Premier League Team of the Week: Silva, Toure and Darmian Start Strong
Welcome to the first installment of B/R's Premier League Team of the Week series for 2015-16.
We analysed every game to pick out a star XI from the weekend's fixtures, choosing the best players to form a viable formation. Only the best players in each position from this week's action make the cut, leading to several tough decisions along the way.
The defence is extraordinarily strong, with four teams turning in heroic performances at tough venues, while Manchester City's dazzling attackers enter the fold after wowing in the West Midlands on Monday night.
Disagree with our selections? Hit us up in the comments section below to start the conversation.
GK: Adrian, West Ham
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Adrian had a brilliant 2014-15 season for West Ham, firmly shutting stalwart Jussi Jaaskelainen out of the XI and becoming part of the furniture at Upton Park. He's started 2015-16 in that same reliable, impressive fashion.
The Hammers came under an awful lot of pressure during their win against Arsenal, defending like Trojans and retreating deep into the box. Initially, the defensive line repelled every attempt, but as the hosts edged closer to goal, Adrian's services were called upon.
He made a number of good saves, claiming crosses well and hanging on to longer shots. At no point did he parry back into the danger zone; it was a clean, concise game from the Spaniard.
RB: Matteo Darmian, Manchester United
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B/R's Karl Matchett was extremely impressed with Manchester United debutant Matteo Darmian following their 1-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur:
"Comfortable in possession, quick to support play up the field and strong with his defensive work, Darmian looked a good fit for the team, offering balance going forward and tracking back, and he certainly warranted his starting spot."
Darmian's a known quantity; an Italy international who has started three FIFA World Cup games and impressed in Serie A due to his well-rounded, consistent game. He's started fast and will likely keep Antonio Valencia on the bench for the season ahead.
CB: Micah Richards, Aston Villa
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There were plenty of Aston Villa fans who were a little concerned about the state of the team's back line in pre-season, and quiet questions were being asked of Tim Sherwood's decision to trust Micah Richards in a central position so implicitly.
But the new arrival, who is also the man who wears the armband for the club on the field, wowed the away section at the Vitality Stadium with an awe-inspiring show of dominance and commitment to defending. He's swept away any lingering doubts about whether he can adjust from the flank to the middle.
He hoofed and headed every stray ball clear, getting enough power on his clearances to send the ball 30 yards from the box at times. He stepped out well, recovered and chased superbly, and led from the back.
Ciaran Clark was also superb on Saturday, but Richards just pips him to a spot in our XI.
CB: Angelo Ogbonna, West Ham
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Angelo Ogbonna landed in our winners' section after West Ham's win over Arsenal, and he lands in our Team of the Week, too.
The Italian made a bad career choice in 2013, swapping Torino for Juventus, instead of a team like Milan, and sitting on the bench rather than playing. He was in his nation's Euro 2012 squad as a reserve option, but he hasn't been anywhere close to that level since.
He hammered everything clear in this fixture, though, starting superbly for his new club. He's a fix-it job—he needs 10 games to re-find his level—but no one thought he'd come to the fore so quickly as a key player.
LB: Jordan Amavi, Aston Villa
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Jordan Amavi enjoyed a marvellous Premier League debut, contributing to a clean sheet and a 1-0 victory for Aston Villa at newcomers Bournemouth.
He was targeted early on and had to wrestle for control of the left flank with Matt Ritchie, pulling off a series of desperate and athletic blocks to stem the flow of the Cherries' attack. In the second half, though, he turned on the afterburners, attacking with venom and ripping Bournemouth to shreds at times.
His ridiculous, Jordi Alba-esque speed allowed him to make mincemeat of Ritchie and Simon Francis; they simply couldn't cope with his pace in space.
Villa haven't had a proper left-back since Wilfred Bouma broke his leg against Odense BK in the Intertoto Cup in 2008, highlighting the dearth of talent the club has endured in this position over the last half-decade. In Amavi, the club hope they've found an answer at long last.
CM: Yaya Toure, Manchester City
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"Any question marks over his desire to play for Manchester City were put to bed here," Goal.com's Tom Maston wrote of Yaya Toure following the club's 3-0 decimation of West Bromwich Albion.
He was a little fortunate with his first goal, striking the ball first-time from outside the box and seeing it crawl over the line via a deflection, but his overall performance was superb, and his second goal...wow. He sauntered through midfield, the ease at which he was playing perfectly encapsulating the ease with which City dispensed with their opponents.
Toure's not long removed from a 20-goal season, and if he's motivated to win again and perform for City, defences across the league will be dreading their turn to play him.
CM: Dimitri Payet, West Ham
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There were plenty of impressive performers in light blue at the Emirates this weekend, and chief among them was Dimitri Payet. As uMAXit Football's Seb Stafford-Bloor noted on Twitter, "Reece Oxford [a 16-year-old debutant] was great yesterday, but Payet is being short-changed in the analysis: so smart on the ball, so situationally aware."
The Frenchman boasts a remarkably cool head when surging forward and leading counter-attacks, consistently making good decisions. He holds onto it and brings reprieve when necessary, but he also spurs forwards and plays in clever runners, with Diafra Sakho benefitting from his service.
Payet's a quality player; a borderline France international hunting for a spot in their Euro 2016 squad. He tore Ligue 1 to shreds in 2014-15 for Marseille, and West Ham have an established, creative man at their disposal.
AM: David Silva, Manchester City
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David Silva is irrepressible at his best, and he's started the season in sparkling form.
West Bromwich Albion couldn't get anywhere near him; no matter how many challenges came in, the ball was never extracted from the Spaniard's feet. He drove through dangling legs and ripped open pockets of space for others, creating room for his colleagues to play.
Yaya Toure's big start (in terms of the scoresheet) will take the headlines, but Silva was the star man at the Hawthorns. "It was an unbelievable performance. He did not make any mistakes," Manuel Pellegrini told the Mirror after the game.
Wing: Riyad Mahrez, Leicester City
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The player of the weekend without a doubt, Riyad Mahrez snapped straight back to his best on the opening weekend of the season, dazzling Sunderland with a mercurial display.
The Algerian flashed this sort of ability in 2014-15 but fell off the boil after the Africa Cup of Nations disrupted his season, and the Foxes will hope they can keep him fit, available and firing for the entire campaign.
He bagged two goals (one penalty) and saw the post deny him a hat-trick, wreaking havoc with the ball at his feet. He made The Black Cats' defensive line look more like black kittens.
Wing: Jefferson Montero, Swansea City
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With apologies to Marc Albrighton, who could easily have made the cut on any other weekend, we select the relentless Jefferson Montero.
The Ecuadorian flashed real talent last season following a great 2014 World Cup, but he simply couldn't keep himself fit enough to start continually for Swansea City.
But on the opening day, he tore Branislav Ivanovic—the Premier League's best right-back of 2014-15—apart time and time again. It was like watching him sear past Calum Chambers at the Liberty Stadium last December again; he's frighteningly fast and incredibly direct.
ST: Jamie Vardy, Leicester City
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Jamie Vardy's performance against Sunderland was superb; he was certainly the standout striker of the week.
Relentless pressing and harassing out of a 4-4-2 shape meant the Foxes were on the front foot constantly, and that contributed to an early lead, and he grabbed a goal inside 15 minutes to set the tone.
His link-up with Shinji Okazaki looked seasoned and toned, allowing for fluid interchanges and quick work in transitions.
Bench
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GK: Brad Guzan, Aston Villa
CB: Ciaran Clark, Aston Villa
CB: Winston Reid, West Ham
LB: Aleksandar Kolarov, Manchester City
CM: Cheikhou Kouyate, West Ham
Wing: Marc Albrighton, Leicester City
ST: Shinji Okazaki, Leicester City
