Following on from the first week of Premier League action, we returned a week later and the drama and suspense kept coming.
The first Friday night game of the season saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic strike twice against Southampton to continue Jose Mourinho's 100% start at Old Trafford. What Mourinho could do, Pep Guardiola, Mike Phelan and Antonio Conte could match. The latter two left it late but they are now the only four managers to have two wins from two this term.
Burnley pulled off the weekend's shock result by beating Liverpool, while Leicester City felt hard done by as Mark Clattenburg didn't award what seemed to be a clear penalty. Sunday's action was kicked-off by Middlesbrough's victory in the Wear-Tees Derby, before Michail Antonio's 85th-minute header gave West Ham the win against Bournemouth.
But, who stood out on the second week of action and made the difference as we get back into full flow? Let's take a look, with VAVEL's Team of the Week!
Goalkeeper and defence
GK - Tom Heaton (Burnley) - Heaton has been a stalwart between the Burnely sticks no matter what division they are in, and has always been crucial to any success they have enjoyed. That didn't change on Saturday, as he put in a stellar performance against Liverpool. Calm when collecting crosses, as well as pulling off a couple of superb saves, Heaton is surely going to win the Clarets points on his own this season.
CB - Mason Holgate (Everton) - In the absence of Seamus Coleman, Holgate stepped into the Everton defence as they beat West Brom 2-1. The youngster had a few nervy moments, as Salomon Rondon tried to assert his authority but as the game progressed Holgate grew in confidence and put in a fantastic performance. He was solid at the back and even provided an assist for Gareth Barry in the second half.
CB - Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal) - After The Gunners were torn to shreds by Liverpool last weekend, Koscielny was rushed back into the starting XI by Arsene Wenger. What a difference it made. With the Frenchman as his defensive partner, Rob Holding looked far more assured.
Koscielny looked sharp and snuffed out the dual threat of Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez and read the play succinctly. Despite a controversial decision to not award the foxes a late penalty, Koscielny helped arsenal to a clean sheet, in stark comparison to last weekend's debacle.
CB - Curtis Davis (Hull City) - When Hull City were promoted from the then Championship in the Play-off Final back in May, the Tigers were odds on favourite to drop straight back down. Mike Phelan, in a caretaker role, has proven Hull's doubters wrong. Their defence, in particular has been a big factor in winning their opening two games.
Curtis Davies - with Premier League experience already under his belt - has led his side manfully. His aerial ability at both ends of the pitch is a vital cog in the Hull machine. If Davies continues as he has begun, the Tigers could become the surprise package of the season
Midfield
RM - Cristhian Stuani (Middlesbrough) - The Uruguayan scored the goal which took Middlesbrough to the Premier League and he kicked their top-flight campaign into life with a brace against Sunderland. A stunning long-range effort and a tap-in to cap off a fine team move should have been accompanied by an assist in the second half, but Alvaro Negredo miscontrolled his incisive ball down the line.
CM - Lynden Gooch (Sunderland) - There are very few positives for Sunderland manager David Moyes to take from the 2-1 derby defeat to Middlesbrough, but another strong performance from youngster Lynden Gooch was certainly one of them. The American impressed in his top-flight debut last week in the 2-1 defeat at Manchester City, and was out to prove it wasnt a fluke in the match at the Stadium of Light.
The 20-year-old didn't really make an impact in what was a drab first-half for the Black Cats, but Gooch improved in the second period and was at the heart of everything good in an attacking sense for the home side.
CM - Marouane Felliani (Manchester United) - Marouane Fellaini continues to shock Manchester United fans with a resurgence under Jose Mourinho. A scapegoat of last season’s poor performances, Fellaini is flourishing under the responsibility that Mourinho is handing him. He shielded the defence excellently for the Reds and allowed Paul Pogba the freedom to drift, taking up his defensive responsibilities too. His runs forward distracted the Southampton midfield and allowed Pogba space to exploit.
CM - Pierre-Emile Højbjerg (Southampton) - While the spotlight was firmly fixed upon Paul Pogba before, during and after the game on Friday night, there was one man who deserved to come away with even more plaudits. Højbjerg, who joined from Bayern Munich in the summer, showed why many thought he was a Bastian Schweinsteiger replacement waiting in the wings. He controlled the midfield like a player in his prime, and will surely grow into one of the key players in this Saints side.
LM - Kevin Mirallas (Everton) - After the first game of the season, Ronald Koeman told Mirallas he needed to up his work rate if he wanted to remain in his plans this season. The Belgian clearly took those words on board as he provided an energetic and lively performance. Mirallas’ well-taken goal was probably the highlight of the match after some clever play from himself and his teammates. If he wasn’t in Koeman’s plans before, he may just be now.
Forwards
CF - Sergio Aguero (Manchester City) - After a fine midweek hattrick for Manchester City, Sergio Aguero continued his blistering start to the season with another two goals, taking his tally to six for the season in all competitions already. While Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa have started well, Aguero has started in the best form, and looks to be the favourite for the Golden Boot, and making City the favourite for the title, if he can stay fit for the first time in a few seasons.
CF - Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Manchester United) - The Swedish striker has started his Manchester United career astonishingly well, even for his reputation. This week, it was a brace to give the Reds a 2-0 victory against Southampton and he’s flourishing as the main man under Jose Mourinho. Even with world-record signing Paul Pogba making his debut, Zlatan was the man in the headlines as only Zlatan can do.