2 Arsenal players make Premier League Team of the Week | OneFootball

Two Arsenal players and one former Gunners youngster have made it into the Premier League Teams of the Week after the opening round of fixtures.

Troy Deeney’s Team of the Week for Matchday 1 of 2025/26

Troy Deeney has picked two Arsenal players for his BBC Premier League Team of the Week, with David Raya and William Saliba both making it into his side.

On Raya, Deeney highlights the goalkeeper’s eight shots saved, adding: “The one down to his left-hand side was sensational – if that goes in, it changes the course of the game. He is going to be the foundation for Arsenal.”

As for Saliba, Deeney explains that the centre-back produced a solid performance as “the rock of that defence”. He went on to say Saliba “didn’t put a foot wrong and showed his class again”.

WhoScored’s Premier League Team of the Week for Matchday 1 of 2025/26

Raya also made it into the WhoScored Team of the Week, earning an 8.17 rating for his performance. Again, the goalkeeper’s save count was likely behind his inclusion, with no one making more in the opening round of fixtures.

The Spaniard also made one successful punch and two high claims, particularly noteworthy on a day when Altay Bayindir spilled an attempted punch directly to Riccardo Calafiori for Arsenal’s winning goal.

Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images

Both the BBC and the WhoScored teams also included former Arsenal youngster Dan Ballard.

Ballard earned a 9.22 rating on WhoScored’s website as their highest-rated player of the entire weekend, with the centre-back scoring and helping promoted Sunderland to a hard-earned clean sheet against West Ham United.

Despite a decade and a half in Arsenal’s academy, it’s been a long wait for Ballard to play Premier League football. He spent the last six seasons playing in League Two, League One, and the Championship before eventually helping Sunderland to win promotion.

Now 25, the Northern Ireland centre-back has earned his opportunity to prove himself at the top level. His debut performance suggests he’s ready to take that chance.