Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week

It has been a busy and thrilling week in the Premier League with two rounds of fixtures played over six jam-packed days.

Arsenal opened up a five-point lead at the top of the table, while Liverpool picked up two wins to stay hot on the heels of the Gunners.

Manchester City and Chelsea did just about enough to keep in touch with the leaders, but Manchester United saw their title hopes take a significant blow with successive defeats against Everton and Newcastle United.

Crystal Palace boosted their chances of survival thanks to six points from a possible six, while Cardiff City, West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United all got dragged further down the standings.

Here, Sports Mole picks out the 11 players who made their mark on another exciting week of top-flight action.

Simon Mignolet (Liverpool)
The Belgian international was solid at the back for the Merseysiders as they earned maximum points against Norwich City and Fulham in their bid to stay in touch with leaders Arsenal.

John Arne Riise (Fulham)
The full-back has looked rejuvenated under Rene Meulensteen as Fulham gave their survival hopes a boost with three points against Aston Villa.
Mike Williamson (Newcastle United)
Newcastle bounced back from their defeat at Swansea City as they recorded a memorable win against Manchester United at Old Trafford, with Williamson giving a committed display in defence for the Magpies.
Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool)
The Frenchman gave manager Brendan Rodgers plenty to think about against West Ham United as he was rewarded for his composed performance with his first goal for the club.
Kyle Walker (Tottenham Hotspur)
Walker did what he does best against Fulham and Sunderland: giving his side a sound presence at the back while bombing forward in attack, as Spurs kept their top-four chances alive with two wins.

Scott Parker (Fulham)
The Cottagers have endured a tough season so far, but Parker led from the front against Tottenham and Aston Villa. His dogged showing in the second match in particular should give the club's fans encouragement that there is still plenty of fight in the team.
Paulinho (Tottenham Hotspur)
The Brazilian looked every bit the £17m summer signing against Fulham and Sunderland to help Spurs record two vital wins in their bid to climb the table.
Ross Barkley (Everton)
Barkley gave a performance well beyond his 20 years of age against Arsenal with some superb running from midfield and a keen eye for an incisive pass.

Marouane Chamakh (Crystal Palace)
Yes, you have read that right. The Moroccan striker has found a new lease of life under Tony Pulis, scoring two important goals for the strugglers against West Ham United and Cardiff City.
Luis Suarez (Liverpool)
Suarez was in unstoppable form against Norwich City and West Ham United, finding the net five times in two games to make sure that the Reds enjoyed a fantastic few days.
Andre Schurrle (Chelsea)
It was a mixed week for Chelsea as they beat Sunderland before losing out to Stoke City. However, the dynamic Schurrle gave them something to shout about thanks to his two goals against the Potters.

Numpty of the week

David Moyes: It was a disastrous few days for the Scot as Manchester United suffered consecutive home defeats in the league for the first time since 2002 with losses against Everton and Newcastle United.

Goal of the week

Luis Suarez (Liverpool) vs. Norwich City: He may have found the net four times against the Canaries, but there was only one goal that truly stood out from the rest as Suarez opened the scoring at Anfield with an outrageous half-volley from long range that gave John Ruddy no chance.