The Premier League returned with a bang this weekend as 16 teams got their 2020-21 campaigns underway with the previous season still a very recent memory.
A champions versus champions showdown was the most anticipated of the opening fixtures and didn't disappoint as Liverpool got their title defence up and running with a topsy-turvy, end-to-end and thrilling 4-3 win over Championship winners Leeds United at Anfield.
Arsenal and Leicester City top the pile at the end of gameweek one courtesy of 3-0 away wins over the other two newly-promoted sides Fulham and West Bromwich Albion respectively.
Indeed, they were among six away winners from the eight fixtures on the opening weekend, with Chelsea beating Brighton & Hove Albion, Wolverhampton Wanderers winning at Sheffield United, Newcastle United overcoming West Ham United and Everton toppling Tottenham Hotspur too.
The only home winners aside from Liverpool were Crystal Palace, who edged to a 1-0 win over Southampton.
Here, Sports Mole selects its Premier League team of the week for gameweek one.
Crystal Palace got their season off to a winning start with victory over last term's away specialists Southampton, but that may not have been the case without Vicente Guaita in stubborn form between the sticks. The keeper made five saves en route to a clean sheet, including a couple of really smart reaction stops.
There was such competition at right-back this week that we have been forced into a defensive three with wing-backs, and Chelsea's Reece James playing slightly out of position as the right-sided central defender. The youngster had to be included, though, having provided a stunning goal and an assist in the win over Brighton.
The Seagulls' Tariq Lamptey, who left Chelsea in search of regular football, was very close to making the cut too following a fine display, but Leicester debutant Timothy Castagne gets the nod at right wing-back instead courtesy of his goal and man-of-the-match display.
It was a very good weekend for debutants in general, and for goalscoring defenders too. Gabriel Magalhaes fits both descriptions and his performance in Arsenal's win over Fulham will have been a source of huge encouragement to the club's fans.
Romain Saiss also got on the scoresheet in Wolves' win over Sheffield United to beat off competition from fellow goalscorer Kurt Zouma, while Lucas Digne rounds off the back five having helped Everton to a clean sheet and crucially provided the assist for the only goal of the game against Spurs.
Another debutant gets the nod in the middle of the park, with Jeff Hendrick registering a brilliant goal in their win at West Ham, and Jorginho helped himself to a goal and an assist for Chelsea.
There was stiff competition for places up front in this week's team, with plenty of debutants - including James Rodriguez, Willian, Timo Werner and Callum Wilson - missing the cut on this occasion.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Richarlison and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang also deserve mentions, but the one guaranteed selection in this week's XI was Mohamed Salah after he kicked off the new campaign with a hat-trick and all-round outstanding performance to drag Liverpool past Leeds.
Raul Jimenez was similarly difficult to handle for Wolves against Sheffield United, and his brilliant volley for the early opener set the tone for a fine display.
Leading the line this week is last season's Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy, who got his defence of that award off to a good start with two pinpoint penalties in the win over West Brom.
Barney Corkhill
