Goalkeeper: Gabriele Marcotti opted for Tottenham Hotspur's Hugo Lloris, but Paul Mariner went for Artur Boruc, leaving it down to former Premier League goalkeeper Shaka Hislop to sway the decision in the Bournemouth man's favour. Boruc's clean sheet helped the Cherries beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 and claim their first win of the Premier League season, and Hislop was impressed, remarking: "His second half performance alone warrants his inclusion." Mariner concurs, pointing to "a couple of key saves to keep his team in it."
Right-back: The Team of the Weekend panel was again split on who makes the cut on the right side of defence, with Adam Smith of Bournemouth, Manchester United's Antonio Valencia and Tottenham's Kyle Walker all in the mix. The "consistency" of Walker in Spurs' 4-0 win against Stoke caught Mariner's eye, and the England international grabbed an assist too in a "super display."
Centre-back: Nicolas Otamendi was a unanimous pick after his starring role in Manchester City's derby win at Old Trafford. The Argentinian gave "a warrior-like performance," according to Mariner, and Marcotti picked out the City man's "sterling work against Zlatan Ibrahimovic," adding: "He provides the bite and muscle his teammates lack."
Centre-back: Laurent Koscielny's presence and leadership is crucial to Arsenal's defence but his contribution in attack was important too, with his acrobatic strike helping the Gunners beat Southampton 2-1. This point wasn't lost on Marcotti, who said: "There's not much he can't do when he's playing this well," and Hislop agrees, adding: "Koscielny continues to prove himself as one the best centre-backs in the Premier League, if not the world, and on Saturday he showed he's prepared to put his head in where it hurts, all for the Arsenal cause.