English Premier League completed its second week of the 2015-2016 season and there were many outstanding individual performances which propelled their respective teams to victory. The highlight of the weekend was Manchester City thrashing defending champions Chelsea 3-0 at the Etihad stadium on Sunday evening. Manchester United won its second game in a row with a 1-0 victory over Aston Villa while Arsenal managed to open their account after being humiliated by West Ham United last weekend. On Monday night football Liverpool recorded its second win with a narrow victory over Bournemouth.
Here is the EPL team of the week for match day two.
Asmir Begovic (Chelsea)
Normally we do not appreciate a performance of akeeper who has conceded three goals in a match, but there is no doubt that Chelsea would have lost by even a bigger margin if it were not for Begovic’s heroics between the goal. One of his saves early on in the game was appreciated by even Sergio Aguero.
John Stones (Everton)
Though his future remains uncertain, but stones’ performance against Southampton showed that his focus is still on football. He was a rock at Everton’s defence line and formed a solid partnership alongside Phil Jagielka. He played a key role in a 3-0 win and was focused throughout the 90 minutes. His list of admirers is growing day by day and Everton will do well to hold on to him for another season.
Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)
After a disappointing last season, many pundits had started to doubt Kompany’s abilities, but he has started this new season with a bang. Two goals and two clean sheets in as many games has surely erased all doubts regarding his future. He was excellent against Chelsea on Sunday and kept striker Diego Costa in his back pocket for most of the match. If city are going to challenge for the title this season they need their captain to maintain this form for the next 8 months.
Robert Huth (Leicester City)
Huth was a key figure in Leicester’s victory over West Ham United. He made sure that Diafra Sakho and Mauro Zárate were kept quiet and didn’t allow them much time on the ball. Leicester have their defender to thank for their second win in a row, which sees them sitting pretty in the second spot.
Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City)
Kolarov had an excellent match against Chelsea. He didn’t allow Willian to settle down in City’s half and bombarded forward whenever an opportunity arose. In total he put in 11 crosses into the box but what was most impressive about his performance was his willingness to track back quickly when Chelsea had the ball.
Jefferson Montero (Swansea City)
Montero produced another great performance after tormenting Chelsea in Swansea’s first match of the season. His speed and trickery meant that at times he was unplayable. He contributed greatly in the attacking third and played a crucial role in Swansea’s second goal by providing the cross for André Ayew.
Mesut Ozil (Arsenal)
Having been subjected to so much criticism in the past two seasons, the pressure is definitely on Ozil to show everyone that the price tag attached to him is justified. Against Crystal Palace, Ozil had one of his best matches in an Arsenal shirt, misplacing just one of his 55 passes. He also claimed an assist after providing the cross for Arsenal’s first goal.
Ross Barkley (Everton)
Ross Barkley is one of the most talented footballers in England, and his performance against Southampton justified this. He provided the spark in the midfield and kept things ticking over. He provided the assist for Everton’s second goal before scoring himself in the 84th minute with a beautiful curling effort.
Riyad Mahrez (Leicester City)
Mahrez has quickly become a name on everyone’s lips and against West Ham United he proved that his performance on the opening weekend wasn’t a fluke. With three goals in two games Mahrez finds himself on top of the goal scoring chart. He has been the driving force behind Leicester City’s much improved display this season.
Romelu Lukaku (Everton)
Lukaku definitely looks like a man on a mission right now. His pace and power up front tormented the Southampton defense. His first goal of the day was a classy headed finish while the second one found the bottom right corner with a neat finish. In the first two weeks he has proven that he is better than his compatriot Benteke.
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Defenders across England will be sweating at the thought of facing Aguero this season. Not even fully fit right now, he had a fantastic match against Chelsea on Sunday, where he not only scored the opening goal but could have easily had a first half hatrick if not for Begovic’s excellent performance between the sticks. He is the favorite to finish the season as the League’s top scorer.