Who is top of our first Premier League POWER RANKINGS of the season?

Marcos Alonso was Chelsea’s unlikely attacking source while Christian Norgaard and Ismaila Sarr impress for new boys… but which one out of Paul Pogba or Bruno Fernandes finishes top of our first POWER RANKINGS of the season?

• Sportsmail will bring you the top 10 hottest Premier League players each week 
• The Premier League season got off to a dramatic start this opening weekend
• Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool all won but champions Man City lost 
• Arsenal and Aston Villa also suffered surprise losses to Brentford and Watford 

As opening Premier League weekend’s go, that was pretty fun wasn’t it? But which players put in the best displays over a dramatic three days?

Every week, Sportsmail will be bringing you a Power Rankings table, listing the top 10 hottest players in the Premier League after each weekend’s action is completed.

The start of the 2020-21 season saw a very high standard of football, not least from Manchester United who thrashed Leeds 5-1 in their first match back at a full Old Trafford.

Man United put in the Premier League performance of the weekend by beating Leeds 5-1

Sportsmail looks at which players performed the best from the dramatic opening weekend…

1. Joe Willock (Newcastle)

2. Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool)

3. Jesse Lingard (West Ham)

4. Bruno Fernandes (Man United)

5. Edinson Cavani (Man United)

6. Nicolas Pepe (Arsenal)

7. Mason Mount (Chelsea)

8. Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City)

9. Patrick Bamford (Leeds)

10. Sadio Mane (Liverpool) 

Chelsea also put out their title challenge stall with a 3-0 victory over Crystal Palace, even without Kai Havertz and new signing Romelu Lukaku in the starting line-up. Liverpool also got the ball rolling early with victory by the same scoreline away at Norwich.

There were some surprises this weekend too. Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City got their title defence off to the worst possible start by losing away at Tottenham, while newly-promoted Brentford and Watford claimed shock wins over Arsenal and Aston Villa respectively. 

With Leicester, Everton, Brighton and West Ham also picking up opening day weekend, let’s take a look at who made the brightest starts to the season…

10. Marcos Alonso (Chelsea)

Was Chelsea’s title-winning season started by a Marcos Alonso goal?

The Spanish left-back put the Blues in front with a trademark free-kick in their crushing victory over Patrick Vieira’s Crystal Palace. 

Alonso was a constant threat throughout the Stamford Bridge clash and nearly set up goals for Timo Werner and Christian Pulisic in the first-half, before a fine save from Vicente Guaita denied him in the second.

Marcos Alonso was a threat down the left and scored Chelsea’s first in their Crystal Palace win

It was the perfect start to the season for the 30-year-old on Saturday afternoon, who was very much dislodged by Ben Chilwell in their left-back rivalry towards the back end of last season. 

But Thomas Tuchel’s side need two in-form players in every position if they are to compete on four fronts this season and Alonso is proving to be a reliable option on the left-hand side in west London. 

9. Christian Norgaard (Brentford)

Christian Norgaard will be an important player for Brentford this season.

The Danish midfielder plays at the heart of the team and is used to playing on the biggest stage after his Euro 2020 exploits, so it was rather poignant he scored the goal to seal their 2-0 victory over Arsenal on Friday night. 

Norgaard was excellent in midfield for the Bees, with the 27-year-old crucial to Thomas Frank’s game plan in closing down Arsenal’s midfield to stop them building from deep.

Christian Norgaard rounded off a top midfield effort by scoring in Brentford’s win over Arsenal

As a result, the Gunners only managed four shots on target throughout the opening day loss and the vast majority of them were routine saves for Brentford goalkeeper David Raya.    

And after being in the right place at the right time all game defensively at the Brentford Community Stadium, Norgaard was on hand to head home the Bees’ second goal from Mads Bech Sorensen’s long throw. 

A solid start for Brentford, who can now use the confidence from this opening day giant-killing of Arsenal in the opening weeks of the season.

8. Son Heung-Min (Tottenham Hotspur)

Who needs Harry Kane when you’ve got Son? 

Nuno Espirito Santo’s game plan against Premier League champions Manchester City worked to perfection, allowing Pep Guardiola’s side as much possession as they like before hitting them on the counter attack at every opportunity.

At the heart of that game plan was their South Korean winger Son Heung-Min, who led the line in Kane’s absence amid Tottenham’s talisman potential exit to City later this transfer window. 

Son Heung-Min made all the difference in Tottenham’s win over Manchester City on Sunday

The South Korean winger curled in the winner against Pep Guardiola’s Premier League winners

Son was a constant threat to City’s defence and targeted Guardiola’s left-hand side of defence which included the unreliable Benjamin Mendy and Nathan Ake. 

That tactic was how the 29-year-old scored his winning goal, a superb solo run on the break which gifted Nuno’s men a much-needed opening day win. 

Should Son keep his form up in the opening weeks of the season, then Daniel Levy and Spurs may be tempted to cash in the £150million on Kane and go with what they’ve got. 

7. Said Benrahma (West Ham)

Said Benrahma is the man tasked with replacing the creative void left behind by Jesse Lingard last season, after West Ham failed to lure the England international back to east London after his successful loan last term.

And the Algerian winger did his chances of being the Hammers’ key man no harm by putting in a scintillating display in this side’s 4-2 win at Newcastle. 

Said Benrahma scored one and set up another in West Ham’s 4-2 win at Newcastle on Sunday

Benrahma was part of a fluid front three alongside Michail Antonio and Jarrod Bowen, who all put the frighteners into the Magpies backline with their direct running and pace. 

And the 26-year-old ended his afternoon in the north east with a goal and an assist to his name, but in truth played a key role in every West Ham goal on Sunday. 

The winger headed home Antonio’s cross in the second-half before laying the ball off to his striker partner to put the game beyond Newcastle in the second half. 

Benrahma (right) headed home after half-time before setting up Michail Antonio’s (left) goal

6. Ismaila Sarr (Watford)

Ismaila Sarr has endured a strange career in England. The Senegalese winger joined Watford for £30million two years ago, got relegated from the top-flight, tore England’s second tier up last season and is now back with a point to prove.

Sarr’s display for the Hornets against Aston Villa on Saturday shows the Premier League is where the 23-year-old belongs. 

The left-side of Villa’s defence will have nightmares of the Watford winger for weeks after he ripped through the likes of Matty Targett and Tyrone Mings with ease in the first-half. 

Ismaila Sarr caused havoc down Aston Villa’s left in Watford’s opening day win on Saturday

Sarr’s solo run was pivotal in Emmanuel Dennis putting the Hornets in front, before the winger crashed in a finish via a Mings deflection to send Watford on their way to victory. 

What was particularly helpful for Xisco’s side was that Villa star John McGinn was forced to come back and help his defenders with Sarr’s threat down that wing, which limited Villa’s attacking play. 

Many tipped Watford for the drop this season, but the Hornets should have no troubles at all should Sarr keep these levels of displays up.  

5. Richarlison (Everton)

Just over a week ago, Richarlison was in Tokyo winning the Olympics gold medal with Brazil. Now he’s one of Everton’s main men again and Rafa Benitez must be so grateful to have him back now. 

The Toffees were frustrated for most of their opening day clash with Southampton but the Brazilian striker was the difference for the home side as they set Goodison Park alight with a superb second-half display.

Richarlison also got a goal and an assist in Everton’s 3-1 victory over Southampton on Saturday

With Everton needing a goal to haul themselves level, Richarlison showed how much of a poacher he is by prodding home an equaliser from close-range after some good movement in the box. 

Later in the half, when Everton were ahead, he showed some more Brazilian magic by putting in a delightful cross for Dominic Calvert-Lewin to get off the mark for the season.

Everton have a reliance on Calvert-Lewin and Richarlison for goals, but when the striker pair link up like that, there’s nothing wrong with that over-dependency at all.  

4. Michail Antonio (West Ham)

When you’re the main man up top for an ambitious Premier League club, there’s no better start to the season than by equalling a club record.

Michail Antonio did exactly that by scoring his 47th Premier League goal for the Hammers, which has now brought him level with Paolo Di Canio at the top of the club’s top-flight scoring charts. 

That record-equalling moment is a massive moment for not just Antonio, but the club as well. David Moyes’ side need a reliable striker up top and the Jamaican international is their only option in that role. For him to be in the goalscoring groove eases the pressure on the club in their hunt for a new attacking option. 

Michail Antonio scored West Ham’s fourth to become the club’s joint-record top-flight scorer

Antonio could have even broken Di Canio’s record this weekend had he netted home a second-half penalty, but his spot kick was saved by Freddie Woodman yet Tomas Soucek was on hand to fire home the rebound. 

The Hammers No 9 put that disappointment aside by setting up Benrahma with a slick floated cross before crashing him West Ham’s fourth on the counter attack with a clinical finish.  

3. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)

Liverpool fans will remember how Luis Suarez was a regular goal-getter in matches against Norwich – now Mo Salah is the player the Canaries fear most in this Reds side.

The Egyptian winger now has two goals and three assists in three matches for Liverpool against the east Anglia club, with Salah getting a goal and two assists in Saturday night’s opening weekend clash at Carrow Road. 

Creativity in the final third was a problem for Jurgen Klopp’s side last season but those problems looked to have been fixed in pre-season if the first game is anything to go by, with Salah at the heart of Liverpool’s best bits at Norwich. 

Mohamed Salah scored one and set up two more in Liverpool’s 3-0 victory at Norwich

The 29-year-old helped striker partners Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino get the season lift-offs they need before curling home a wonderful effort from the edge of the box to seal the points for Klopp’s men. 

Salah also broke a Premier League record in the process by becoming the first player to ever score in five consecutive top-flight opening weekends, showing how much he enjoys himself when the season gets underway. 

2. Paul Pogba (Manchester United) 

Records really were broken this weekend, weren’t they? Paul Pogba became the first Manchester United player to pick up four assists in a Premier League game and only the fifth player to achieve that feat in top-flight history. 

The Frenchman was deployed on the left-hand side of midfield once again by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Pogba enjoyed a real sense of freedom in that role. 

Paul Pogba was on hand to set up four goals in Man United’s 5-1 victory over Leeds

The best part of Pogba’s display was that the four assist showed a real range in his game. The Red Devils star mixed it up between first-time passes from out wide, patient play in the middle of the park and excellent turns-and-gos. 

What is more important for Solskjaer’s side is that Pogba looks like he actually wants to play for United for the first time in quite a while. 

The Frenchman may have finally found the role best suited to him in United colours and that could be crucial if Solskjaer’s men are set to fight for the title.  

1. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)  

Performance of the week goes to Bruno Fernandes, whose opening weekend hat-trick for Manchester United has solidified his place as one of the top attacking players in the league. 

The Portuguese midfielder took all of his strikes with aplomb, showing excellent close control and knowledge of where the goal is. 

Bruno Fernandes got his season off to a flier by netting a hat-trick in the Old Trafford fixture

Fernandes looks like he is playing up to the Old Trafford crowd being back after months of playing his football in front of empty stadia. 

Considering he has plenty more to give in terms of goals from set pieces, the fact that Fernandes is off the mark with three open play goals is only good news for United. 

Fernandes is now the Premier League’s top goalscorer, can he stay there between now and May? 

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