Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Jack Butland and Shinji Okazaki all feature in the Team of the Week after the second round of games in the 2017-18 Premier league season.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan shining in a No. 10 role and Jack Butland making his case to be England’s first-choice goalkeeper stood out among the Premier League fixtures in Week 2.
Mkhitaryan helped leaders Manchester United to another 4-0 win. Meanwhile, Butland stood tall as Stoke frustrated Arsenal en route to a 1-0 win in the Potteries.
See who else joins this duo in the the best XI from the season’s second week:
Goalkeeper: Jack Butland, Stoke
Stoke had Butland’s defiance and Arsenal’s poor finishing to thank for another notable win over a top-six side. The Gunners were far from their best at the bet365 Stadium, but even when they carved out good chances, Butland proved stubborn.
He was quick off his line to thwart more than one late runner in the box. Arsenal tried to knit together their usual combinations in the final third, but Stoke’s ‘keeper was in commanding form.
On a day when England’s top two stoppers, Joe Hart and Fraser Forster, floundered during Southampton’s 3-2 win over West Ham, Butland remained steady.
The 24-year-old has to have given Three Lions manager Gareth Southgate a dilemma.
Left-Back: Marcos Alonso, Chelsea
Two terrific goals capped a typically buccaneering display from Marcos Alonso at Wembley. The Spaniard’s initiative was enough to down Tottenham 2-1 on Sunday, as Chelsea got their title defense on track.
This was the Alonso of last season. He raided forward with menace at every opportunity. His runs were well-timed, perceptive and always in-behind, while his finishing would have made most strikers proud.
Defensively, Alonso didn’t shirk his duties, particularly in the air. He helped the Blues deal with a litany of set-piece deliveries from Tottenham playmaker Christian Eriksen.
Alonso in this sort of form makes a mockery of Chelsea’s links with Juventus left-back Alex Sandro.
Center-Back: Harry Maguire, Leicester
Harry Maguire is already proving a bargain for Leicester. The former Hull center-back helped keep a clean sheet and scored the Foxes’ second in Saturday’s 2-0 win over Brighton.
Maguire cost Leicester just £17 million this summer. It’s a snip in this inflated transfer market.
The 24-year-old can help usher Leicester seamlessly out of the era of Robert Huth and Wes Morgan. Maguire will be the linchpin the Foxes build a younger back four around.
Center-Back: Christopher Schindler, Huddersfield
Newly promoted Huddersfield taking six points from six has been one of the better stories of the season’s first two weeks. The Terriers have played progressively on the ball, but the true root of their success has been a stingy defence led by Christopher Schindler.
He dominated in the air for 90 minutes during the 1-0 win over Newcastle United on Sunday. The former 1860 Munich man bullied Newcastle’s unconvincing forward line and put Huddersfield’s defence on the front foot.
Schindler’s aggressive and proactive approach to defending makes him something of a throwback. It’s also made him the backbone of the division’s surprise package.
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Right-Back: Joe Gomez, Liverpool
Liverpool needed a clean sheet against Crystal Palace and got it thanks to some unheralded defenders. Among them, 20-year-old right-back Joe Gomez caught the eye, delivering a surprisingly assured display for one so young.
Gomez was typically comfortable on the ball. He showed the confidence to push forward and try passes through the lines to help the Reds break down a stubborn Palace rearguard.
Defensively, Gomez stayed solid against tricky fliers Jason Puncheon and Andros Townsend. Overall, he filled in well for the rested Trent Alexander-Arnold and helped solidify a makeshift defense.
Midfield: Sadio Mane, Liverpool
Liverpool’s first win of the season came courtesy of Sadio Mane’s lone goal. It was a reminder of the Senegalese forward’s value to manager Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Mane’s pace, varied movement off the left flank and keen instincts in front of goal provide the cutting edge for a team often playing without a natural centre-forward.
Defenders are finding it increasingly difficult to track Mane. Klopp has added nuance to the former Southampton star’s game, with the 25-year-old making more varied runs in behind.
Klopp has saluted Mane’s combination of athleticism and intelligence, per Kristian Walsh of the Liverpool Echo:
"Sadio made a decision at the end which is very important. He’s there in those situations. It’s not the same goal but it was a little bit like the Everton goal (at Goodison), quickest in mind.Everyone thinks about how quick he is with his legs and that’s true but he’s quick in mind, that’s maybe the more impressive skill."
Mane has scored two in two to start the season and figures to again be Livepool’s most potent threat.
Midfield: David Luiz, Chelsea
Chelsea’s win over Spurs owed as much to David Luiz moving into midfield as Alonso’s runs forward. Manager Antonio Conte shifted Luiz out of the back three into an anchor role at the base of midfield.
The ploy proved a masterstroke, as Brazil international Luiz put on a controlled clinic in how to play defensive midfielder. Luiz was always the spare man defensively, available to challenge in the air and deny space for Spurs’ schemer Dele Alli.
Going forward, Luiz pressed selectively and made the decisive tackles. His challenge to rob possession late in the second half started the move Alonso ended by scoring the winner.
BBC Match of the Day showed how Luiz was effective at both ends of the Wembley pitch:
Luiz may not play here every week, but he performed a tough job perfectly when his team needed it.
Midfield: Etienne Capoue, Watford
Etienne Capoue has developed a surprising eye for goal since moving to Watford. The man signed as a holding player by Tottenham in 2013 scored to send the Hornets on their way to an impressive 2-0 win over Bournemouth.
It was a first goal of the new campaign for a midfielder who scored seven times last season, per WhoScored.com. Capoue should get more chances to showcase his scoring touch on manager Marco Silva’s watch.
Silva will grant midfielders such as Capoue and Roberto Pereyra greater license to get forward. The former’s runs from deep and composure in the box will become invaluable assets as Watford aim to build on a solid start.
Midfield: Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Manchester United
Two more assists showed Mkhitaryan’s value to United. The Armenian maestro created goals for Romelu Lukaku and Paul Pogba on Saturday, as United poured it on late at Swansea.
Mkhitaryan’s eye for an assist makes him distinctive in this United lineup. He is the one true flair player in a starting XI otherwise built on direct pace, brawn and defensive smarts.
In many ways, Mkhitaryan’s role for Jose Mourinho’s Red Devils is reminiscent of Mesut Ozil’s time at Real Madrid. Ozil was the chief creator during Mourinho’s time in the Spanish capital, a rare luxury player indulged by a traditionally pragmatic manager.
Similar indulgence is getting the best out of Mkhitaryan in Manchester. He is being allowed to play the No. 10 role best suited to his artful temperament.
The result has been four assists in two matches from the ex-Borussia Dortmund man.
Mourinho should resist the temptation to push Mkhitaryan back out wide once Ander Herrera regularly returns to the middle.
Striker: Shinji Okazaki, Leicester
Okazaki isn’t known for goals, but he’s started this season with two in as many matches. The Japanese forward opened the scoring against Brighton after netting against Arsenal last week.
One reason for the sudden upturn in Okazaki’s form in front of goal has been a commendable response to the threat to his place. Leicester signed Kelechi Iheanacho for big money this summer, but Okazaki has made the most of the Nigerian striker’s struggle to be match fit.
Okazaki is finding the net more often, but retains his qualities as a link player who makes others better. Had it not been for some poor finishing from Jamie Vardy, Okazaki would have added an assist to his goal in Week 2.
Striker: Javier Hernandez, West Ham
It may have been in a losing cause, but Javier Hernandez scoring twice against Southampton should encourage Hammers fans. His first goals back in the Premier League showed this natural finisher hasn’t lost the knack for finding the net.
West Ham are going to need Hernandez to produce the form he showed at United back in the day. A lot will depend on how the Hammers choose to create chances for the Mexico international.
Against the Saints, West Ham began by relying on the muscle of Michail Antonio and Marko Arnautovic. Yet Hernandez’s pace and timing may be better served by the artistry and technique of Andre Ayew and Manuel Lanzini.
Either way, Hernandez hasn’t wasted time getting back among the goals in England’s top flight.