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The second week of the Premier League concluded with a whole lot of twists and turns. VAR came to haunt Manchester City (again) as they were held at Etihad Stadium by Tottenham Hotspur. Frank Lampard made his home debut as manager but failed to get the first win of the season under his belt. Newly-promoted sides Norwich City and Sheffield United won their games against Newcastle United and Crystal Palace respectively whereas Aston Villa recorded yet another loss.
From Adrian's howler to Wilfried Ndidi's redemption, all in all, it made great viewing for Premier League fans. It's been only two weeks into the season, and things are shaping up nicely for another exciting season in the English top flight. Without further adieu, let's have a glimpse at the three best players of the week.
#3 Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
The Senegalese forward was on fire against Southampton as he was directly involved in both of Liverpool's goals. Just before the half-time, Sadio Mane received the ball from James Milner on the left flank. After beating his man, he curled a sumptuous strike into the top right corner to break the deadlock.
Then, Mane's energy and high pressing helped him steal the ball from Jan Bednarek while the home side were trying to build an attack. He then made a quick pass to Firmino who slotted the ball into the net after gliding past a couple of Southampton defenders. The former Southampton man's performance was nothing short of inspirational. Can Sadio Mane repeat the achievement of winning the Golden Boot once again?
#2 Dani Ceballos (Arsenal)
Arsenal's new boys are already attracting attention. A silky Spanish midfield has been the main anchor for Arsenal in the past, with the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Santi Cazorla having been instrumental figures at the Emirates stadium. Dani Ceballos' home debut was nothing but magical, and fans are already expecting him to emulate Arsenal's great Spanish midfielders.
He dribbled, tackled, created chances and assisted. He oozed quality when he spun and dodged past opposition. One cannot expect more from a midfielder. Ceballos played for 83 minutes where he had 90 touches, made 70 passes and assisted both the goals. A sublime home debut. If he can continue putting in performances like this regularly, he could very well be the signing of the season, albeit on loan.
#1 Teemu Pukki (Norwich City)
Teemu Pukki, a Finland international, was the highest goal scorer last season in the Championship with 29 goals to his name. Out of these 29 goals, none were scored from the penalty spot. When a club like Norwich City returns to the PL after some time, it is crucial to have a solid start. A lot of the burden has been on Pukki, who himself is playing for the first time at such an elite level. A good start was required from the striker, which he most certainly has gotten.
All the four goals Norwich City has scored in two gamed have come from Teemu Pukki. Against Newcastle, he was at the peak of his powers as he scored thrice. With this, Pukki became the first player to score a PL hat-trick for Norwich City since Efan Ekoku (September 1993). He is also the joint-highest scorer with Raheem Sterling (4) in the league.
What stood out the most was the manner in which he broke the deadlock against Newcastle United. He found himself in space outside the box after a headed clearance and fired a bullet volley past Martin Dubravka. After two dominant performances, the question is, can he keep delivering on a consistent basis for the Carrow Road faithful?
