With four gameweeks complete in the 2024-25 Premier League season, the top of the table already has an incredibly familiar feel to it, as Manchester City and Arsenal occupy the highest positions.
The reigning champions fought back to sink Brentford 2-1 and extend their perfect start, putting them two points clear of Arsenal, who ground out a statement 1-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby.
Newcastle United are hot on Arsenal's coat-tails, though, having come from behind to edge out Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1, while Liverpool stay fourth despite a surprise 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
Manchester United and Chelsea enjoyed worthwhile trips to the South Coast, though, as the Red Devils bested Southampton by three goals to nil, while the Blues were nervy 1-0 victors at Bournemouth.
Elsewhere, Everton astonishingly let a 2-0 lead slip for the second week running in an excruciating 3-2 loss to Aston Villa, while Leicester City also failed to hang onto their two-goal advantage in a 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace.
Finally, West Ham United struck late to salvage a point in a 1-1 stalemate with Fulham, while there was no way through for Brighton & Hove Albion as Ipswich Town held out for a creditable goalless draw.
Here, Sports Mole selects its Premier League Team of the Week for the fourth round of fixtures in the 2024-25 season.
DEFENCE
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There were a handful of standout goalkeeping displays to select from this week - Man United's Andre Onana, Forest's Matz Sels and Chelsea's Robert Sanchez all earned their keep - but Arijanet Muric was the dictionary definition of impenetrable in Ipswich's draw with Brighton, where he produced a sensational double save from Georginio Rutter and Kaoru Mitoma for two of his six crucial stops at the Amex. Also making three high claims and three punches, the Tractor Boys stopper arguably put in the finest goalkeeping display of the season so far.
Muric was aided by a steadfast back four in front of him, all of whom were viable candidates for our Team of the Week, but it is his fellow ex-Burnley man Dara O'Shea who gets the thumbs-up. Throwing himself in the way of shots left, right and centre, the Irishman made four blocks, five interceptions and won six of his seven aerial battles on the South Coast, barely putting a foot wrong all afternoon.
While all of O'Shea's contributions came in his defensive third, Man United new boy Matthijs de Ligt made a telling impact in the Southampton area on Saturday lunchtime. After a forgettable international period with the Netherlands, De Ligt headed in his and the Red Devils' first and also made a vital contribution in his own six-yard box, making one clearance off the line in a true redemption performance.
Speaking of centre-backs nodding in goals away from home, Gabriel Magalhaes stole the Arsenal defensive thunder normally reserved for William Saliba against North London rivals Tottenham Hotspur. Thanks to another Nicolas Jover set-piece masterpiece, the Brazilian found himself with all the space and time in the world to power home the Gunners' winner, while also putting in two blocks, two tackles and seven clearances in a victory that merited his impassioned celebrations.
MIDFIELD
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Before Everton's two-goal curse reared its ugly head once again, Dwight McNeil briefly made the away fans believe that their clash with Villa would be different, firing in a crisp strike beyond Emiliano Martinez's reach and also providing a pinpoint delivery for Dominic Calvert-Lewin before the Toffees' latest catastrophic collapse.
Wilfred Ndidi's Leicester City also blew a two-goal advantage at Selhurst Park, but of no fault of the Nigerian midfielder, who set up two goals in a Premier League game for the first time in his career. In a playmaking masterclass that we have not been accustomed to seeing from Ndidi, the 27-year-old played a slick pass over the top to Jamie Vardy before unselfishly teeing up Stephy Mavididi from a few yards out.
Making our TOTW selection for the second week running, Wolves lynchpin Mario Lemina followed up his assist against Forest with a tap-in against Newcastle, one where the delightful dummy of Joao Gomes also deserves a mention. The Gabon international's goal may not have been on the spectacular side, but another terrific all-around display saw him put in two interceptions, two tackles and win both of his aerial duels.
Lemina's effort preceded a quickfire Magpies turnaround in the second half, though, one that was complete courtesy of a beautiful Harvey Barnes drive, as the Englishman cut in from the left before unleashing a top corner-bound rocket. Barnes was surprisingly axed from the first XI at Molineux after also contributing to the win over Tottenham Hotspur on matchday three, but Eddie Howe has surely learned his lesson now.
ATTACK
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A trio of two-goal talismanic strikers link arms in our front three this week, starting with Palace's saviour Jean-Philippe Mateta. France's Olympic star experienced a slow start to the season after his Games exploits, but he saved the Eagles' bacon against Leicester with a neat side-footed finish and confident penalty to snatch a point from the jaws of defeat.
Another target man who inspired an eye-catching comeback at the weekend, Villa's Ollie Watkins got up and running for 2024-25 in the fightback versus Everton, nodding in a close-range header before clinically dispatching his second past Jordan Pickford. The ex-Brentford man saw a couple of chances for the hat-trick go begging, but that became trivial when Jhon Duran smashed in an unbelievable long-range winner.
Finally, Erling Haaland decided against taking up Pep Guardiola's offer of compassionate leave after the death of a close family friend, opting to break another Premier League record instead. With his latest brace in the comeback win over Brentford, the Norwegian moved onto nine goals for the season already, surpassing Wayne Rooney's previous best of eight goals from four games in 2011-12. Is it too early to declare the Golden Boot race a foregone conclusion?
SPORTS MOLE'S PREMIER LEAGUE TEAM OF THE WEEK
Sports Mole's Premier League Team of the Week (3-4-3): Muric; O'Shea, De Ligt, Gabriel; McNeil, Ndidi, Lemina, Barnes; Mateta, Haaland, Watkins
Ben Knapton
