Premier League pundits' weekend XI as Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville speak out

The Premier League is back and back with a bang.

Manchester City picked up where they left off as Erling Haaland bagged a brace at West Ham, while Manchester United picked up where they left off too... losing to Brighton. Liverpool were well below their best as Marco Silva's newly-promoted Fulham helped themselves to a point in an enthralling 2-2 draw at Craven Cottage, while Spurs, Arsenal and Chelsea all picked up victories to get them off to winning starts.

Bournemouth, seemingly everyone's relegation banker this term, saw off Aston Villa as Scott Parker got one over on former England colleague Steven Gerrard, while there was plenty of needle between the managers at Elland Road, as Leeds beat Wolves. Elsewhere, Newcastle beat Nottingham Forest as the feel-good factor on Tyneside continues to build while Leicester threw away a two-goal lead to draw at home with Brentford.

But which players stood out? We're trying something a little bit different with our Premier League Team of the Week this season... and going with a pundits' XI.

Instead of picking 11 stand-out players from the weekend ourselves, we're going with a team of stars who've been lauded by the pundits across the weekend and letting their words do the work.

Thus, without further ado, here is the pundits' XI for the opening weekend...

Robert Sanchez

Although Sanchez was at fault for Manchester United's goal in Brighton's 2-1 win at Old Trafford on Sunday, he did make some decent saves. He gets in our inaugural pundits' Team of the Week thanks to Garth Crooks putting him in his BBC Sport XI. The irony!

Highlighting a save to deny Marcus Rashford, Crooks wrote: "The save by Sanchez changed the game. This was a historic victory for Brighton over Man Utd and makes the start of Erik ten Hag's reign at Old Trafford even more problematic than it was originally."

Fabian Schar

Who do you think should've made the pundits' Team of the Week? Let us know in the comments below!

Schar played at centre-back for Newcastle on Saturday, but we've stuck him at right-back after his fabulous strike against Forest. Running down the right flank, the defender hit an absolute screamer from distance to break the deadlock. It finished 2-0 to Newcastle.

"That is a strike!" Glenn Murray told Final Score. "Schar steps in and I thought he was just going to feed it back into the box but he lets rip and it is something very special. Definitely a contender for goal of the day."

Jonathan Woodgate told BBC Radio 5 Live: "What a strike! Top corner, right footed, Henderson no chance! That has ignited this stadium."

William Saliba

Arsenal's Man of the Match against Palace was Saliba, who made his competitive debut for the club - a whopping 37 months after moving to the Emirates. But was certainly worth the wait on Friday night... as Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville argued.

"Excellent, brilliant," said Carragher. "First half dealt with what he had to. Second half hasn't been easy, but he's dealt with it brilliantly I thought he was really good. He looks the part, he looks a good player.

"I think Arsenal fans have been excited for this lad for a while... he looks the real deal. Bringing him in certainly adds something. Just his physical stature, will certainly help them in tough away games."

Neville added: "I think the most important thing for young players is just to play. He's got football inside him, I was massively impressed by him. He reminded me of a young Rio Ferdinand. Crystal Palace away is a tough away game in the Premier League. They come at you. That's a big night for him."

Thiago Silva

Chelsea made a solid start to their Premier League campaign by beating Everton 1-0 at Goodison Park on Saturday evening. Veteran defender Silva was a rock at the back, leaving Duncan Ferguson and Jamie Redknapp to wax lyrical about him on Sky Sports.

"He was fantastic wasn't he," said Ferguson. "Great player, great career, 37, 38 this month. Incredible."

Redknapp added: "Amazing player, he's just got this ability, it's like a magnet, he's so calm. One of the great defenders I think we've ever seen. I think he's won 33 major trophies... a joy to watch. And to be still doing it at this level and looking so calm in what is a fast furious, just so assured."

Redknapp also claimed Silva needed to win the Champions League to be regarded as one of the all-time greats, forgetting Chelsea won it 15 months ago. But we won't go into that...

Lewis Dunk

Sorry Brighton fans for sticking Dunk at left-back, but we had to squeeze him in for his stunning display against Man Utd. The Seagulls skipper inspired his team to a famous away win, memorably throwing himself in front of a Lisandro Martinez effort.

"Dunk does what he does best and put his body on the line," said Dion Dublin on BBC Radio 5 Live. The former Man Utd striker also said Dunk "made sure everything at the back is nice and solid". A proper captain's display from the England international.

Dejan Kulusevski

Occupying the right of our midfield is Kulusevski, who scored a lovely left-footed strike in Tottenham's 4-1 home win against Southampton on Saturday. He's been some signing for Spurs, finding the net six times since joining the club on loan in January.

"Apart from going 1-0 down, a bump in the road, Spurs have been superb," Glenn Murray told Final Score. "They've scored four goals with some free flowing football.

"Kulusevski has been the stand out player and [Harry] Kane and Son [Heung-min] not on the score sheet, who expected that? I'm sure some FPL fans out there will be very disappointed. Really good by [Antonio] Conte and a great afternoon for Tottenham."

Youri Tielemans

Leicester threw away a two-goal lead on Sunday in their 2-2 home draw with Brentford, yet Tielemans can be happy with his contribution. He hit the post with a wicked strike and reminded Arsenal that he's got just 11 months left on his contract.

"Youri Tielemans is just popping up on that right side of midfield and every time he receives the ball he is trying to deliver," former Tottenham defender Stephen Kelly told BBC Radio 5 Live. "He is the one that is finding space and playing passes."

Phil Foden

Kevin De Bruyne could've got the nod for his beautiful assist against West Ham, playing a delightful through-ball into the feet of Erling Haaland for the second goal. Yet it was Foden who caught Clinton Morrison's attention in Man City's 2-0 away win.

"Foden has been a joy to watch, he's one of the best footballers around," said Morrison on BBC Radio 5 Live. "I love watching him play and he is only going to get better. He has fantastic ability."

Pascal Gross

The German winger scored both of Brighton's goals in their victory against Man Utd, securing his place in our team. A special shout out to Danny Welbeck, who made Martinez's Premier League debut a living hell and reminded his former employers of his ability.

"Well if you ever want to see a goal to sum up the work of Graham Potter and this Brighton team, it's this," said Carragher on commentary after Gross' second strike. "Absolutely fantastic. It starts with a back heal in their own corner flag.

"[Moises] Caicedo just runs away from [Christian] Eriksen in midfield - look at the space again between midfield and back four - but they always play the right pass, the right weight [of pass]. It comes to Solly March and he just gets his shot away.

"The reaction from Fred was non-existent, it really is. He [March] just puts it into an area... and Gross again! He finds himself on one side of the pitch putting it into an empty net - this time on the other side - and that sums up this set up in this first half. Man Utd don't know where these players are popping up and what is going on."

Aleksandar Mitrovic

A lot is expected of Mitrovic after he scored 43 Championship goals last season to fire Fulham to the Premier League. It's fair to say he won't score as many this term, yet his brace in the 2-2 draw against Liverpool on Saturday wasn't a bad start.

"It wasn't just his forward play, he was back helping defenders and everything," said Ian Wright on Match of the Day. "We know that he can do it, he's got 46 goals in 74 games at international level. When you play to his strengths, he's going to cause you problems."

Erling Haaland

The Norwegian got both of Man City's goals in their win against West Ham, well and truly announcing himself to the Premier League. His dad Alf-Inge sat in the away end to watch his son silence the doubters. A lovely moment for the Haaland family!

"He's unstoppable," tweeted Gary Lineker. "A proper striker whose goal scoring numbers will be huge. A truly prodigious talent."

Michael Owen added: "This guy is an absolute goal scoring machine. If this is the sign of things to come, every defence in the Premier League needs to be worried."

While Piers Morgan tweeted: "Haaland is incredible."