Wilfried Zaha and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were the stars of the second Saturday of the new Premier League season. (More Football News)
Many feel Zaha was not given a fair chance by Manchester United during his short spell with the club, and he showed his old employers what they are missing with two goals – the first a contentious penalty – in an excellent win at Old Trafford for Crystal Palace. Zaha produced a terrific all-round performance, having been made captain for the day.
Everton striker Calvert-Lewin took his haul to four goals in two games with a hat-trick against West Brom, delivering the sort of performance that should catch Gareth Southgate's eye.
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Arsenal found their answer on the bench against West Ham, as Eddie Nketiah scored a late winner at Emirates Stadium, while Leeds won another rollercoaster of a game. Their return to the Premier League has been nothing if not invigorating so far.
Manchester United 1-3 Crystal Palace: Zaha rises to captaincy challenge
Zaha failed to make the grade at Old Trafford when he joined United as an exciting young forward. On Saturday, he showed his qualities for Palace at Old Trafford on a day to savour.
Roy Hodgson made Zaha his captain for the day, with Scott Dann and Luka Milivojevic unavailable, and the result was a performance of real leadership. Palace players raised their games to meet his high standards, and United could not compete.
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It was the first time Zaha has led Palace in a competitive match and as well as his two goals from four attempts, the 27-year-old made four key passes. He played more passes (18) than any other Palace player in the United half and was the most-fouled player in the Eagles team, being impeded five times in a demonstration of his nuisance value.
Andros Townsend netted Palace's early opening goal, meeting a left-wing cross from Jeffrey Schlupp. Curiously, four of Schlupp's eight Premier League assists have now come against United.
Donny van de Beek's consolation goal made the former Ajax midfielder the 20th player to score for United on a Premier League debut.
Everton 5-2 West Brom: Calvert-Lewin sets Premier League era record for Ancelotti's men
Could England recognition beckon for Calvert-Lewin? The striker is tearing up the Premier League with Everton.
It turns out Calvert-Lewin was only warming up with his winner last week at Tottenham. The striker, who is still waiting for a first England cap, netted a hat-trick for Everton in a crushing win over 10-man West Brom. Four goals in two games means he nudged to the top of the early Premier League goals chart, looking good to improve on his 13 in 36 appearances last term.
Calvert-Lewin also set a new Everton record, becoming the youngest English player to net a Premier League hat-trick for the club. Tony Cottee, Kevin Campbell, Nick Barmby, Steve Watson and Wayne Rooney – in his second spell at the club – are previous English players to have netted trebles in the competition for the Toffees.
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The last Englishman younger than Calvert-Lewin (23 years and 187 days) to score a league hat-trick for Everton was Cottee (23y 47d) in the pre-Premier League era, getting a treble on his debut against Newcastle United in the First Division in August 1988.
In Saturday's rout, Michael Keane and James Rodriguez were also on target for Everton.
Leeds United 4-3 Fulham: Another seven-goal thriller for Bielsa's men
Leeds are the team to watch for Premier League thrill-seekers, with another flood of goals arriving in West Yorkshire.
Will Leeds always be this entertaining? After a 4-3 loss at Liverpool on the opening day, this time it was Marcelo Bielsa's men winning by the same margin, albeit almost throwing away a game which they led 4-1 at one stage.
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Opta revealed the 14 goals that Leeds' opening two games have coughed up this season are the most in a top-flight side's first pair of fixtures since 1962-63, when Wolves beat Manchester City 8-1 and West Ham 4-1 to start the campaign.
Helder Costa scored twice at Elland Road, finding the back of the net with both shots he took in the match, with Patrick Bamford and Mateusz Klich also on target. Aleksandar Mitrovic bagged two for Fulham and Bobby DeCordova-Reid netted his first of the season.
Arsenal 2-1 West Ham: Lacazette hits Gunners landmark
The game is not about the number of chances you create, but the number you take, as Arsenal demonstrated in this London derby.
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West Ham had 14 goal attempts to Arsenal's seven, and Michail Antonio was responsible for five of those from the Hammers, getting his reward in the 45th minute.
But Arsenal were more clinical with the few openings they had, Alexandre Lacazette scoring his 50th goal for the club in the first half, a powerful header being his only recorded attempt of the game.
It fell to Nketiah to snatch the points for the home side, the 77th-minute substitute for Lacazette scoring eight minutes after his introduction.
Arsenal are making a happy habit of getting goals from their bench. Since the beginning of last season, they have had eight goals from substitutes, with only Manchester City (nine) beating them on that score.
