Premier League football could well be in for a triple dosage of goal-laden games this week, given the amount of must-win duels coming our way.

In hope of a response to Wednesday’s 5-0 drubbing at the hands of FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League, Leicester City will be praying for three points, something that has escaped them since late October.

The Foxes’ opponents this Saturday come in the form of favourable quantity Manchester City, also coming into this weekend’s clash off the back of European disappointment versus Celtic and with an underwhelming record of just three wins in their last six league games.

Old Trafford hosts the anticipated meeting between top four contenders, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, neither being left with much margin for error, whereas at the other end of the table, the likes of Hull City, Crystal Palace, Swansea City and Sunderland all face “cup finals” of their own.

But with so many blows expected to be traded this weekend, it’s perhaps a surprise to see we’re backing just one striker to rake in a large sum of points this weekend in Fantasy Premier League. Here are our reasons:

1 - Gylfi Sigurðsson

Club: Swansea City
Position: Midfielder
Price: £7.4m

Currently sitting bottom of the pile in the Premier League, the need for points is urgent at the Liberty Stadium and they won’t have many better opportunities to do so than when Sunderland come to town.

The Black Cats are on the up, winning three of their last four league games, but they’re still very much within the realms of the lower end of the table, as two points separate the relegation candidates prior to Saturday’s fixture.

Swansea’s last victory saw the Swans topple Crystal Palace in a 5-4 thriller a fortnight ago, of which Gylfi Sigurðsson was on hand to chip in with a goal and assist en route to victory. Last weekend’s 5-0 loss away to Spurs was the first time in six appearances that the Icelandic star didn’t contribute directly to a Swansea goal, so if Bob Bradley’s side are to lift off the root of the league table come Saturday, we expect the 27-year-old to have a significant input.

Manchester United qualified for the Europa League next stage with a fairly comfortable 2-0 away win against Zorya Luhansk. Although it was a fairly good performance from Jose Mourinho’s men, they will be disappointed as despite the 3 points, they finished 2nd in the group because Fenerbahce beat Feyenoord in the other match in the group.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Manchester United’s Europa League clash away to Zorya Luhansk.

Manchester United

Sergio Romero - 5

A comfortable night for Man United’s number two between the sticks, with the Argentine pulling off a decent save when required in the 72nd minute to prevent a Zorya equaliser.

Ashley Young - 5

No fireworks, but Young was able to do a job without any flagrant complaints. Kept himself in Mourinho’s plans by again showing versatility, this time at right back.

Eric Bailly - 7

A big display from Bailly, steadily returning to full fitness. The ex-Villarreal man swept up much of what was played in and around of United’s defence, providing a fair share of crucial interceptions in the meantime.

Marcos Rojo - 6

Comfortable in possession and helpful in recycling possession. Had little to do with regards to defending, however.

Daley Blind - 5

A quiet one from Blind, but solid nonetheless.

Ander Herrera - 6.5

Alongside Bailly, Herrera proved to be pivotal in pressing higher up and ensuring that the Red Devils recouped possession as soon as possible.

Paul Pogba - 4.5

Pogba was one of the few to try and speed up proceedings within the visitors’ large spells of possession, but his general execution of passes/shots from range left a lot to be desired.

Juan Mata - 6

The Spaniard has been among the most impressive for United this season and today, albeit throughout lacklustre spells, the former Chelsea midfielder stood out again before being replaced by Jesse Lingard.

Wayne Rooney - 3

A no-show from the United captain on the night. Passes going astray, poor control…forgetful. Does he warrant a place in the starting eleven at the moment? Not based on this performance.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan - 6.5

The goalscorer of the well-taken first goal prior to dazzling the Zorya defence with individual some brilliance. Mkhitaryan continues to impress in a United shirt since he was finally selected by Jose.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 5

A bit hit and miss, but the Swede began to grow into the game once Rooney was taken off, freeing up his habitual radius of action. Ibrahimovic was on hand to kill the game off late on with United’s second goal.

Subs

Jesse Lingard - 4

The winger was able to quicken play up, but made his fair share of poor choices in the final third.

Marouane Fellaini - N/A

Timothy Fosu-Mensah - N/A

Another week has come and gone, and Fresh Football returns with its weekly edition of Fantasy Premier League hotpicks, bracing ourselves for the action ahead in Gameweek 13.

In between that time, the current title holders, Leicester City, continue to impress on a continental stage, so much so that the 13 points amassed in Group G by the Foxes has already surpassed their current mark of 12 points in the Premier League.

Arsenal’s murky relationship with the month of November continues, but, in the meantime, the Gunners are also still unbeaten since their 4-3 defeat to Liverpool back in August - an improvement from past seasons.

Elsewhere, the Manchester City continue to show signs of being anything but the finished article under Pep Guardiola, whereas Tottenham Hotspur’s return to the European elite has proven to be short lived; a 2-1 defeat at the hands of AS Monaco sealing their fate.

In fear of a European hangover, but also due to potentially glaring opportunities to pick up points elsewhere, we’re avoiding games between the aforementioned clubs altogether.

So here’s who we’re topping to come up trumps this weekend.

1 - Jonny Evans

Club: West Bromwich Albion
Position: Defender
Price: £4.5m

Tony Pulis and his club appear to have gotten their mojo back. After claiming just two wins from their first 10 league games, West Brom have proceeded to pick up back-to-back victories versus Leicester City and, most recently, Burnley, defeating the newly-promoted side 4-0 on Monday night.

Next up for the Midlands club are Hull City, who continue to slip down the table after winning just once since August. 19th placed Sunderland were the latest side to snatch three points from the Tigers, so one can imagine morale isn’t great at the moment, because the form certainly isn’t.

On the ascendancy, West Brom have every chance of making it three wins on the spin, and failing that, a clean sheet at the very least. We’ll settle for that, tipping Jonny Evans to star.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Tottenham Hotspur’s London derby versus West Ham United at White Hart Lane.

Tottenham Hotspur

Hugo Lloris - 5

Nothing of note from the French goalkeeper, who was fairly powerless in stopping Michail Antonio’s opening goal and the penalty converted by Manuel Lanzini later on.

Kyle Walker - 5

Spurs will be left wanting more from the full back in the direct duel with Aaron Cresswell on the right flank, whereas his general play also proved to be a little rough around the edges, today.

Eric Dier - 6

A solid performance from Eric Dier, slotting in at centre back without any considerable concerns.

Jan Vertonghen - 7

Provided a platform to play out from the back, as always, and came up with a few crucial tackles at a time when the hosts were chasing the game.

Danny Rose - 6

Much like Walker, Rose looked unable to function down the flanks as he’s accustomed to doing, but he did manage to get the better of Antonio on a few more occasions in the second half, most importantly in the lead-up to Harry Winks’ equaliser.

Victor Wanyama - 6

The Kenyan undertook fairly simplistic duties throughout the second half, but did so very well, sweeping up possession in the middle of the park to set Spurs back on their way to attacking West Ham.

Mousa Dembélé - 6

He’ll have had more dominant performances, but Mousa Dembélé appeared relatively neat in possession nonetheless, before being replaced by Son Heung-Min

Harry Winks - 8

Intensity, tenacity, creativity and an important goal, all on the 20-year-old’s Premier League debut. A very mature performance.

Christian Eriksen - 5

The Dane is currently a long way away from what we’ve been used to seeing from him in a Spurs shirt, acting as a chief culprit in losing possession in this one.

Harry Kane - 6

Operating around Vincent Janssen in a two-striker formation, Kane never quite got into the game, but his mark on the occasion is there for all to see; Two goals, three points.

Vincent Janssen - 4

Lacking synergy between him and Kane, as well as many more of his teammates. The Dutchman is looking increasingly difficult to fit into the first XI, especially with Son thriving.

Subs:

Son Heung-Min - 6.5

A big introduction into the game, having a helping hand in both of Spurs’ late goals that gives the home side all three points and maintains invincibility in the Premier League.

Dele Alli - 5

Didn’t quite have the desired effect coming on in the second half, as difficult as it may be in a derby.

West Ham United

Darren Randolph - 7

Made a few key saves, particularly one from an Eric Dier header in point-blank range, but the Irishman was arguably at fault for the turnaround when his attempted save from Son’s cross diverted the ball away from Angelo Ogbonna and into Kane’s path.

Michail Antonio - 6

A great first half display up and down the right flank, complete with yet another headed goal, but the Englishman may well have blown his engine in the second period, as Rose and Son exposed his defensive flaws on a number of occasions.

Cheikhou Kouyaté - 7

A quality performance from Kouyaté, somewhat of a throwback to his Anderlecht days when instructed to play as the third central defender. The towering figure did very well, particularly in the first half when driving the ball out from defence to commence purposeful counter-attacks.

Winston Reid - 6

A solid performance from the captain was later marred by the Spurs turnaround and a second yellow card in injury time.

Angelo Ogbonna - 6

Another who, like Reid, performed to a good standard in the heart of defence.

Aaron Cresswell - 6

In the left wing-back role, Cresswell specialised in minimising Kyle Walker’s effectiveness

André Ayew - 4

West Ham will have been hoping for spurts of inspiration from Ayew, but the opportunities for the Ghanaian never came.

Pedro Obiang - 6.5

Stood his ground in quite an offensive midfield from the Hammers, on top of being the go-to-guy to settling down play in certain phases of the first half.

Manuel Lanzini - 7

Among the best in a West Ham shirt, it was Lanzini who spearheaded the counters for the visitors and caused Tottenham’s defence the greatest cause for concern.

Dimitri Payet - 4

Totally uninspired, perhaps fatigued, and how the Hammers could have done with an on-song Payet for certain openings late in the second half.

Diafra Sakho - 4

Lots of running and little else from the striker who was soon replaced by Simone Zaza in the second half.

Subs:

Simone Zaza - 6

Provided greater involvement from as a focal point, perhaps courtesy of the game opening up, but lacked any real conviction from shooting areas. A positive cameo, however.

Edimilson Fernandes - 5

The young Swiss was on hand to rejuvenate the West Ham midfield as best as he could and combat the eventual Dele Alli entrance.

Håvard Nordtveit - N/A

Few were the minutes the former Arsenal man had on the field, but it was he who turned out to be among the most decisive characters of the tale, sweeping Son’s foot and gifting Spurs the late penalty that won the clash.

With the third international break of the season behind us, it’s now full steam ahead for club football until March. Offering no respite, the Premier League returns with a tasty collection of potential relegation ‘six-pointers’, a meeting between old foes at Old Trafford and even a London derby.

Undoubtedly, there’ll be plenty of heart beats to be skipped, goals to be fought for and points to be clocked along the way. Here’s who Fresh Football are backing to lead the way in this week’s Fantasy Premier League Gameweek 12.

1 - Jermaine Defoe

Club: Sunderland
Position: Striker
Price: £7.4m
We could have tipped Diego Costa to star, here, as so many are sure to do, but we like the look of a potentially big showing from Jermain Defoe against lowly-placed Hull City at the Stadium of Light. Of course, Sunderland have fared worse than their opponents so far, winning their first league game of the season as late as their last outing.

The clash between the two clubs is, without a doubt, a must-win game, and given the momentum to be gained from their last fixture and the fact that they’re at home; there may well be a theoretical advantage to be placed upon the otherwise unreliable Black Cats this weekend.

Leading the line, David Moyes’ men will be looking towards Defoe to come up with a clutch moment or two to help them take down Hull. At £m, the veteran could well be the perfect stop-gap for those who simply need to replace an injured/suspended striker for a week, or one that’s otherwise unlikely to come up big against tough opposition.

There’s sure to be a handful of frights, thrills and horror spills to go with a Halloween weekend of football and, as always, Fresh Football will strive to be ahead of the curve in advising you on your Fantasy Football choices ahead of Gameweek 10 in the Premier League. Here’s who to keep tabs on:

1 - Chris Smalling

Club: Manchester United
Position: Defender
Price: £5.9m

Halloween came early for José Mourinho and his Manchester United side last weekend when succumbing to a 4-0 defeat at the hands of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Chris Smalling played a notable role in the Red Devils’ demise, yet the Englishman remains central to plans of a potential full-blown response from Man United at Old Trafford, welcoming Burnley on Saturday.

The Clarets have scored just once in three Premier League fixtures away from home, and even without Eric Bailly next to him, we think Smalling and co. should have enough about them to thwart Sean Dyche’s team at home, or score a goal himself in what *should* be a standard United win.

The hosts will have to be wary, however, with key man Andre Gray returning from a four-game-ban to hand out some retribution of his own to his teammates and fans.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for the EFL Cup tie between Manchester City and Manchester United at Old Trafford:

Manchester United

David De Gea - 5

It’s a 5 for De Gea, purely on the basis that he had absolutely nothing to do all game.

Antonio Valencia - 5

Tactically disciplined, but largely unrefined in attack. Not a great deal got past Valencia, mind

Marcos Rojo - 6

There were a few concerned faces at the prospect of Rojo deputising at centre back, but the Argentine appeared comfortable, particularly in possession.

Daley Blind - 5

Technically comfortable, as we’ve come to expect from Blind, but another who didn’t appear to have much to do with regards to defending.

Luke Shaw - 5

Although the ex-Southampton man linked up fairly nicely with Rashford on the left flank, handling Jesus Navas’ pace proved to be an issue. The distance kept in the second half, however, made the task of containing the Spaniard become far more manageable for Shaw.

Michael Carrick - 6

A super composed performance from the midfield veteran, which once again adds to the case being made for him to start more regularly for Man United.

Ander Herrera - 6

Carrick’s presence freed Herrera of some of his newly-appointed defensive responsibilities of late, which allowed him to press higher up the pitch to great effect.

Juan Mata - 6

Floated in and out of the right flank, which kept the home side’s possession flowing, but also limited the options out wide. Mata, of course, came up with the all important goal too in a 1-0 victory.

Paul Pogba - 5

The Frenchman looked to make something happen every time he got onto the ball, often a little forceful in doing so.

Marcus Rashford - 8

Head and shoulders above everyone on the night, proving to be a menace to young Pablo Maffeo on United’s left wing and causing City plenty of issues on the counter-attack.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 6

It looked as though the former PSG man would be heading for another disappointing display based on his first-half performance, but Ibrahimovic managed to up his game in the second period to create a couple of good chances and assist Mata.

Subs:

Morgan Schneiderlin - N/A

Manchester City

Willy Caballero - 5

Pulled off a good save from a left-footed Pogba shot in the second half, but rare were the occasions when the Argentine shot-stopped was called into action.

Pablo Maffeo - 6

An impressive display from young Maffeo, who was undoubtedly among the best in a City shirt, despite having his hands full with dealing with Rashford.

Vincent Kompany - 5

A standard performance by the Belgian, who was taken off at half-time, presumably with another injury to add to the tally.

Nicolas Otamendi - 3

Far too dedicated to pressing and winning the ball back, which often left massive gaps behind him for Man United to target.

Gael Clichy - 4

Fairly anonymous, particularly in attack, which is disappointing from the ex-Arsenal defender considering the potential licence to do so thanks to Juan Mata roaming inwards.

Fernando - 6

He’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but Fernando appeared fairly solid and much improved on the ball.

Aleix Garcia - 6

Another, alongside Maffeo, to catch the eye in the middle of the park. Garcia looked the likeliest to make something happen.

Jesus Navas - 4

Attacked Shaw well, but at the same time, Navas appeared very predictable once more in his decision making.

Leroy Sané - 3

The winger, operating behind the striker in this encounter, failed to inflict any damage in the final third, meanwhile ghosting through much of the second half before being replaced by Raheem Sterling.

Nolito - 4

Found a couple good passes in attack, but notable involvement came few and far between.

Kelechi Iheanacho - 3

Missed a great opportunity to stun Old Trafford in the early exchanges of the tie, but the Nigerian’s miss would go on to commence a lacklustre performance.

Subs:

Aleksandar Kolarov - 3

Slotted in terribly next to Otamendi in the second half, allowing United to grow in confidence and eventually take the lead.

Raheem Sterling - 4

Replacing Sané, Sterling tried, but ultimately failed to ignite any potential City comeback.

Sergio Agüero - N/A

It may seem as though José Mourinho has a grudge match scheduled for every weekend these days, but this one is truly eye-catching. The Portuguese manager returns to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, only this time he’ll be sitting in the opposing dugout, as Chelsea welcome his Manchester United side.

Just how fractious Mourinho’s decision to join a competitive rival has been for his relationship with his former club remains to be seen, as both teams go head-to-head in what undoubtedly looks to be the main event this weekend.

We’re not sure whether there’ll be any love lost, be we think we may have a pretty good idea where the crucial three points may be won on either side. Here are the three key battles to look out for:

1 - David Luiz vs. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

 

John Terry may well be on the brink of a return to the first-team after a spell out injured, but time will tell whether the Man United game comes too soon for the Chelsea skipper.

In his absence, David Luiz has deputised, somewhat unconvincingly next to Gary Cahill in the big games, and he could well find his stint in the starting XI extending itself for another week if Terry isn’t fit enough to start.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic often combats with the right-sided defender, in this case Gary Cahill, but it’ll be interesting to see if Mourinho instructs the big Swede to target his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate.

Contrarily, Chelsea may use Luiz’s knowledge on the fiery Swede when formulating a defensive duo in light of Terry’s potential return.

Back for our weekly overview of players to look out for in Fantasy Premier League football, games such as José Mourinho’s return to Stamford Bridge and the early season basement battles between Hull City and Stoke City, as well as West Ham United at home to Sunderland, take us into Gameweek 9. Here are three stars to keep tabs on in what promises to be a cracking weekend of football.

1 - Seamus Coleman

Club: Everton
Position: Defender
Price: £5.5m

Among the madness and hyperbole surrounding a couple of renowned Manchester clubs, Everton are going quietly about their business and, with relative success thus far, have found themselves sitting pretty in the top 6.

And meanwhile all three points have escaped the Toffees’ grasp for over a month now, a hard fought draw away to Manchester City pushes Ronald Koeman’s side into a clash against 14th-placed Burnley, also on a winless streak, with new-found positivity.

Burnley will be without their new signing Steven Defour and star striker Andre Gray when hosting the Merseysiders, whereas the visitors boast a neat record of conceding just three goals on their travels.

Pay close attention to Seamus Coleman in this one, likely to pick up valuable clean sheets and maybe chip in with a goal and/or assist while he’s at it.

Tottenham Hotspur made up for their Wembley debacle versus AS Monaco with an eventual, but steady 1-0 victory against CSKA Moscow away from home in the UEFA Champions League last month. Now rounding off the first round of their group stage campaign, the draw sees Mauricio Pochettino’s side hit the road once more, as Bayer Leverkusen awaits the north Londoners’ arrival in Germany.

A win tonight for Spurs could see them top Group E ahead of the reverse fixture at Wembley, but their opponents are unbeaten in the Champions League thus far, meanwhile they also search for their first victory following two draws to CSKA and Monaco respectively.

Here’s Fresh Football’s mini lowdown on the Bundesliga club.

The Journey

Much like Spurs, a 3rd placed finish in the top flight of German football saw Leverkusen gain automatic qualification for this year’s edition of the Champions’ League.

Despite big showings against competitive rivals such as Schalke 04 and Borussia Mönchengladbach, Leverkusen failed to cover the huge gulf between them and the top two, finishing 28 points behind champions Bayern Munich and 18 away from 2nd placed Borussia Dortmund.

The Form

Leverkusen have strived to strengthen their squad with the arrivals of Kevin Volland, Aleksandar Dragovic and Julian Baumgartlinger, adding to the return of the injury-hit Charles Aranguiz and the emergence of Joel Pohjanpolo in the first team.

But strength in numbers has done little thus far to avert Roger Schmidt’s side’s rocky start to the season who, beyond a 2-1 win against Dortmund at the start of this month, has gone on to drop points against Gladbach, Eintracht Frankfurt and, most recently, Werder Bremen to leave the Group E side sitting in 10th place in the Bundesliga.

One to Watch

On paper, it’s difficult not to be struck by names such as Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Julian Brandt, the burden of pushing this side over the line may well fall on the shoulders of a familiar face to us all on the night.

Of the 16 goals scored so far by the German club in the new campaign, seven have come from ex-Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez, with the Mexican also starring last season when netting 26 goals from 43 games in all competitions.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Liverpool’s home clash with against Manchester United on Monday night.

Liverpool

Loris Karius - 5

Composed for the most part, in particular with the ball at his feet, but almost landed his team in hot water when playing a stray pass to the opposition on the edge of his box.

Nathaniel Clyne - 5.5

A quiet game from the English right back, as he began coming into the action late on in support of Sadio Mané, but it all seemed a little too late.

Joel Matip - 6.5

Calm and collected throughout, keeping the defensive line in good nick alongside Dejan Lovren and creating one of the few chances of the game when marauding through the middle. Matip’s decent start to his Liverpool career continues.

Dejan Lovren - 6.5

Following on from Matip, Lovren kept up appearances in the back line and helped ensure a conservative Man United side had little chance of sneaking away with a win.

James Milner - 6.5

Top work ethic from Milner, as usual, who tried to glue play together on his side of the pitch as best as he could with Marcus Rashford lurking.

Jordan Henderson - 6

Solid in the middle of the park, but was stuck far too often with the task of getting plays started from deep, which isn’t his style.

Emre Can - 6

Failed to replicate Adam Lallana’s and Georginio Wijnaldum’s shared duties through the middle, which is a shame for Liverpool, but the German did grow into the game in the second half.

Sadio Mané - 4.5

Marked out of the game by Man United’s inclusion of Ashley Young in support for Daley Blind, and when space did arise on the flanks, Mané spurned his chances of inflicting damage through clumsiness on the ball.

Roberto Firmino - 5.5

Ghosted through phases of the game in starvation of the ball at his feet, but the ex-Hoffenheim man looked far better in the false nine role once it was vacated by Daniel Sturridge.

Philippe Coutinho - 7.5

Liverpool’s best hope of shifting a stubborn United side, who was unlucky not to see his shot from range bend around an inspired David De Gea.

Daniel Sturridge - 4

Anonymous throughout the game, largely down to Liverpool’s inability to break through the lines efficiently enough, which led to his substitution in the second half.

Subs:

Adam Lallana - 6.5

A big miss for the Reds, the introduction of a semi-fit Lallana brought life into the game.

Divock Origi - N/A

Alberto Moreno - N/A

Manchester United

David De Gea - 7

At quiet night, attempts wise, but the Spaniard was on his toes to pull off a super save from a Coutinho shot from range.

Antonio Valencia - 6.5

Another solid display at right back for Valencia to add to his recent collection, rounded off by a last-ditch tackle that prevented Roberto Firmino from dispatching a shot inside the box.

Eric Bailly - 5.5

A fairly calm night for the former Villarreal defender.

Chris Smalling - 5.5

Much like Bailly, Smalling didn’t have a great deal to do thanks to the support of Herrera, Fellaini, and the full backs around him.

Daley Blind - 5

Blind was limited throughout due to Mané’s presence, thwarting the Senegalese forward successfully in combination with Young.

Ander Herrera - 6.5

Supported somewhat of a stun-charge on Liverpool really well in the opening stages of the encounter, whereas he also adapted adequately to fulfil his team’s needs in defensive midfield.

Marouane Fellaini - 6

Tucked in nicely next to Herrera and supplemented a hardened barrage for Liverpool to break down.

Marcus Rashford - 6

The young Englishman threatened early on the right flank, but, in accordance to the game, the opportunities to impose himself in attack diminish swiftly.

Paul Pogba - 5.5

Undoubtedly under José Mourinho’s instructions, Pogba spent much of his time breathing down Dejan Lovren’s and Jordan Henderson’s neck to make Liverpool’s task of constructive play more difficult, and did so well.

Ashley Young - 6

Followed Mané closely all game and prevented Liverpool’s man from finding pockets of space.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 5.5

Always ready to capitalise on a United attack, but the big Swede will be disappointed not to have done better with his header across goal in the second half.

Subs:

Wayne Rooney - N/A

Luke Shaw - N/A

Few have been the times that these two colossal clubs of English football have come into a clash with lofty ambitions as of late, as Liverpool welcome Manchester United to the newly-renovated Anfield stadium on Monday night.

The Jürgen Klopp project and it’s suffocating press system has begun gaining some notable traction in the Premier League, in particularly in big games, whereas Man United and their array of expensive talent look to force their way back into prominence under new boss José Mourinho.

The match-up promises plenty, and in its lead-up, Fresh Football has sought to bring you a combined XI. Here’s how we’d line-up:

GK: David De Gea (Manchester United)

There won’t be many more straightforward choices to be made than including David De Gea, one of the best shot-stoppers in the world and, arguably, the main man between the sticks in Premier League football. Even if we weren’t to see him in such light, Simon Mignolet’s shaky past and new boy Loris Karius don’t offer us any great alternatives from Liverpool’s end.

RB: Nathaniel Clyne (Liverpool)

Nathaniel Clyne’s Man United counterpart, Antonio Valencia, has gained his fair share of plaudits so far this season from a right back position, but his systematic nature in the final third, particularly his over-hit crosses, raises a few question marks. Meanwhile Clyne’s associative play makes him our preferred option, we’re not even sure Valencia, despite good form, is the best right back at his own club.

CB: Eric Bailly (Manchester United)

Among the trickiest of introductions to this combined XI is Eric Bailly, simply because Joël Matip has excelled so much in his short time in the Premier League as well. Whereas the latter might be better at reading the game, we think Bailly’s physicality, especially once his aggression is more refined, sees the Ivorian pip the ex-Schalke man.

CB: Chris Smalling (Manchester United)

As someone who can blend his ability to read the game, bring the ball out from defence and impose himself physically upon attackers, Smalling’s addition is a no-brainer. On his day, he’s one of the very best centre backs in the Premier League.

LB: Luke Shaw (Manchester United)

Alberto Moreno came to mind, who, based on his Liverpool career thus far, is enough to hand the left back slot to just about anyone else. Such is his unreliability that Klopp has chosen to deploy James Milner at left back, a successful invention in the meantime, but we’d prefer to go down the old-fashioned route and opt for a natural left back. It’s also Luke Shaw, by the way, so we’re in good hands.

CM: Daley Blind (Manchester United)

We’re striving for a team that makes sense, here, which in turn sees us scramble a little for a convincing midfielder to play deep in this combined XI. Although talented, Emre Can’s yet to leave his definitive stamp at Anfield, whereas his teammate, Jordan Henderson, is more box-to-box than deep-lying. The same goes for Ander Herrera at United, who’s come into the fold ahead of Michael Carrick and Bastian Schweinsteiger. We’re trusting the versatility of Daley Blind on this one, who’s put in exemplary displays at left back and centre back in the past.

CM: Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

He’s been fairly underwhelming since his blockbuster transfer from Juventus this summer, but it’d take a brave man to overlook his talent in order to shut him out of this combined XI. We wouldn’t dare.

RM: Sadio Mané (Liverpool)

At last, some more Merseyside-based presence, and it goes to their new acquisition. Many an eyebrow was raised at the £34 million price tag of Sadio Mané when joining from Southampton, but the Senegalese winger has been quick to allay any fears and become an instant hit at Anfield. The 24-year-old provides a constant threat with his movement in behind, whereas his trickery and pace make him a real handful across the attacking third.

AM: Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool)

The Brazilian can offer the odd irritation with his relentless attempts at goal from range, but when it works, there’s little left to do but admire. Coutinho’s general low centre of gravity coupled with his dribbling ability and flair are the real reasons why we think he’s best suited to the free role in attacking midfield, however.

LM: Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United)

Up against the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial, our preference is to go with Henrikh Mkhitaryan on this one. Being quick on the turn, the Armenian is lethal in transition, just as he was in his storming 2015/16 season with Borussia Dortmund prior to his transfer to Manchester United. We’re yet to see the versatile wide man exemplify the same prowess at Old Trafford, but should he be given the chance, it’d be no surprise to see him star.

ST: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United)

Even with Rashford and Martial in the equation, Daniel Sturridge might well serve as the biggest opposition to Zlatan Ibrahimovic at striker. With both representing different profiles of strikers, this one comes down to consistency, and almost by default, Sturridge’s injury prone history and mix-and-match attendance when fit under Klopp sees Ibrahimovic pip him. Additionally, the Swede’s hold-up play and playmaking ability is quite the sight when coupled with aforementioned runners in the attacking third.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Arsenal’s Premier League win at home over Swansea City at the Emirates Stadium this Saturday:

Arsenal

Petr Čech - 6.5

The veteran goalkeeper was brought into action occasionally in the first half, offering a few uneasy moments with his distribution, but, contrarily, the ex-Chelsea man kept himself composed between the sticks when saving a handful of attempts at goal late on from Leroy Fer and co.

Héctor Bellerín - 7

Arsenal’s right back was constant threat down the flanks, meanwhile also ushering the Swans’ attack away to the opposite wing with his defensive capabilities.

Shkodran Mustafi - 7

A sound performance from the German centre half yet again, whether it meant bringing the ball out from defence, threatening from set-pieces, or sweeping up play in behind Arsenal’s backline.

Laurent Koscielny - 7.5

Much like his centre back partner, Mustafi, Koscielny’s covering and reading of the game was near impeccable, in particular when dealing Modou Barrow on Arsenal’s left hand side.

Nacho Monreal - 6

Standard stuff from Arsenal left back Nacho Monreal, who was generally solid but will also be happy to see the back of Modou Barrow.

Granit Xhaka - 5

A day to forget for Granit Xhaka, despite a fairly calm demonstration in between both points of reference that will blemish his performance. The Swiss midfielder lost the ball in a dangerous area in the lead-up to Gylfi Sigurðsson’s goal, whereas his red card for a cynical tackle turned up the heat on an Arsenal side left to fend off a late onslaught on their 3-2 advantage.

Santi Cazorla - 7

An often casual-looking performance from Cazorla’s, whose work in the park looked typically effortless in Arsenal’s large phase of dominance. The diminutive playmaker also shifted quite well to a more conservative approach in the middle of the park following Xhaka’s red card.

Theo Walcott - 8

Walcott’s hot streak in front of goal continues with a first-half brace, gifting Arsenal a 2-0 lead with some old-fashioned goal-poaching. The winger might well have had a hat-trick on another day, too - hitting the woodwork twice in the latter stages of the game.

Mesut Özil - 7

The execution in his passes were uncharacteristically rusty in the first period, but began to look far more refined and familiar for the second half, as Özil made his presence felt with an inch-perfect volley for Arsenal’s third.

Alex Iwobi - 6.5

Iwobi was on hand to provide good interplay throughout the game, bursting into life early in the second half in a dazzling run that almost led to Walcott’s third, but the young Nigerian was then given a break when replaced by Francis Coquelin midway through the second period.

Alexis Sanchez - 6

The Chilean was typically lively when leading the line, but for all the enthusiasm, his touch appeared visibly off peak. Perhaps a consequence of the fatigue picked up from international duty, but Sanchez still found away to contribute with a looped pass for Özil’s goal.

Subs

Francis Coquelin - N/A

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain - N/A

Kieran Gibbs - N/A

Swansea City

Łukasz Fabiański - 5.5

The ex-Arsenal man pulled off an important stop in the latter stages from an individual effort by Bellerín to keep Swansea in the game, whereas there wasn’t a great deal that could be done for at least two of the three goals conceded by the visitors.

Kyle Naughton - 5

Not a memorable performance from Naughton, it must be said, with general memory throwing us the image of the full back chasing after Arsenal players and little else.

Federico Fernández - 4

Among the most disappointing for Swans this afternoon, the player took his eye off runners in behind on a consistent basis and could easily have been punished on another day for it.

Jordi Amat - 4.5

Not quite as neglectful as his partner in crime, but the Spaniard was arguably at fault for Theo Walcott’s opener and went on to waste a good opportunity from a set-piece as the first half came to a close.

Neil Taylor - 4

Often tormented by the pace of Walcott and Bellerín, Taylor ended up resorting to physicality and picked up a yellow card for his troubles, limiting him further with coping with the dangers in his flank.

Jack Cork - 5

Quiet and unspectacular from the former Chelsea man, but it always looked as though it’d be that way up against an in-form Arsenal side.

Leon Britton - 4.5

Swansea looked towards a diminutive playmaker of their own to ease some of the strain caused by Arsenal’s dominance; a task too demanding of for a 34-year-old Leon Britton on the day, who was later subbed off for Borja Baston.

Leroy Fer - 4.5

The Dutchman relinquished possession far too often in the middle of the park and, perhaps, should have done more in front of goal when the opportunity presented itself.

Modou Barrow - 7

Another impressive performance from Barrow, who’s threat kept Swansea in the game.

Wayne Routledge 4.5

More often than not found tracking back in a fairly low-key display.

Gylfi Sigurðsson - 6.5

Another rare glimpse of hope for Swansea, coming from their star man. Gylfi Sigurðsson was on hand to capitalise on Xhaka’s mistake and pull a goal back, whereas his set-pieces promised to be the most likely avenue for an equaliser all afternoon.

Subs

Borja Baston - 6

Came on to make an impact and did just that when handing Swansea a lifeline with his first goal for his new club.

Ki Sung-Yeung - N/A

Àngel Rangel - N/A

With the England international scene in a bit of a sorry state, the Premier League returns in good time to hog our attention span. Spoiling us with big match-ups, such as Manchester City versus Everton, Crystal Palace’s London derby against West Ham United and the eagerly-anticipated Liverpool – Manchester United clash on Monday night, Fresh Football will also be on the scene to point you in the right direction with regards to your Fantasy Premier League choices. Here are our three hotpicks:

1 - Laurent Koscielny

Club: Arsenal
Position: Defender
Price: £6.2m

Arsenal’s backline appears to be in good nick, so much so that the newly-formed duo of Laurent Koscielny and Shkodran Mustafi have conceded just once in their last four games together. On their way to the Emirates Stadium this weekend are Swansea City, who, in Bobby Bradley’s debut as the Swans’ manager, may be more concerned with thwarting the in-form Alexis Sanchez and Theo Walcott than anything else.

A more committed approach to defending from the visitors is sure to improve the odds of another clean sheet for Arsenal, who will have to keep an eye open for the aerial threat conveyed by Fernando Llorente, Borja Baston and Leroy Fer, among others. In the meantime, Koscielny could also arise as a goal scoring threat at the other end when the opportunity presents itself.

Manchester United are back in action this Thursday in the Europa League, this time taking to Old Trafford after a 1-0 defeat to Feyenoord in the first group stage game to host Zorya Luhansk. Yep! Quite the unknown quantity, this Zorya side.

Undoubtedly, the Red Devils are huge favourites for this clash, and meanwhile José Mourinho’s men might not consider the Europa League to be a competition of supreme importance, they could do without the embarrassment of a slip-up here in what’s been a fairly rocky start to the season.

Being as low profile as they are, however, you never know quite what Zorya can muster on the big stage. Here’s a bit about the Ukrainian club hoping to spring a surprise in the red half of Manchester.

The Journey

‘The Chorno-Bili’s’ relationship with European football has been pretty scarce, as one would imagine, but they did find themselves amongst the crème de la crème back in 1972, where they represented the Soviet Union at the formerly-named European Cup.

They have since been knocking on the door of Europa League football in the past two years, falling short against Feyenoord and Legia Warsaw, respectively, in the final rounds of qualifying.

Zorya had been bracing themselves for a potential third bite of the cherry while sitting in 4th place in the Ukrainian Premier League, but sanctions handed to 3rd placed Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk for financial reasons saw the club banned from participating in European competitions and their direct qualification to the group stages being gifted to United’s next opponents.

The Form

With the Ukrainian Premier League starting in July and the domestic competition consisting of just 12 teams, Zorya have had the chance to test themselves against every side in the league and have only been bettered by Dnipro, who defeated the Europa League minnows 2-0 back in August.

Zorya, however, bounced back with a crucial 1-0 victory versus Dynamo Kyiv and find themselves as high as second in the league table, five points behind Shakhtar Donestk, whom they beat in the first game of the season 3-2 away from home.

One to Watch – Oleksandr Karavaev

With 16-goal man Pylyp Budkivsky gone, returning to Shakhtar after a loan spell with Zorya before joining Anzhi Makhachkala on a temporary basis, the responsibility of inspiration falls on the shoulders of wide man Oleksandr Karavaev, also loaned in from the Ukrainian champions.

The 23-year-old started his third consecutive season in Zorya colours after registering 11 goals and eight assists in all competitions last season, whereas this season sees Karavaev find the back of the net four times in nine appearances thus far, contributing further with an assist.

UEFA Champions League debuts don’t often come as convincing as Leicester City’s 3-0 victory over Club Brugge earlier this month, with the Premier League champions following up their success in Europe with an identical result at home to Burnley in the league, but the shoe is now on the other foot.

The Foxes were sunk by a 4-2 result in the EFL Cup last week versus Chelsea, having led by two goals in the first half, whereas back in the league, Manchester United dealt Claudio Ranieri’s men a 4-0 loss to mull over.

Leicester, however, do now have a nice change of pace to enable them to shake off some of the negative energy amassed in the past week, with FC Porto visiting the King Power Stadium for Game Two of the Champions League group stages. Here’s a little taster of the Portuguese side.

The Journey

Porto rarely ever misses out on an edition of the Champions League, but that doesn’t suggest all is well in paradise. After going through two managers in the past season, not only did the northern outfit finish 3rd behind rivals Benfica and Sporting, but in doing so, Porto made it a third consecutive season without a league title for the first time since 2002.

Now under the management of their fellow former goalkeeper and the predecessor to Gary Neville at Valencia, Nuno Espírito Santo, the Portuguese club managed to skip past AS Roma in the qualifying rounds with a 4-1 aggregate win.

Form

Despite being enriched with talented players, piecing the Porto stars together as a potent force has proved to be the sticking point. Nuno felt that as early as his third game, where his side were outclassed in a 2-1 defeat away to Sporting prior to drawing versus Tondela earlier this month.

The 2004 Champions League winners also slipped up in their opening group stage clash at home to FC Copenhagen, meaning they’re already playing catch-up when taking to the field at the King Power Stadium.

One to Watch – André Silva

The 20-year-old striker was left under wraps with the B team last season, but he’s now made positives strides in the new campaign towards fulfilling his lauded potential, being highly-regarded as the answer to Portugal’s lack of quality strikers at international level.

André Silva is able to mix and match all relevant attributes well, from notable strength, to technical ability and pace. The Porto number 10 has exemplified many of those traits on his way to becoming the club’s go-to-guy for goals this season, topping the team’s goal scoring charts with five goals in nine appearances thus far.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Manchester United’s home clash versus Leicester City in the Premier League.

Manchester United

David De Gea - 6

Despite a relatively quiet game, De Gea was left stunned by a Demarai Gray strike in the second half. By the same token, the Spaniard pulled off a good save from similar circumstances in the latter stages of the game.

Antonio Valencia - 6

A standard Antonio Valencia, with lots of running, work ethic, as well as a handful of hit and miss crosses. He did, however, struggled to contain Gray in the second half.

Chris Smalling - 7.5

The England international remained casual up against the likes of Jamie Vardy and Islam Slimani, meanwhile opening the scoring for Man United in the first half.

Eric Bailly - 7

Equally as sound as Smalling throughout much of the game, but there was the odd occasion where he found himself stretched in unison with Valencia on the right side of defence. Decent overall.

Daley Blind - 8

The versatile defender was particularly successful in thwarting main man Riyad Mahrez, on top of combining expertly with his teammates thanks to some crisp passing. A big performance.

Paul Pogba - 7.5

A far better showing from the record signing, who was gifted time by the Leicester midfield to manipulate the ball and also went on to score his first goal in United colours.

Ander Herrera - 6.5

Operating deeper, Herrera’s presence allowed the likes of Pogba and Juan Mata greater freedom.

Marcus Rashford - 7

Busy on the flanks, exposing quality hold-up play and a fearless attitude that was again rewarded with a goal.

Juan Mata - 7.5

With Wayne Rooney benched, Mata took initiative and roamed expertly to link up play and cause the Leicester defence all sorts of problems. The Spanish playmaker got onto the scoresheet in the 37th minute.

Jesse Lingard - 6.5

Active in and around the box, tracked back well and added an assist to his name.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic - 7.5

The Swede left both central defenders trailing his associative play and troubled the Leicester backline with well-timed runs in what was a performance that only lacked a goal.

Subs:

Michael Carrick - N/A

Wayne Rooney - N/A

Leicester City

Ron-Robert Zieler - 3.5

Fairly powerless in all four of the goals, but few, if any, positives surround his day.

Danny Simpson - 3

Left unhappy in his duel versus Marcus Rashford and his marking inside the box from set-piece scenarios.

Robert Huth - 3

Had his work cut out with Ibrahimovic inside the box, whereas his marking and organisation was very disappointing for three of the four goals Leicester conceded.

Wes Morgan - 3.5

Much like Huth, Morgan’s so often the heart and soul of the Foxes’ side with his Herculean defending, but that wasn’t the case today.

Christian Fuchs - 3

Usually so reliable, the Austrian turned in one of his worst performances since joining the current Premier League champions.

Riyad Mahrez - 3.5

Fairly uninspired and hooked off at half-time with the midweek clash versus Porto in mind.

Danny Drinkwater - 3

Outnumbered in the middle of the park, whereas he’s sure to have better days going forward.

Daniel Amartey - 3

In much the same vein, Amartey struggled to cope versus a 3-man midfield.

Marc Albrighton - 3

Simply non-existent.

Islam Slimani - 4

Worked hard to charge Leicester forward, but was often left isolated.

Jamie Vardy - 4

Led on behind Slimani, attempting to place Leicester’s stamp on the game, but lacked support and was subbed off at half-time.

Subs:

Demarai Gray - 6.5

The shining light in a dismal afternoon for the Foxes, offering refuge from Man United’s suffocating domination and providing a quality goal from range for fans to at least smile about.

Andy King - 5.5

Might feel he could have done better in his second-half stint, but his mere presence served to balance the game and limit the damage that had already been done prior to his entrance.

Jeffrey Schlupp - N/A

Following the EFL Cup interlude, the Premier League returns with a series of games to draw our eyes to, in particular the London derby between Arsenal and Chelsea, Leicester City’s visit to Old Trafford ahead of their clash against Manchester United and Tony Pulis’ return to the newly-named Bet365 Stadium, where his West Bromwich Albion side face-off versus former club Stoke City.

As always, Fresh Football will be here to attempt to aid your Fantasy Teams, as we switch our attentions to a list made up entirely of potential goal-getters ahead of Gameweek Six. You can read more advice in our Fantasy Football section. Here are our three hotpicks:

1 - Sadio Mané
Club: Liverpool
Position: Midfield
Price: £9m

Liverpool, with two wins against Leicester City and Chelsea in their last three Premier League games, have emerged as potential candidates for the league title this season, as they welcome a Hull City side, currently winless in their last three outings prior to this week’s league cup clash, to the newly-renovated Anfield stadium.

The Tigers struggled to cope with Arsenal’s pressing game last weekend in their 4-1 defeat at home, a style so synonymous with Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool; meanwhile the Reds will be boosted further by the likely returns of Daniel Sturridge, Roberto Firmino, Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum following a 3-0 win versus Derby County in midweek.

In front of an excited home crowd, we’re tipping Sadio Mané to cause Hull’s defence all sorts of trouble in what *should* be a routine victory for Liverpool.

The Premier League comes early this week and, as always, Fresh Football will be here to try and second guess the professionals in aid of your Fantasy Teams. Here are our picks for this weekend:

1 - Kyle Walker

Club: Tottenham Hotspur
Position: Defender
Price: £5.7m

Sunderland come to town on Sunday, which might feel like quite a relief for Tottenham Hotspur after their midweek defeat to AS Monaco in the UEFA Champions League. As slow starters, facing the Black Cats offers Spurs the chance to bounce back into a phase of positivity and, in our case, point us towards the most glaringly likely clean sheet of the week.

No team has conceded fewer goals than Spurs’ two so far, whereas Sunderland have found the back of the net just three times this season, a theme for those in the bottom half of the table. Toby Alderweireld might be a good player to back, but we think Kyle Walker’s enthusiasm on the right flank may offer you even more points via potential assists.

It’s been a long time coming, but alas, Tottenham Hotspur have their UEFA Champions League spot back after a five-season hiatus. Competing against Europe’s elite isn’t the only thing that the north Londoners can look forward to, as they kick off their campaign at Wembley Stadium for the first time versus AS Monaco.

The Ligue 1 outfit are no strangers to Spurs, of course, with the away side losing 4-1 in their last visit to White Hart Lane. Monaco are, however, a year wiser and have since bolstered their squad with the likes of Torino’s Kamil Glik, French full-backs Benjamin Mendy and Djibril Sidibé and their loan returnee Radamel Falcao.

Here’s how Tottenham’s opposition presents themselves ahead of their Group E clash:

The Journey

The club from the Principality will look back on a pair of 4-0 victories versus Angers SCO and Toulouse with some pride, as well as inflicting one of only two defeats amassed by Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain with a 2-0 win, helping the Group E side finish third in the league table behind Olympique Lyonnais.

For Monaco boss Leonardo Jardim, that meant trying to battle his way into the Champions League group stages via the qualifying rounds with a team that conceded more goals (50) than any other in Ligue 1’s top six, whereas the 57 goals scored was also the lowest count among those in the top four.

Serving as obstacles in Monaco’s route to the Champions League group stages were Turkish club Fenerbahçe and Villarreal, beaten on aggregate, respectively, by 4-3 and 3-1.

Form

The Monégasques are currently sitting pretty at the top of the Ligue 1 table, picking up 10 points from a possible 12 so far this season. Among the successes of the new season is their second consecutive triumph over PSG, winning 3-1 this time around, and, more recently, the 4-1 demolition job against Lille as early as last Friday.

On the other hand, prior to Monaco’s last two games, the Ligue 1 club started their league campaign with a 2-2 draw at home to EA Guingamp and a timid 1-0 victory over Nantes, whereas they’ve also scored just four goals from open play this season.

One to Watch - Bernardo Silva

Despite not being blessed with big names, there are plenty of rough diamonds in Monaco’s set-up, in particular Thomas Lemar, Tiemoué Bakayoko and 17-year-old Kylian Mbappe. The pick of the bunch, however, could well be Bernardo Silva.

Originally placed on the right flank, the left-footed playmaker is often given licence to roam inwards, which earned him seven goals from 32 league appearances last season. The 22-year-old Portuguese starlet is already underway on goal scoring terms this season with strikes versus Villarreal and a late equaliser against Guingamp back in August.

These are Fresh Football’s player ratings for Swansea City’s home Premier League game against Chelsea:

Swansea City

Łukasz Fabiański - 7

Very good at claiming low crosses and safeguarding the goal as best as he could.

Kyle Naughton - 5.5

Struggled to thwart Eden Hazard in the first half, but his performance gradually improved.

Federico Fernández - 5

Arguably culpable in Chelsea’s first goal, as his headed clearance found itself to Oscar.

Jordi Amat - 5

Often embroiled in physical disputes with Diego Costa, Jordi Amat was fairly fortunate not to be red carded throughout the game.

Stephen Kingsley - 5.5

Shifted from centre back to left back and did okay with the little support he had on that particular flank.

Neil Taylor - 4.5

The Wales international was taken off shortly before half-time, with his team generally on the back foot in his presence.

Jack Cork - 5

Left a few gaps behind him by being sucked into pressure, which could have been costly with the right decision-making.

Ki Sung-yueng - 5

In combination with Cork, struggled to get ahold of the midfield and protect the back five/four.

Leroy Fer - 6

The Dutchman was a bit of a let down in the first half, but grew as the game went on, scoring Swansea’s crucial second goal.

Gylfi Sigurðsson - 5.5

Struggled to get on the ball, but the former Spurs man was on hand to fire the Swans level with a penalty in the second half.

Fernando Llorente - 5

Left isolated up top for the best part of the game.

Subs

Modou Barrow - 7

Swansea owe much of their change in fortunes to Modou Barrow, who worked the channels brilliantly and played the pass that saw Gylfi Sigurðsson win a penalty for the South Wales side.

Àngel Rangel - N/A

Chelsea

Thibaut Courtois - 5

A shaky performance from the Belgian. His distribution was often nervy-looking and inviting, whereas his misjudgement of Barrow’s pass to Gylfi Sigurðsson in the first half gifted Swansea a comeback.

Branislav Ivanović - 6.5

The Serbian offered quality in his support to Willian on the right flank in the first half, but Barrow’s introduction soon exposed the gaps left at the back.

Gary Cahill - 6

Won his fair share of duels versus Llorente throughout the game, but there’s a case to be made for the ex-Bolton defender being at fault for Leroy Fer’s goal, as he went down easily in surrendering possession.

John Terry - 7

A strong, solid performance from John Terry right throughout the game.

César Azpilicueta - 6

Quiet stuff from Azpilicueta, as most of the action came down Ivanović’s flank.

N’Golo Kanté - 6.5

The Frenchman was super effective at recovering possession, but his grip on proceedings began to wear off as the game progressed.

Nemanja Matić - 7

A performance reminiscent of the good times for Matić, especially going forwards.

Willian - 6

The winger was typically quick and direct, but his execution in dangerous areas was lacking.

Oscar - 6.5

A decent performance from the Brazilian, whose most notable contribution was an assist for Diego Costa’s first goal.

Eden Hazard - 7.5

A menace to both Kyle Naughton and right-sided centre back Federico Fernández. The Belgian looked the likeliest to turn the screw completely in Chelsea’s search for a winner late on.

Diego Costa - 8

Two goals in an action-packed afternoon for Diego Costa sees Chelsea earn a vital point for their second-half troubles.

Subs

Cesc Fàbregas - 6

Didn’t have too much time to leave a lasting impression on the game, but Fàbregas did offer a threat with one or two defence-splitting passes.

Victor Moses - 5

Like Fàbregas, Moses didn’t have time on his side with regards to making an impact and, well, he didn’t.

The wait was excruciating, so soon after welcoming the Premier League back, but alas the international break is over to give us a handful of weeks to focus solely on club football again. And what a way to return, as the Premier League gifts us a Manchester derby, Liverpool’s home clash versus champions Leicester City, among other potentially tight match-ups to sink our teeth into.

Such is the equilibrium in some of the games to take place in Gameweek Three that it’s fairly difficult to predict who’ll be your Fantasy Premier League kingpin this weekend, but Fresh Football might be able to push you in the right direction with these three:

1 - Ryan Shawcross
Club: Stoke City
Position: Defender
Value: £5m

A trip to the Bet365 Stadium sees Tottenham Hotspur return to the place they last looked like a fully-functioning side, as they walked over Stoke City with a 4-0 victory. Since then, the Premier League title hopefuls slumped to a third placed finish behind rivals Arsenal, whereas they’ve tasted victory just once in the new season.

Admittedly, the likes of Everton and Liverpool are never the easiest of teams to face, but Spurs’ attack has looked worryingly laboured in each of their three league games. New boy Vincent Janssen appears to be going through the motions of settling in, whereas Christian Eriksen’s form, alongside that of Dele Alli’s, seems to have deserted him.

Under more concerning circumstances, the statistic haunting Spurs in relation to Mousa Dembélé’s absence, in particular the one that sees chief goal scorer Harry Kane find the back of the net just once without the Belgian midfielder in the starting XI, could again extend itself with a traditionally tricky away fixture for most.

In the receiving end of Tottenham’s attacking woes are Stoke, themselves needing a result to kick-start their season after just a point gained from a possible nine so far this season. The Potters will look to skipper Ryan Shawcross to lead the collective in thwarting a thus far toothless Spurs attack, meanwhile potentially causing an upset at the other end via his threat from set-pieces.

As two of the most free-spending managers in football history, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, paved way for the arrival of more high-profile managerial switch-a-rounds, it’s perhaps no surprise to see Premier League clubs shatter the records of expenditure once more with a £1.165 billion bill, surpassing the £870 million mark set just last season.

In its trail, the relentless cash burning has left a bunch of euphoric agents, players and, for the most part, many satisfied fans with the acquisitions made by their favourite clubs. Some teams went about their business better than others, however.

Fresh Football has already brought to you those ranked as 20th – 17th, 16th – 13th & 12th – 9th, leaving us with eight more Premier League clubs in our power rankings to go through. Here are the those who’ve just missed out on our top four.

8th – Watford

Key Incomings: Roberto Pereyra (£11m), Isaac Success (£12.75m), Daryl Janmaat (£7.5m), Christian Kabasele (£5m), Stefano Okaka (£5m), Younes Kaboul (£3.4m), Camilo Zúñiga (Loan), Brice Dja Djédjé (£3m), Kenedy (Loan).

Key Outgoings: Miguel Layún (£5m), Mario Suárez (Loan), José Manuel Jurado (£1.2m), Allan Nyom (£4m), Ikechi Anya (£4m), Matej Vydra (£8m), Almen Abdi (£3m), Daniel Pudil (Free).

There’s a great sense of intrigue surrounding Watford’s new boss Walter Mazzarri, who starred for Napoli in command of Edinson Cavani, Marek Hamšík and more before an underwhelming spell at Inter Milan in 2013. As the Hornets took on Arsenal and Chelsea in two of their first three Premier League encounters, the Italian manager could only pluck one point from a possible nine so far, but the squad currently at his disposal could well give the London club an excellent chance at a swift recovery.

Juventus midfielder Roberto Pereyra stands as the biggest name to walk through the door at Vicarage Road, with the Argentine already impressing versus Arsenal following his £11 million move. The impact made in the same game by record signing Isaac Success also gives Mazzarri food for thought with regards to his options up top.

On the topic of forwards, Watford’s ability to hold onto Odian Ighalo and Troy Deeney can be seen in a positive light, despite the astronomical offers that reportedly surfaced, whereas the likes of Daryl Janmaat, Kenedy and Christian Kabasele could all prove to be handy options for Mazzarri’s famed 3-5-2 formation.

7th – Arsenal

Key Incomings: Granit Xhaka (£38m), Shkodran Mustafi (£35m), Lucas Pérez (£17m), Rob Holding (£2.5m), Takuma Asano (£3.5m), Kelechi Nwakali (£3m).

Key Outgoings: Jack Wilshere (Loan), Calum Chambers (Loan), Joel Campbell (Loan), Wojciech Szczęsny (Loan), Serge Gnabry (£4.25m), Mikel Arteta (Retired), Tomáš Rosický (Released), Mathieu Flamini (Released), Jon Toral (Loan), Dan Crowley (Loan), Isaac Hayden (£2.5m).

The primary targets for Arsenal in the transfer window were to sign a defensive midfielder, a striker and a centre back, all of high calibre. After endless pleas from fans and public figures alike, the Gunners managed to do just that, to an extent at least.

Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Granit Xhaka is sure to add the blend of attitude, defensive and technically progressive capabilities the north London club has been crying out for in defensive midfield throughout the years. There can be few complaints over the arrival of Shkodran Mustafi as well; a 24-year-old, 13-time Germany international who adds both greater physical capabilities and composure that the likes of Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista naturally can’t pair up.

The arrival of 27-year-old Lucas Pérez is a little trickier to theoretically suffice, however, but if his recent 17-goal season for Deportivo de La Coruña is anything to go by, then he’s a welcome addition to those in the goal scoring department.

6th – Middlesbrough

Key Incomings: Viktor Fischer (£4.25m), Álvaro Negredo (Loan), Antonio Barragán (£2.3m), Víctor Valdés (Free), Calum Chambers (Loan), Adama Traoré (Undisclosed), Bernardo Espinosa (Free), Gastón Ramírez (Free), Fabio Da Silva (£2m), Brad Guzan (Free).

Key Outgoings: Albert Adomah (Undisclosed), Jonathan Woodgate (Released), Adam Reach (£5m), Rhys Williams (Free), Mustapha Carayol (Released), Damia Abella (Released).

Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough side have been amongst the most lauded of Premier League sides for their transfer activity and it’s easy to see why. Notably, the ex-José Mourinho assistant manager has filled in the gaps of his team with various compatriots, which should facilitate both the players’ and the club’s transition to the Premier League from a tactical perspective.

Álvaro Negredo had 23 goals to his name in his debut season at Manchester City in 2014, whereas Víctor Valdés adds a wealth of experience to Middlesbrough’s backline, strengthened further by the likes of Antonio Barragán from Valencia and Sporting Gijon’s Bernardo Espinosa.

Boro have also managed to lure in Calum Chambers on loan, a good deal for all concerned, meanwhile there’s a fair deal of excitement that should be reserved for the arrival of ex-Ajax man Viktor Fishcher and former Barcelona starlet Adama Traoré, both players who should be keen to make positive strides in their promising careers.

5th – AFC Bournemouth

Key Incomings: Jack Wilshere (Loan), Jordon Ibe (£15.3m), Lewis Cook (£6m), Nathan Aké (Loan), Emerson Hyndman (Free), Brad Smith (£3m), Marc Wilson (£2m).

Key Outgoings: Matt Ritchie (£10.2m), Tommy Elphick (£3.2m), Lee Tomlin (£3m), Sylvain Distin (Released), Glenn Murray (Loan).

It’s hard to look beyond the deadline day signing of Jack Wilshere on loan from Arsenal, a player who, if fit, sees him become an addition of the highest order at the Vitality Stadium. His progressiveness and creativity in the middle of the park will be invaluable to Bournemouth, whereas he also has his fair share of experience, despite a turbulent time with injuries.

Ex-Liverpool man Jordon Ibe will be tasked with replacing Matt Ritchie, who joined Newcastle United for £10 million. If the talented winger can add consistency to his game, arguably costly in his abrupt exit from Anfield, then Bournemouth have yet another big player on their hands for the forthcoming season.

There’s bags of potential in the signings on Nathan Aké, loaned out by Chelsea once more, Emerson Hyndman from Fulham and £6 million man Lewis Cook, making the Cherries a team to pay very close attention to.

As two of the most free-spending managers in football history, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, paved way for the arrival of more high-profile managerial switch-a-rounds, it’s perhaps no surprise to see Premier League clubs shatter the records of expenditure once more with a £1.165 billion bill, surpassing the £870 million mark set just last season.

In its trail, the relentless cash burning has left a bunch of euphoric agents, players and, for the most part, many satisfied fans with the acquisitions made by their favourite clubs. Some teams went about their business better than others, however.

In the past couple of the days, we’ve brought to you those ranked by Fresh Football as 20th – 17th and 16th – 13th, so here are the next four teams in our power rankings.

12th – Liverpool

Key Incomings: Sadio Mané (£34m), Georginio Wijnaldum (£23.4m), Loris Karius (£5.25m), Joel Matip (Free), Ragner Klavan (£4.25m), Alex Manninger (Free)

Key Outgoings: Christian Benteke (£26.5m), Joe Allen (£13m), Jordon Ibe (£15.3m), Martin Škrtel (£5m), Mario Balotelli (Free), Lazar Marković (Loan), Brad Smith (£3m), Luis Alberto (£4.25m), Kolo Toure (Free), Andre Wisdom (Loan), Ádám Bogdán (Loan), Jordan Rossiter (Free), Jerome Sinclair (Free), José Enrique (Released).

Sadio Mané was signed from Southampton for an elevated fee in expectation that he could be a difference maker in Liverpool’s new fluid attack, with the Senegal international doing just that in his debut versus Arsenal last month.

The signing of Georginio Wijnaldum might also be a little too expensive, but if Jürgen Klopp can mould him into a consistent system, he too will be very useful for the Reds. Weaknesses elsewhere have been addressed with the arrivals of Mainz goalkeeper Loris Karius and FC Schalke centre back Joel Matip, both for nominal fees.

Liverpool also managed to shift much of their deadwood and excess, but the failure to land an alternative to Alberto Moreno at left back could well inflict some damage throughout the season.

11th – Tottenham Hotspur

Key Incomings: Vincent Janssen (£18.8m), Moussa Sissoko (£29.75m), Victor Wanyama (£12.25m), Pau López (Loan), Georges-Kévin N’Koudou (£9.3m).

Key Outgoings: Nacer Chadli (£13m), Ryan Mason (£13m), Nabil Bentaleb (Loan), Federico Fazio (Loan), Clinton N’Jié (Loan), DeAndre Yedlin (£5m), Alex Pritchard (£8 million).

Despite spending £70 million in this transfer window, it’s difficult to see just how much this Tottenham squad has improved from last season. Dutch striker Vincent Janssen is one Spurs fans will hope helps share the burden of scoring goals with Harry Kane after a 27-goal season in the Netherlands, but whether he will or not is another matter. The Premier League isn’t short of expensive Eredivisie flops and Janssen has only had one season of top flight football prior to his move to White Hart Lane.

Victor Wanyama adds depth to Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield for a relatively small price in comparison to the norm transfer fee between Premier League clubs these days, whereas there’s also a healthy-looking profit made in replacing West Brom’s latest recruit, Nacer Chadli, with Georges-Kévin N’Koudou from Olympique Marseille.

Shelling out close to £30 million on Moussa Sissoko, however, does look like a questionable signing when looking at the options Pochettino already has at his disposal, but in the meantime, some nice fees were recuperated with the sales of Ryan Mason, Alex Pritchard and more.

10th – Chelsea

Key Incomings: N’Golo Kanté (£30m), Michy Batshuayi (£33m), David Luiz (£32m), Marcos Alonso (£19.5m), Eduardo (£4.25m).

Key Outgoings: Mohamed Salah (£12.75m), Juan Cuadrado (Loan), Loïc Rémy (Loan), Baba Rahman (Loan), Bertrand Traore (Loan), Patrick Bamford (Loan), Kenedy (Loan), Nathan Aké (Loan), Charly Musonda (Loan), Jeremie Boga (Loan), Lewis Baker (Loan), Christian Atsu (Loan), Tammy Abraham (Loan).

N’Golo Kanté’s big-money move from Premier League champions Leicester City is already proving to be fruitful for the Blues, adding some much-needed balance to their midfield, whereas Michy Batshuayi’s impact in attack hasn’t been far behind.

On the other hand, Antonio Conte’s side did struggle to capture a left back and centre back as effectively as they would have liked. Rumours of a move for Wolfsburg’s Ricardo Rodriguez and Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli came to nothing, with it looking increasingly likely that the club were forced to settle for the likes of Marcos Alonso and Chelsea old boy David Luiz on deadline day, all for packed out price tags.

9th – West Ham United

Key Incomings: Sofiane Feghouli (Free), André Ayew (£20m), Simone Zaza (Loan), Jonathan Calleri (Loan), Gökhan Töre (Loan), Håvard Nordtveit (Free), Arthur Masuaku (£6m), Álvaro Arbeloa (Free), Edimilson Fernandes (£5.4m), Ashley Fletcher (Free).

Key Outgoings: James Tomkins (£10m), Enner Valencia (Loan), Reece Burke (Loan).

After a solid debut season for Slaven Bilić in the West Ham United hot seat, the east London club have given themselves all the conditions to improve upon their 7th placed finishing position with the transfers made ahead of the new campaign.

Valencia’s Sofiane Feghouli joins as a real coup for the side West Ham promise to become, arriving satisfyingly on a free transfer. Håvard Nordtveit and Álvaro Arbeloa also join the Hammers for free, who, alongside the loan signing of Gökhan Töre and £6 million move for Olympiakos’ Arthur Masuaku, back up Bilić’s squad nicely.

The injured André Ayew stands as the most expensive acquisition for West Ham, with his price tag arguably over-exaggerated, but he’s another who can contribute extensively after a good showing at Swansea City in 2015/16.

The options up top were the big worry throughout the transfer window, and meanwhile Jonathan Calleri’s had a hard time in his first set of games in front of goal, his potential has all the time to shine through this season. In the event that things don’t work out for the Argentine often associated with clubs like Barcelona, the Hammers also have Italy international Simone Zaza to turn to, joining on loan from Juventus.

As two of the most free-spending managers in football history, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, paved way for the arrival of more high-profile managerial switch-a-rounds, it’s perhaps no surprise to see Premier League clubs shatter the records of expenditure once more with a £1.165 billion bill, surpassing the £870 million mark set just last season.

In its trail, the relentless cash burning has left a bunch of euphoric agents, players and, for the most part, many satisfied fans with the acquisitions made by their favourite clubs. Some teams went about their business better than others, however.

Yesterday, we brought to you those ranked by Fresh Football as 20th-17th, so here’s the next four teams in our power rankings:

16th – Sunderland

Key Incomings: Papy Djilobodji (£8m), Didier Ndong (£13.4m), Adnan Januzaj (Loan), Paddy McNair (£4.4m), Donald Love (£975,000), Jason Denayer (Loan), Javier Manquillo (Loan), Steven Pienaar (Free), Victor Anichebe (Free).
Key Outgoings: Jeremain Lens (Loan), Younes Kaboul (£3.4m), Emmanuel Giaccherini (£1.3m), Steven Fletcher (Free), Wes Brown (Free).

Sunderland managed to land a loan move for the talented, yet uninspired Adnan Januzaj, but a move to the Stadium of Light does offer the Manchester United man some much-needed TLC, as he links up with David Moyes once more.

The likes of Jason Denayer and Papy Djilobodji will all have a point to prove after being streamlined straight down from traditionally top six clubs in Manchester City and Chelsea, whereas there’s also sense of intrigue surrounding the Black Cats’ latest signing from Lorient, Didier Ndong.

Keeping Lamine Koné rooted to the club for the foreseeable future will also be a huge plus for Sunderland, too, but Moyes’ admission that the club would most probably be involved in yet another dog fight to remain in the Premier League, even with Januzaj, Djilobodji and, evidently, Koné already at the club, doesn’t offer much confidence with regards to the squad’s preparation for the season ahead.

15th – Stoke City

Key Incomings: Joe Allen (£13m), Wilfried Bony (Loan), Bruno Martins Indi (Loan), Ramadan Sobhi (£4.25m), Lee Grant (Loan).
Key Outgoings: Philipp Wollscheid (Loan), Joselu (Loan), Marc Wilson (£2m).

It’s difficult to look beyond Joe Allen as the key attraction to this Stoke City side this summer. After an impressive Euro 2016 campaign, it’s perhaps surprising to see the Welshman relinquished by Liverpool, but his arrival adds to an ever-luxurious looking Mark Hughes side.

With Joselu out the door, Manchester City’s Wilfried Bony provides the Potters with a heavyweight replacement on a temporary basis, which, if he can produce anything like his Swansea City numbers, will see the striker become an instant fan favourite at the Bet365 Stadium.

Ramadan Sobhi’s first venture into European football could also prove to make for interesting viewing, but the deadline day acquisition of Bruno Martins Indi does bring a negative twang to Stoke’s dealings. Much like the Potters’ record signing, Gianelli Imbula, the Dutchman failed to impress in a considerably weaker league for FC Porto in the past two seasons.

With Philipp Wollscheid joining Bundesliga side Wolfsburg on loan, there’s a good chance Martins Indi will be fast-tracked to the first-team alongside Ryan Shawcross, which, as far as his recent history is concerned, may be a real worry.

14th – Everton

Key Incomings: Yannick Bolasie (£25m), Ashley Williams (£12m), Maarten Stekelenburg (£850,000), Idrissa Gana Gueye (£7.25m), Enner Valencia (Loan).
Key Outgoings: John Stones (£47.25m), Tim Howard (Free), Brendan Galloway (Loan), Steven Pienaar (Released), Leon Osman (Free), Aiden McGeady (Loan), Ryan Ledson (Undisclosed), Tony Hibbert (Released).

Everton moved quickly to reinvest their £47.25 million windfall from John Stones by landing Swansea City captain Ashley Williams, which should cover them defensively for at least a couple of seasons. Yannick Bolasie’s price-tag is evidently eye-popping, however, and despite his talent, it’s difficult to see such necessity with the likes of Kevin Mirallas and Gerard Deulofeu already at the club.

Within new surroundings, Idrissa Gana Gueye could prove to be a shrewd piece of business after a turbulent season with Aston Villa, but the arrival of Maarten Stekelenburg might not offer great assurances between the sticks after mixed experiences in the Premier League with Fulham and Southampton.

Then there’s the low-risk loan signing of West Ham United’s Enner Valencia, who should be useful in backing up Romelu Lukaku, but initially represents the Toffees’ failure to land the likes of Lucas Pérez last month. A real mixed bag of a window in the blue half of Merseyside.

13th – Crystal Palace

Key Incomings: Christian Benteke (£26.5m), Andros Townsend (£13.25m), James Tomkins (£10m), Steve Mandanda (Free), Loïc Rémy (Loan).
Key Outgoings: Yannick Bolasie (£25m), Dwight Gayle (£10m), Miles Jedinak (£4m), Emmanuel Adebayor (Released).

If you have your centre back, Scott Dann, leading the way for goals scored, you might want to seriously consider overhauling your frontline of attack. Thanks to the big sale of Yannick Bolasie, Crystal Palace have managed to do just that by shelling out on Liverpool misfit Christian Benteke.

Despite a heavy price tag, Benteke’s time with Aston Villa before Liverpool recklessly swooped in for him last summer speaks for itself. Alan Pardew has also had an interesting relationship with strikers in the past, with the likes of Demba Ba, Papiss Cissé and Glen Murray all scoring on a consistent basis under his command, so there’s hope the Palace boss can get the best out of Benteke.

If that fails, the Eagles have Loïc Rémy to back them up in attack, whereas Andros Townsend, as proved towards the end of last season for Newcastle United, can also contribute with a goal or two. Much like the Benteke deal, the signing of Tomkins looks a little too costly, whereas the failure to add creativity, or someone to relieve Yohan Cabaye of some of his defensive duties, stand as the only clear blemishes to Palace’s window.

As two of the most free-spending managers in football history, José Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, paved way for the arrival of more high-profile managerial switch-a-rounds, it’s perhaps no surprise to see Premier League clubs shatter the records of expenditure once more with a £1.165 billion bill, surpassing the £870 million mark set just last season.

In its trail, the relentless cash burning has left a bunch of euphoric agents, players and, for the most part, many satisfied fans with the acquisitions made by their favourite clubs. Some teams went about their business better than others, however. Here’s where all 20 Premier League clubs stand in Fresh Football’s rankings:

20th – Hull City

Key Incomings: Ryan Mason (£13m), David Marshall (£3.5m), Will Keane (£1m), James Weir (Undisclosed), Dieumerci Mbokani (Loan), Markus Henriksen (Loan).

Key Outgoings: Mohamed Diamé (£4.6m), Sone Aluko (Released), Ryan Taylor (Released)

As refreshing and laudable as one’s start to the season can be, the fact Hull’s squad still appears worryingly depleted, let alone arguably too weak to survive in the Premier League, sees them languish behind others as far as transfer dealings are concerned. It cost them a manager at the start of the season, after all.

David Marshall provided some solid performances during his time with Cardiff City in the Premier League, whereas Ryan Mason, despite being a bit costly, adds some quality to the Tigers’ midfield. The likes of Will Keane should also have space to grow into the player his potential promises to see him become, but whether he, among others, will manage to have the desired impact on the squad remains to be seen.

Stranger things have happened in the Premier League, of course, but the suspicions that Mike Phelan’s squad is still far too small and short in quality won’t go away.

19th - Burnley

Key Incomings: Jeff Hendrick (£10m), Steven Defour (£7.3m), Patrick Bamford (Loan), Jon Flanagan (Loan), Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson (£2.5m).

Key Outgoings: Joey Barton (Released), Matty Taylor (Released), Lukasz Jutkiewicz (Loan).

Sean Dyche is sticking to what saw his team promoted last season, that much is clear, after a fairly quiet summer at Turf Moor. Whether that will cost Burnley, or not, remains to be seen, but it more than likely was the defining factor in their relegation from the Premier League just two seasons ago.

Nevertheless, the arrivals of Steven Defour and Jeff Hendrick refresh the club’s midfield, whereas a stagnating Patrick Bamford joins with a point to prove, initially behind the likes of Sam Vokes and Andre Gray in the pecking order. The star quality remains unconvincing, however, but their strong unification can drown those concerns. At least there’s a clear method to Burnley’s actions, or lack thereof.

18th – West Bromwich Albion

Key Incomings: Nacer Chadli (£13m), Matt Phillips (£5.5m), Allan Nyom (£4m), Brendan Galloway (Loan), Robson Hal-Kanu (Free).

Key Outgoings: James Chester (£8m), Rickie Lambert (Undisclosed), Sebastien Pocognoli (Loan), Victor Anichebe (Released), Stephane Sessegnon (Released), Anders Lindegaard (Released).

Such was the disappointment with the lack of transfer activity at the Hawthorns that relegation-proof manager Tony Pulis was rumoured to be considering his position as West Bromwich Albion boss. That storm seems to have been weathered by the Midlands club, but they will now have to face the realities of their dealings.

On face value, the additions look adequate. Nacer Chadli’s powering figure looks like your average template for a Pulis wide man, whereas Brendan Galloway and Allan Nyom are decent reinforcements for the backline.

Happy or unhappy, Saido Berahino is still at the club, but fans will be rightly upset to have missed out on key targets, such as Islam Slimani, now at Leicester City, the striker’s ex-team mate, William Carvalho, and Malaga midfielder Ignacio Camacho. It’s a missed opportunity overall for squad that looks to be in desperate need or revitalisation.

17th – Swansea City

Key Incomings: Borja Bastón (£15.5m), Fernando Llorente (£5m), Leroy Fer (£4.75m), Mike van der Hoorn (£2.1m), Aflie Mawson (£5m).

Key Outgoings: André Ayew (£20m), Ashley Williams (£12m), Bafetimbe Gomis (Loan), Eder (£3.8m).

Hardly traffic-stopping stuff at the Liberty Stadium, but when has that ever been the case wherever Swansea City’s spending has been concerned? Still, the South Wales outfit managed to quietly smash their own transfer record by landing Borja Bastón for £15.5 million after his 19-goal season on loan at La Liga club Eibar.

The experienced Fernando Llorente also bolsters Francesco Guidolin’s frontline, whereas Leroy Fer, who has already found the back of the net from midfield twice this season, hopes his third move to a Premier League club won’t result in a successive relegation. The biggest worry, however, has to be how Swansea manage to cope with the exits of their top goalscorer and club captain, André Ayew and Ashley Williams. For now, it’s a season to sweat over.

Please believe me when I say this is not a test run, because Moussa Sissoko’s time at Newcastle United is close to coming to an end. The rumours of the Frenchman’s departure are years old and it certainly felt as though not even relegation could end the saga of Sissoko as a Toon player.

Beyond the constant public flirting with a move to Arsenal, corners of the Spanish and British press placed the midfielder on Real Madrid’s radar. Logically, the talk came to nothing, but Sissoko’s name grew bigger and bigger as deadline day approached.

The 27-year-old starting the morning as north London-bound, not to Arsenal, but to bitter rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Chelsea were also reportedly sniffing around, but again the Spurs rumour imposed itself with the willingness to pay his £30 million asking price in six separate instalments.

Unsurprisingly, Spurs chairman Daniel Levy thought again before relinquishing such a figure on the French international and the deal, according to Sky Sports News, was off again. Fear not, because Everton have now entered the scene to rescue Sissoko (and us) from his spell with the Magpies.

With Sky Sports once more leading the charge, they report that the Toffees have entered talks with Newcastle in a one-horse race, having seen their £34 million pursuit for FC Porto’s Yacine Brahimi scrapped. Again, the Championship club are willing to take their cash in instalments, with the player already in English territory after being granted permission by the France national team to hold talks regarding his future.

Sissoko’s arrival offers Ronald Koeman a different tool to utilise in his debut season at Goodison Park, with the midfielder capable of fulfilling the box-to-box role just as well as he operates as an industrious wide man, a quality that saw him feature more prominently for France in the latter stages of their Euro 2016 campaign this summer.

The one goal scored by the imposing figure of Sissoko leaves him trailing behind most competing against him for a first XI spot in the blue half of Merseyside, but the seven assists registered in 37 league appearances for Newcastle does see him rank highly among his new potential teammates, bettered only by mainstay Ross Barkley and Gerard Deulofeu, both on eight assists for the campaign just gone.

Despite playing predominantly out wide for Newcastle, only James McCarthy (61) and Idrissa Gana Gueye (108) won more tackles than the ex-Toulouse star on 46, meanwhile Sissoko comes out on top versus McCarthy’s in success rate with 51% to 44%.

To go with Sissoko’s misfiring nature of last season, the Newcastle man also fares worse than those at Everton with shots on target, languishing behind all but the 20% registered by Gueye with 44%. Contrarily, the midfielder’s creativity surprisingly sees the workhorse come out as king during the 2015/16 season after creating 56 chances, one better than Barkley’s record.

His average defensive actions of two-per-game see him well intertwined among Koeman’s options, but his transition-led nature sees him pair up with Deulofeu and trail others in pass accuaracy (average of 76%).

For all that statistics are worth, Sissoko perhaps doesn’t quite warrant the superstar status that habitually comes with a £30 million move, but his numbers do translate well enough to see him as a sound addition with regards to Everton’s depth.

Update: Tottenham have pipped Everton to the signing of Sissoko

Some Arsenal fans may have even kept their faith in Arsène Wenger through the dimmest of times with regards to strengthening the side with a defender and striker, but very few would have seen the reported demands imposed by fan favourite Jack Wilshere coming.

With the £34 million signing of Granit Xhaka from Borussia Mönchengladbach adding itself to the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Santi Cazorla, Mohamed Elneny and Francis Coquelin, the avenue of the injury-ravaged Wilshere to first-team football has been complicated further.

As outlined by the BBC, Wilshere expressed his desires late in the transfer market to leave the club on loan, with Arsenal acquiescing to his wishes. The offers have since come pouring in to take the 24-year-old midfielder, a list of clubs headlined by AS Roma, A.C. Milan, Bournemouth and Crystal Palace.

Both the player and the club have made their decision, which, according to Sky Sports News, will see Wilshere become a Cherries player by the end of the day. Has the right choice been made?

The England international might well have fought his way into the Arsenal first XI, providing he stayed fit this season, but a temporary switch to Bournemouth will, of course, offer the highly-regarded playmaker greater guarantees of first-team football.

Roma’s proposition is also sure to have attracted Wilshere and Arsenal in terms of his development, embracing a different culture of football, but with the Italians already well stocked in the central midfield position with the likes of Daniele De Rossi, Radja Nainggolan, Leandro Paredes and co., the scenario wouldn’t prove to be too different to the one currently experienced at the Emirates Stadium.

A move to Bournemouth sees Wilshere remain within the confines of Premier League football, playing for a side befitting of the Englishman’s expansive style of play. The fact the Arsenal academy graduate has ended up in the hands of Eddie Howe could also be quite telling for the future, with the English manager tipped on more than one occasion to be Wenger’s successor once the latter calls time on his managerial career.

Should Bournemouth line-up in a 4-3-3 formation, utilised against Manchester United and Crystal Palace this season, the Arsenal man is likely to relieve some of the pressure imposed upon new signing Lewis Cook this summer.

In the 14 games played by Wilshere last season for the Gunners, the England international averaged a better passing accuracy (84%) than Cook’s 79% meanwhile starring for Leeds United in the Championship. His other midfield counterparts, Arter and Surman, averaged 86% and 85% respectively, going some way into demonstrating the Cherries’ ability to cater to Wilshere’s style.

None of Howe’s options prove to be as threatening in front of goal as Wilshere, who registered a 67% shot accuracy in 2015/16, whereas the playmaker also scored more league goals (two) than any of the current candidates, despite the shortage of games due to injuries.

The 24-year-old also manages to convey the combative nature of Surman and, in particular, Arter, who won 42% and 47% of their duels. Wilshere tops that with 51%, demonstrating versatility that is sure to be welcomed with good grace at the Vitality Stadium. However, Wilshere’s injury woes remain his greatest enemy and the most likely factor that could derail what looks every bit like a huge upgrade in calibre for a developing side like Bournemouth.

This is the Fresh Football team of the week for Gameweek 3.

Michel Vorm – Tottenham

Despite Danny Rose’ second half equaliser, Mauricio Pochettino can have Hugo Lloris’ deputy, Michel Vorm, to thank for his side sharing the spoils with Liverpool at White Hart Lane. The Dutch goalkeeper made a crucial save early on to deny Philipp Coutinho from close range, whereas he was also on hand to snuff out the dangers posed by Sadio Mané rushing towards his goal on two separate occasions.

Héctor Bellerín – Arsenal

It was almost like a return home for Héctor Bellerín, who spent time out on loan to Watford in the season prior to his big Arsenal breakthrough. In that vein, Bellerín made himself feel at ease down the right flank, additionally leading a couple of dangerous counter-attacks in the second half that could have seen the hosts lose sight of the Gunners in a hotly-contested affair between the two London neighbours.

Joel Matip – Liverpool

As far as debuts go, there can’t be many complaints about keeping a 25-goal Harry Kane quiet, in particular with Vincent Janssen alongside the Englishman to deflect attention. Three interceptions and 11 clearances rounded off a promising start from Joël Matip in a Liverpool shirt.

Papy Djilobodji – Sunderland

Saturday’s performance versus Southampton shows there may have been some science behind Chelsea picking Papy Djilobodji up from Nantes last summer, who, alongside the coveted Lamine Koné, would have led Sunderland to their first victory of the season had it not been for an unfortunate blunder by Jordan Pickford between the sticks.

Daley Blind – Manchester United

Few would have expected José Mourinho to conform to Louis van Gaal’s habits, in particular that of placing the aesthetically inadequate figure of Daley Blind at centre back. The performances have been very sound, however, much like last season, and last Saturday’s display versus Hull City makes it increasingly tricky for the new Man United boss to justify replacing him with someone like Chris Smalling in the first XI.

Danny Drinkwater – Leicester City

The Danny Drinkwater of old? After the heartbreak of being left out of England’s Euro 2016 squad in France, the ex-Manchester United man was back to doing what he knows best – assisting Jamie Vardy with a pass over the top. A pretty decent one at that, too!

N’Golo Kante – Chelsea

The France international is proving to be an instant hit at Stamford Bridge, just as he was in his time with the current Premier League champions. On top of the two tackles and interceptions made, N’Golo Kanté’s 93.6% pass accuracy culminated in another dominant, yet fascinatingly simplistic performance by the ex-Leicester City man.

Granit Xhaka – Arsenal

In a hope of things to come by Arsenal fans, Granit Xhaka’s range of passing was on full show versus Watford at Vicarage Road, as he racked up the most passes (71) made throughout the encounter with a 85.9% success rate.

Raheem Sterling – Manchester City

The former Liverpool man’s rich form continues with a brace against West Ham United, with his second solo effort in the dying moments of the game being the particular highlight.

Eden Hazard – Chelsea

On the topic of wingers being back to their best, Eden Hazard leads the way with another idyllic performance reminiscent of his pre-2015/16 season. His goal, coming as early as the 9^th minute in Chelsea’s 3-0 win over Burnley, proved to be the pick of the bunch.

Alexis Sánchez – Arsenal

Quite a bit has been made of the prospect of Alexis Sánchez leading the line for Arsenal, with his latest exhibition opening up the debate once more. The Chilean excelled with Mesut Özil, Santi Cazorla and Granit Xhaka all feeding into his movements, as he earned the Gunners a penalty in the 8^th minute, scored their second five minutes shy of the interval and went on to assist the third in a 3-1 victory.

These are Fresh Football’s ratings for Tottenham Hotspur’s home clash versus Liverpool in the Premier League:

Tottenham Hotspur:

Michel Vorm - 7

Deputising for the injured Hugo Lloris, Michel Vorm came up with a coupled of crucial saves in the first half to keep Liverpool within touching distance.

Kyle Walker - N/A

Forced off with an injury in the 26th minute.

Toby Alderwiereld - 6

The Belgian struggled to thwart Liverpool’s attacking cavalry on occasions, only for the Reds to not take full advantage of their chances. Alderweireld did, however, prove to be a threat from set pieces.

Jan Vertonghen - 5.5

Perhaps courtesy of his injury sustained during Euro 2016, Vertonghen looked fairly rusty, just as he did versus Everton, as Sadio Mané and co. tormented him all afternoon with runs in behind.

Danny Rose - 6.5

Not the most impressive defensively, but Rose was typically enthusiastic going forward and pulled Spurs back with a goal in the 72nd minute.

Eric Dier - 6

The ex-Sporting man struggled under Liverpool’s intense pressure in the first half, but improved steadily as he covered for the injured Kyle Walker at right back.

Vincent Wanyama - 6.5

Spurs’ summer signing came out on top in his fair share of midfield battles, surprising a few with his technical attributes.

Dele Alli - 6

He’s far from the Dele Alli from last season thus far, but there were some encouraging signs in the second half with the positions taken up by the Englishman, who was dropped back into the double pivot role for much of the game.

Erik Lamela - 4.5

An ineffectual performance from Lamela, whose biggest contribution to the game was giving away a penalty late into the first half.

Christian Eriksen - 5.5

Fairly uninspiring stuff from Eriksen, but he did offer a handful of well-placed set-pieces.

Harry Kane - 5

The wait for Harry Kane’s 50th Premier League goal continues, as does his below-par form.

Subs:

Vincent Janssen - 4.5

Mobbed completely by Dejan Lovren and Joel Matip from the moment he stepped onto the pitch.

Anthony Onomah - N/A

Harry Winks - N/A

Liverpool:

Simon Mignolet - 6.5

Mignolet provided some decent saves, meanwhile also demonstrating some uncharacteristically good footwork throughout.

Nathaniel Clyne - 6

Clyne brought additional intensity to the game from the flanks, but his end product wasn’t such a welcome feature to Liverpool’s game.

Joel Matip - 7.5

A very good Premier League debut from the Cameroon international, marking the likes of Vincent Janssen and Harry Kane out of the game.

Dejan Lovren - 6.5

Some solid stuff from Lovren throughout the encounter, who worked in unison next to Matip.

James Milner - 6.5

Composed throughout all the hustle and bustle, as he also tucked away Liverpool’s only goal in the game via the penalty spot.

Jordan Henderson - 7

The Liverpool captain upped his game hugely since the visit to Turf Moor, evading pressure well and leading his attacking midfielders simultaneously with the pressure applied.

Georginio Wijnaldum - 6

Despite being somewhat eclipsed by most in Liverpool’s attack, but the Dutchman’s bursts from midfield, on top of the ability to press accordingly, concluded a decent performance.

Adam Lallana - 7

Everywhere the ball was, from the first to last minute. Laudable energy and quality from Lallana when on the ball.

Philippe Coutinho - 6

Not the Brazilian’s best of performances. Coutinho could, and probably should, have put Liverpool ahead early in the first half, whereas nothing quite came off for the playmaker in other associative moves.

Sadio Mané - 7.5

Perhaps a little fortunate not to see a red card, but other than that, Mané looked lethal with his runs in behind Spurs’ high line.

Roberto Firmino - 6.5

Drifted in and out of the game, but Firmino was another to press Spurs into making mistakes and aid Liverpool’s chance creation.

Subs:

Divock Origi - N/A

Kevin Stewart - N/A