Goalkeeper: Shay Given – Newcastle
Another season, same old Shay. The Irishman took Kevin Keegan’s pre-season instructions to 'use his head' a little literally when foling Wayne Rooney’s early header. However, from then on in he reverted to more traditional methods of keeping out the champions. A double save from Rooney and Paul Scholes was the pick of the bunch.
Right Back: Nyron Nosworthy – Sunderland
Roy Keane set his sights high in the summer transfer market and will, thus far, no doubt have given himself a satisfactory grade for his efforts. However, if the cream of last season’s crop can keep up with the likes of Nosworthy, The Black Cats’ manager will be a happy man. The burly defender is revered at The Stadium of Light after becoming Mr Consistency last year and there was little change on Saturday. The Setanta Sports cameras saw him put in a no-nonsense display against Liverpool. Only a certain Fernando Torres found a way through he and his colleagues’ defensive efforts. They won’t be the last to befall such a fate.
Centre Back: Abdoulaye Meite – West Brom
One of four players making league debuts for their respective new clubs to be honoured in our first team of the week. Having last week wrapped up his move to The Hawthorns from Bolton, Meite took little time to familiarise himself with his new team-mates and put in a sturdy performance at Emirates Stadium.
Centre Back: David Wheater – Middlesbrough
It seems that the summer break has not been long enough for Wheater to shake off his addiction to scoring. Despite numerous tests to determine if he is in fact a striker in disguise, the Boro man still lines up at the back. Not one to be shackled, he saw one strike disallowed – despite seeing his shirt ripped a la The Incredible Hulk – before then finding the net again to get the ball rolling in his side’s 2-1 victory over Spurs.
Left Back: Gael Clichy – Arsenal
Arsene Wenger has come in for his now perennial stick for his relative lack of movement in the summer transfer window, but persuading Clichy to commit his future to Emirates Stadium is another shrewd piece of work from The Wise One. The France international resisted overtures from Italy to stay in North London and once again showed his worth on Saturday lunchtime. Typically marauding down the left he had a big hand in The Gunners’ winning goal and had our reporter describing him as no less than ‘irrepressible’.
Centre Midfield: Deco – Chelsea
Too lightweight for The Premier League. Needs too much time on the ball to succeed in the English top flight. Past his best. Comments that were ten-a-penny over the summer that will now leave such cynics taking the tough choice to eat either their words, or humble pie. The Portugal international was majestic on his competitive bow for The Blues, setting up one goal and adding one of his own, albeit with a helping hand – quite literally – from Portsmouth keeper David James.
Centre Midfield: Samir Nasri – Arsenal
Comparisons with Zinedine Zidane have been scoffed at by many in France because of Nasri’s lack of goals. The Gunners’ big-money summer acquisition made an early start to try and dispel such myths. While the rest of Emirates Stadium were waiting for their lunch to digest, Nasri announced himself after just four minutes by scoring the goal that gave his new side an opening three-point haul.
Centre Midfield: Xabi Alonso – Liverpool
Benched for Liverpool’s league opener, Alonso took to the field after 45 minutes of Saturday’s 1-0 win over Sunderland and turned in a display that will have made it that little bit harder for Rafa Benitez to let him go. With The Reds toiling, Alonso provided the forward momentum and inventive passing they had been lacking. Benitez will still not commit to keeping his fellow Spaniard but must now know that the wrath of the club’s supporters is likely to be incurred if Alonso is shown the door.
Right Forward: Gabriel Agbonlahor – Aston Villa
Agbonlahor gave Fabio Capello less of a gentle nudge and more of a slap around the face to remind him of his talents on Sunday. Left out of the squad for England’s friendly with the Czech Republic – exclusively live on Setanta Sports, we might add – he responded in emphatic fashion with a seven-minute hat-trick that blew Mark Hughes’ Man City side out of the water.
Centre Forward: Jason Roberts – Blackburn
Often maligned as little more than a bruiser of a striker, Roberts was at his bustling best on Saturday. While Roque Santa Cruz added a few noughts to his pricetag with a display of textbook intelligence and movement, Roberts provided the perfect foil. He never gave the usually imperious Joleon Lescott and Joseph Yobo a moment’s respite and was a thorn in Everton’s side throughout. If his new manager Paul Ince had been a striker.....
Left Forward: Jonas Gutierrez – Newcastle
The Newcastle faithful will be licking their lips after Gutierrez’s debut, hopeful that Kevin Keegan has, once again, delivered them a player that fits their bill to perfection. Refreshingly unrestricted despite the potentially daunting Old Trafford surroundings, Gutierrez epitomised ‘The Keegan Way’. Never shy of stretching his legs and taking on a man, even the usually unflappable Nemanja Vidic was forced into an uncultured barge – somehow unnoticed by referee Mike Riley – in order to halt his progress.
Prijem 
