Top 5: Premier League players of the weekend

The third weekend of the 2020/21 Premier League season produced all kind of drama once again. 

Man City were thrashed at home by table-toppers Leicester City, Chelsea had to come from 3-0 down to draw at West Brom, while some late VAR drama on the south coast saw Manchester United snatch a late, late winner at Brighton.

Elsewhere, Tottenham were held by Newcastle after more VAR controversy, West Ham and Southampton recorded their first wins of the season, while there were also victories for Leeds and Everton.

Many players starred across the eight weekend matches, but we’ve selected who we feel were the five standout stars across the Saturday and Sunday fixtures.

Callum Robinson

Not many expected West Brom to get anything from big-spending Chelsea so it was a huge surprise when they went into a 3-0 lead at half time. Although the visiting Blues didn’t help themselves, striker Callum Robinson still had to show quality and composure to take his chances. The 25-year-old fired home the opening goal and then pounced on a mistake by Thiago Silva to run clear and finish his second. Frank Lampard’s side did fight back to secure a 3-3 draw but Robinson can be proud of his first two Premier League strikes of the season.

Jamie Vardy

Last season’s Premier League Golden Boot winner is at it again already this term. The striker added to his two goals already with a hat-trick in Leicester’s shock 5-2 win at Manchester City. The 33-year-old netted two penalties which he had won either side of a lovely flicked finish on a day in which he caused Pep Guardiola’s backline all kinds of problems. In this form, you wouldn’t bet against Vardy topping the scoring charts once again.

Danny Ings

Another English striker who is following up a fantastic season last term is Southampton’s Danny Ings. The 28-year-old scored in the third successive match with the winner in the 1-0 win at his former club Burnley – finishing off a lovely move after being teed up by Che Adams. Ings’ workrate for his team was an asset throughout and the goal secured a first victory of the campaign for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side.

Illan Meslier

Not many would’ve heard of Leeds United goalkeeper Illan Meslier at the start of the campaign. However, the man who turned his loan move from Lorient into a permanent transfer over the summer is starting to make a real name for himself. The 20-year-old Frenchman made a string of impressive saves in the 1-0 win at Sheffield United to help secure the Whites their second win on the bounce.

Jarrod Bowen

The last game of the weekend saw West Ham United thrash Wolves 4-0 at the London Stadium in another result which raised eyebrows. Tomas Soucek and Michail Antonio both shone in the victory but our player of the match – and one of the best over the weekend – was Jarrod Bowen. Signed from Hull City in January, the forward is really starting to find his feet in the Premier League and netted twice as the Hammers notched up their first top-flight win of the season.