Hull City team entered the season expected to toil.
Their opener against Manchester United certainly didn’t follow the script, with the Tigers “mauling” their visitors from set-pieces. Mendy was among the beneficiaries, with the imposing centerback flicking home a wicked Regan Slater free-kick.
Tasked with maintaining a two-goal advantage, Mendy responded by finishing the Saturday lunchtime bout with 12 clearances.
CB: Joško Gvardiol (Man City)
Enzo Maresca’s Man City were shapeshifting in their opening fixture against Bournemouth, with the Cherries struggling to cope with the hosts’ positional fluidity but also exposing a structure that failed to offer City’s defense the necessary protection.
After some early struggles, Gvardiol eventually proved decisive in the Bournemouth box.
The defender, who showcased his attacking competence during the back-end of City’s title-winning 2023–24 season, moved like a center forward to get on the receiving end of Rayan Cherki’s cute pass, before finishing calmly beyond Đorđe Petrović. Ruled offside on-field, replays showed Gvardiol had timed his run to perfection.
LB: Keane Lewis-Potter (Brentford)
Keane Lewis-Potter scored 25 Championship goals during his final two seasons at Hull City, so it shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise when the converted winger converts chances with the conviction with which he did on Saturday.
In truth, the leftback would’ve done well to miss what was a glorious opening from close range.
Still, the early goal set the tone for an effusive performance from the Brentford man, who was a leading contributor in the Bees’ bullying of Tottenham Hotspur.
CM: Jack Hinshelwood (Brighton)
A jersey swap from No. 13 to No. 8 tells you everything about what Brighton & Hove Albion think of Jack Hinshelwood. The young Englishman is going to play a huge role for the Seagulls this season, and he started off strongly, notching a brace in the beatdown of Villa.
Hinshelwood was the beneficiary of some woeful Villa build-up play and João Gomes’s nightmare debut, but nonetheless dispatched his chances with aplomb.
Having spent much of his Premier League career operating as a Swiss Army knife, the 21-year-old is ready to establish himself as a star in the middle of the park.
CM: Mamadou Sangaré (Brentford)
While the Premier League’s elite turned to those familiar with the division in a bid to improve their midfields, Brentford capitalized on what will likely prove to be an expensive oversight.
The Bees still had to pay a club-record fee to sign Mamadou Sangaré from a Lens team that competed fiercely for the Ligue 1 title last season.
The 24-year-old’s all-action nature came to the fore on his Premier League debut, completely overwhelming his Lilywhite counterparts in West London. Sangaré teed up Lewis-Potter’s opener with a sharp give-and-go and unleashed the shot that led to Brentford’s third at the start of the second half.
AM: Yoane Wissa (Newcastle)
Yoane Wissa is primed for a resurgence at the start of a new era for Newcastle United.
His debut season on Tyneside returned just five goal contributions across all competitions, including one Premier League goal in 19 outings.
Wissa wasn’t on the scoresheet against Liverpool, but he was the driving force behind the Magpies’ hugely encouraging display. The hosts dominated the Reds in transition, and it was Wissa’s brilliant work on halfway that led to Joe Willock’s go-ahead goal after Cody Gakpo drew Liverpool level.
RW: Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
After spending the summer barely watching the World Cup at home, Cole Palmer is back to dazzling Premier League defenses and toppling Chasers.
Dogged by a groin issue last season, Palmer is pain-free at the start of the new season and was chomping at the bit to team-up with an aptly-named Chelsea attacking trio.
“JP Morgan” look primed to take the division by storm, with Palmer’s impish brilliance coming to the fore at Craven Cottage. When he’s in this sort of mood, there are few in world soccer more captivating.
His evening ended with a goal and an assist in the Blues’ 3–2 defeat of their local rivals.
ST: João Pedro (Chelsea)
No Premier League player scored more goals in preseason than João Pedro, and Chelsea’s No. 9 barely took 30 seconds to open his account in 2026–27.
A sumptuous take and finish over Bernd Leno got the ball rolling, returning the favor for Palmer at the start of the second half.
The Brazilian is, without question, the best center forward in the Premier League not named Erling Haaland.
LW: Christos Tzolis (Arsenal)
There was no Bruno Guimarães for Arsenal on opening night, but another debutant delivered as the champions cruised to victory against Coventry City.
Christos Tzolis looks like he’s been a part of Mikel Arteta’s framework for years. The “Santorini Sánchez”, as some have labelled him, is a Leandro Trossard replacement and then some. Tzolis offers similar directness and decisiveness as the Belgian, but also boasts an extra yard of pace.
He’s always wanting to make something happen, and the goals will almost certainly come.
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