The Premier League returned with a bang this weekend, providing plenty of drama and surprises.

Manchester United began the defence of their title with an emphatic win at Swansea City, while Aston Villa stunned Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.

Meanwhile, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and Fulham all got off the mark for the new campaign.

Here, Sports Mole picks out the 11 players who made their mark.

Asmir Begovic (Stoke City)
The imposing Bosnian had a busy afternoon at Anfield as Stoke were narrowly beaten by Liverpool, but he pulled off a string of fine saves to give the Potters the chance of a point.

Luke Shaw (Southampton)
The young full-back was a dynamic presence out wide for Southampton, bombing forward when possible while defending doggedly as his side picked up a big win at West Bromwich Albion.
Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)
Many were wondering what sort of Manchester United would turn up at Swansea City as David Moyes took charge of the team in the league for the first time. While the champions were dangerous in attack in their 4-1 triumph, they also did well to keep their hosts at bay thanks to a defence led by Vidic.
John Terry (Chelsea)
The Chelsea skipper looked rejuvenated with the return of Jose Mourinho, blocking and tackling in his own fearless style in the Blues' win against Hull City.
Steven Whittaker (Norwich City)
Injuries blighted the Scot during the last campaign, but Whittaker looked to have put them behind him on Saturday as a solid display at the back was capped by a fine goal in a 2-2 draw with Everton.

Kevin de Bruyne (Chelsea)
The Belgian youngster was a revelation at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as Chelsea eased to victory over Hull City. De Bruyne dazzled out wide with the kind of performance that is sure to have Blues fans excited.
Paulinho (Tottenham Hotspur)
It took a while for the £17m Brazilian to get into the game at Crystal Palace, but once he did it became clear that he will be a lynchpin for Spurs in the middle this season.
Oscar (Chelsea)
Big things are expected of Oscar for the new campaign, and he met those expectations against Hull City on Sunday with a typically-Brazilian showing of intricate skill and clever thinking.

Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool)
Reds fans will be less worried about the possible departure of Luis Suarez after Sturridge led the team to an important opening day victory over Stoke City.
Robin van Persie (Manchester United)
It was business as usual for Van Persie at Swansea City as the Dutchman scored two spectacular goals in United's comfortable win.
Gabriel Agbonlahor (Aston Villa)
He may not have scored during Villa's eye-catching victory at Arsenal, but Agbonlahor looked like the youngster who burst onto the scene all those years ago with the kind of performance that is likely to give Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker nightmares for a few weeks to come.

Numpty of the week

Wojciech Szczesny: The Arsenal goalkeeper had an afternoon to forget at the Emirates Stadium as a calamitous display between the sticks saw Aston Villa earn a 3-1 win.

Goal of the week

Robin van Persie (Manchester United) vs. Swansea City: Last season's top scorer netted two wonderful goals at Swansea, but his first was an acrobatic volley that made the jaw drop.