After what many had deemed to be a successfully entertaining World Cup in Brazil, fans of English football turned their attention back to Premier League matters this weekend.
There were few surprises where last season's top four teams were concerned, with all of them winning their respective fixtures.
However, despite the appointment of Louis van Gaal, it was the same old story for Manchester United, who were defeated 2-1 at home by Swansea City.
There were also away wins for Aston Villa and Hull City over Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers respectively, while Tottenham Hotspur recorded a late 1-0 victory over London rivals West Ham United at Upton Park.
As for newly-promoted Leicester City, they hit back on two occasions to claim a 2-2 draw against Everton, with the same scoreline being recorded in the match between West Bromwich Albion and Sunderland at The Hawthorns.
With all that in mind, Sports Mole has picked a Team of the Week from the opening round of Premier League encounters.
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur)
Michel Vorm could be forgiven for pondering why on earth he left Swansea for Spurs because on this form, he is never going to replace Lloris. The North Londoners came under intense pressure at times from West Ham, but the French number one kept the hosts at bay.
Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City)
Not only an astute defender, Kolarov is an able attacker and he showed that with a string of dangerous raids down the left flank against Newcastle.
Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa)
Paul Lambert has expressed his determination to keep hold of his captain and on this performance it is easy to understand why. The solid centre-back made numerous clearances against Stoke to relieve the pressure on his side.
Eric Dier (Tottenham Hotspur)
He may have scored the only goal of the game at Upton Park in dramatic circumstances, but Mauricio Pochettino will have been equally delighted by his new signing's defensive display. He rarely lost a battle in the air and always looked to keep possession.
Gael Clichy (Manchester City)
Normally a left-back, Clichy was asked to fill in on the right-hand side against Newcastle. The Frenchman carried out his duties with minimal fuss, looking a natural in that position in the process.
Kieran Richardson (Aston Villa)
Villa's business in the transfer market has been ridiculed this summer, but Richardson silenced the doubters for this weekend at least with a busy display. He provided some good width to the Villa midfield.
Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
Man United fans will be wondering today why their club did not pursue the Spaniard. He set the tempo of Chelsea's play from the first whistle at Turf Moor and rounded off his performance with one of the best assists likely to be seen this season.
Gylfi Sigurdsson (Swansea City)
Deemed surplus to requirements at Spurs, Sigurdsson got his second stint as a Swansea player off to a perfect start by setting up one goal and then scoring the winner as the Welsh club shocked United.
Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
Having made the whole world stand up and take notice of his potential last term, Sterling carried on that form at Anfield. He showed great composure by opening the scoring against Southampton, before going on to set up the winner for Daniel Sturridge.
Edin Dzeko (Manchester City)
He may not have got his name among the scorers, but Dzeko produced a tireless showing at St James' Park. He assisted David Silva with a clever flicked pass, but then limped off in the second half with a foot injury. Manuel Pellegrini will be hoping that it isn't a serious problem.
Saido Berahino (West Bromwich Albion)
The England Under-21 international was accused by some of having shown a lack of maturity last season. This time around, he was much more cultured as he scored from the penalty spot, as well as causing numerous problems to the Sunderland rearguard.
Numpty of the week
Mark Noble: Down the years, there have been few Premier League players that have been more reliable from 12 yards out than Noble. So, when the West Ham midfielder stepped up to take a penalty against Spurs with the score at 0-0, a goal looked the inevitable outcome. He failed to hit the target, though, and 10-man Tottenham went on to win the encounter 1-0 thanks to Dier's late intervention.
Goal of the week
Lee Cattermole - West Brom vs. (Sunderland): There was a number of good goals scored over the weekend, but the identity of this scorer has seen him scoop the prize. Cattermole had scored just one goal for Sunderland in over 100 appearances, but he showed his prowess in front of goal at The Hawthorns with a powerful strike from 25 yards out that flew into the top corner of the West Brom net.
Liam Apicella
