Skip to content

Best of the weekend

Sky Sports casts an eye over this weekend's Premier League action and picks out some of the key highlights. As an opening salvo it's fair to say week one's offerings whetted the appetite for what's to follow between now and the end of May...

We cast an eye over this weekend's Premier League action and pick out the highlights.

Performance of the weekend

Swansea 1-4 Man United All eyes were on David Moyes on Saturday evening as the former Everton boss opened the post-Fergie era with a tough looking trip to upwardly mobile Swansea. Once the game kicked off though, little (other than the man in the dugout) appeared to have changed, with United picking up where they left off last season. Robin van Persie again sparkled with a spectacular brace while Danny Welbeck - scorer of just one league goal last season - doubled that tally in just one game to give the new boss the perfect start to life in the Old Trafford hotseat.

Save of the weekend

Simon Mignolet Simon Mignolet cost Liverpool £9million when he moved from Sunderland over the summer and wasted no time in justifying Brendan Rodgers' faith in him against Stoke. As the game ticked towards injury time with the score 1-0 to the home side, the Belgium international palmed away Jonathan Walters' penalty-kick before blocking Kenwyne Jones' follow-up to ensure the Reds would take all three points on the opening day.

Shock of the weekend

Arsenal 1-3 Aston Villa Despite the lack of transfer activity over the summer, Arsenal were still favourites to open their campaign with a win against Paul Lambert's Aston Villa. That looked even more likely when Olivier Giroud slotted home the opener after just six minutes. However, Villa, who struggled for so much of the last campaign, hit back with a brace from Christian Benteke and a debut strike from Antonio Luna, sending the visiting fans into raptures and leaving the already frustrated home supporters seething.

Return of the weekend

Jose Mourinho The toxic atmosphere of last season under Rafa Benitez was put firmly in the past at Stamford Bridge on Sunday when Jose Mourinho made his much heralded return to Chelsea. Even owner Roman Abramovich broke into a smile as Mourinho's second Blues era got off to a winning start against newly-promoted Hull. Oscar and Frank Lampard scored the goals to send the 'happy one' home, well, happy.

Goal of the weekend

Ross Barkley The 19-year-old Everton midfielder is a relative unknown outside of Goodison Park, but that is unlikely to last for long after an impressive performance against Norwich at Carrow Road was capped off with a spectacular goal. The England Under-21 international collected Seamus Coleman's pass on the hour mark, touched the ball onto his supposedly weaker left foot and rifled a shot beyond John Ruddy to haul the Toffees level.

Talking point of the weekend

Arsene Wenger and the Arsenal fans' fury Arsene Wenger was left in no doubt as to the supporters' anger and frustration at the club's lack of transfer activity as the players trudged off the field to a chorus of boos following their 3-1 home defeat to Aston Villa on Saturday. The Gunners declared earlier in the summer that they were ready to accelerate their transfer spending but France youth international attacker Yaya Sanogo is the only new face so far. Following Saturday's result, the Arsenal Supporters Trust released a statement on Sunday calling for any talks about a new contract for Wenger to be put on hold, adding to the sense of crisis that is swirling around the Emirates at present.

Around Sky