Following West Ham’s win over Everton, three Hammers stars make our Team of the Week.
Joe Hart (Burnley)
Burnley are bottom of the Premier League after a fourth consecutive defeat. However, things could have been much worse for the Clarets at Wolves had it not been for the efforts of Hart, who made five saves in the match. However, his side cannot continue to depend on him.
Matt Doherty (Wolves)
Wolves have their first Premier League win at Molineux in 15 attempts after they dominated Burnley on Sunday. Doherty had more touches of the ball than any other player in the game (98) while he played 52 accurate passes, including the assist for the only goal. Keep an eye on this man.
Chris Smalling (Manchester United)
What a goal by Smalling! The centre back doubled United’s lead at Watford with a volley that former teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be proud of. The Red Devils had to work hard for the points at Vicarage Road, and Smalling epitomised their spirit with seven clearances. Could this make him a regular starter?
Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)
Liverpool maintained their winning start to the season with a big win over Tottenham. Van Dijk has brought his assured nature to the Reds’ backline, and he made five clearances during the match. Things are looking good for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Ashley Young (Manchester United)
Young returned to the Manchester United line-up following an injury to Luke Shaw, and he did not disappoint. He had a hand in both of the Red Devils’ goals as he crossed for Romelu Lukaku to convert, before his corner led to Smalling’s finish. Shaw’s starting spot may not be as certain as we thought.
Andriy Yarmolenko (West Ham)
West Ham’s summer recruit opened his Premier League account at Goodison Park as his new side picked up their first points of the season against Everton. Both of his goals arrived before the break and put the Hammers in a commanding position. This was his first start for the club – perhaps he should be on the team sheet more often…
Declan Rice (West Ham)
In a relatively unfamiliar role for the Ireland international, Rice excelled in midfield throughout West Ham’s game at Everton. The teenager made five tackles and three clearances, while only Felipe Anderson completed more passes for the Hammers. An encouraging display.
Georginio Wijnaldum (Liverpool)
With Naby Keita and Fabinho arriving in the summer, it seemed that Wijnaldum’s opportunities would be limited. However, he has played every minute so far this season and opened the scoring at Tottenham with a brilliant header. That was his first ever away goal in the Premier League – it only took him three years!
Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth)
Fraser has been in fantastic form so far this season and it was no different against Leicester as he produced two composed finishes before half time. He then set up teammate Adam Smith after the break to complete the scoring for the Cherries. He’s now been involved in five goals in five matches.
Marko Arnautovic (West Ham)
Arnautovic is enjoying his role as a centre forward and was heavily involved in West Ham’s win at Everton. He unselfishly teed up Yarmolenko after 11 minutes, but added his own name to the scoresheet after half time with a smart finish. The Hammers have scored five goals this season, of which the Austrian has netted three and set up one.
Eden Hazard (Chelsea)
In the end it was an easy win for Chelsea, but Cardiff’s early goal threatened to produce an upset at Stamford Bridge. However, they had no answer for Hazard, who scored the second hat-trick of his Premier League career to turn the game on its head. Is he the best player in the league right now?