This article is part of our FPL Best XI series.
So, where were we?
Just three weeks into the Premier League season, an international break already disrupted the action. However, the drama surrounding England's top-flight remained heavy as ever, with transfer deadline day bringing implications to follow as domestic matches reconvene.
Most notably, winless Manchester United finished a record-setting spending overhaul by closing deals for defender Marcos Rojo (from Sporting Lisbon), defender/midfielder Daley Blind (Ajax), and world-class striker Falcao (on loan from Monaco).
Among others exiting Manchester was home-grown forward Danny Welbeck, whose move to Arsenal required an extension to complete.
Another front-man on the move was Loic Remy, who finally escaped Queens Park Rangers' management after Chelsea triggered his contract's release clause.
While other teams certainly made their fair share of transactions, Hull City was especially busy, as the Tigers signed striker Abel Hernandez (Palermo), as well as midfielders Mohamed Diame (West Ham), Gaston Ramirez (loan from Southampton), and Hatem Ben Arfa (loan from Newcastle).
Before looking further at what lies on the Premiership horizon, let's quickly refresh where we left off by reviewing how Week 3's Best XI fared.
In goal, Joe Hart committed another error in setting up an opposing goal, as Stoke City's Mame Biram Diouf nutmegged the Manchester City No. 1 to clinch an upset victory on the road.
Defensively, Arsenal's Mathieu Debuchy only earned points for playing a full 90 minutes, but Ashley Williams clinched a clean sheet to continue Swansea City's strong start, and Dutch import Daryl Janmaat scored his first Premiership goal in Newcastle's draw with Crystal Palace.
To go with Janmaat, Week 3 also saw Best XI captain Alexis Sanchez open his Premiership account for Arsenal.
Raheem Sterling was another midfielder to find the scoresheet, who also claimed clean sheet points, despite being booked in Liverpool's 3-0 triumph at White Hart Lane.
Meanwhile, both Man City's David Silva and Arsenal's Aaron Ramsey failed to contribute any extra fantasy production.
Up front, (previously) in-form Man City striker Stevan Jovetic was given just 63 minutes and his cross-town Best XI teammates also flopped, as the double-down on Manchester United forwards Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney backfired with the Red Devils going scoreless in a loss to Burnley.
Regrettably, despite registering three total goals, last week's Best XI did not include any of the players that scored in Week 3's defense-optional tie between Chelsea and Everton that finished 6-3 in favor of the Blues.
So now, with players having returned from playing all over the world, Premiership managers will reassess their squads' fitness levels ahead of this weekend's welcomed return to the Premier League schedule.
That schedule starts with a bang, as Saturday's opening match pits defending Champions Manchester City at Arsenal. Two teams loaded with international players, it will be interesting to see if the early kickoff time impacts this top-heavy tussle in any way.
Speaking of teams atop the table, Saturday also sees first-place Chelsea host second-place Swansea City, a match featuring the only two teams remaining with perfect winning records through three games.
Conversely, Saturday's third London-based contest of Crystal Palace versus Burnley is a competition of the league's two worst teams, as both sides presently tote just one point.
Newcastle split points with Palace last Gameweek and will look for defensive improvement at Southampton.
Back Tyneside, Sunderland takes on Tottenham, with both setups hoping to rebound from their first losses last time out.
Everton is winless from their trying early season schedule and should covet all three points against former youth academy manager Alan Irvine's West Brom.
Elsewhere, Stoke City will aim to build on Week 3's massive win by dismissing Leicester at home.
To close Saturday, surprising third-place Aston Villa heads to Anfield, where the Villains have taken five points from their past three visits.
Sunday sets the stage for all eyes to be on Manchester United's signing-filled squad, as manager Louis van Gaal still seeks his first Premiership win versus Queens Park Rangers.
And with time off until Monday, fellow overhauled home side Hull City will prepare for West Ham.
So without even further ado, let's get to unveiling Gameweek 4's Best XI.
Formation: 3-4-3
Goalkeeper:
Asmir Begovic (Stoke City)
Although his current save count of just three is lower than fantasy owners may be used to, Begovic has only allowed two goals through Stoke's first trio of games. Only two keepers have better goal-allowed averages to date and Begovic is coming off a clean sheet performance at mighty Man City last Gameweek. This time, the Bosnian returns home to face Leicester City, who are second-last in the league with 8.7 shot attempts per game. That being said, Leicester has proven to be a feisty opponent since rejoining the Premiership, so ideally, Begovic records a hand-full of saves en route to a clean sheet Saturday.
Defenders:
Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea)
Ivanovic has been the Premiership's best defender thus far. However, that's mostly due to his offensive contributions, as he already boasts two goals and ranks third in Chelsea's league-best attack with 2.7 shot attempts per game. He also has one clean sheet and could double his fortune this week considering Chelsea's recent history both at home and against Swansea City. Dating back to last season, Jose Mourinho's men have blanked their opponents in eight of nine league outings at Stamford Bridge. In addition, the Blues have held Swansea scoreless in the teams' last four
meetings.
Eric Dier (Tottenham)
What an impact the 20-year-old defender has made since arriving from Sporting Lisbon this summer. Not only did Dier score the winner on his Spurs' debut, but he tallied another in his first appearance at White Hart Lane. Now, with Kyle Walker (abdomen) out following surgery, Dier has proven his versatility by switching from center-half to right-back. With two clean sheets as well, Dier will aim to make it three at a Sunderland team that failed to score in their Week 3 match at Queens Park Rangers.
Leighton Baines (Everton)
After finishing fifth last season, Baines' Everton team has gotten off to a rocky start. While two of their three games have been against Arsenal and Chelsea, both of those tricky ties came at Goodison Park and Everton still shipped a combined eight goals. Roberto Martinez will demand a better performance in a very winnable game at West Brom this weekend. The Baggies have failed to win nine of their last 10 home matches and failed to score versus Swansea City last time out. Knowing that, Saturday offers a fine opportunity for Baines to help right the ship for Everton, who he always provides an extra attacker in the final third to go with solid defending. More recently, Baines was played the entirety of England's two matches over the break, keeping a clean sheet in both appearances.
Midfielders:
Angel di Maria (Manchester United)
The most expensive of Man United's purchases this summer, di Maria was handed 70 minutes in his club debut at Burnley, which saw him earn a clean sheet. Since then, the versatile midfielder sensationally supplied one goal and three assists in Argentina's friendly with Germany. Now slated to make his first appearance at Old Trafford, di Maria is a great candidate to contribute toward United stringing together their fifth straight game of at least two goals versus Queens Park Rangers. To that point, di Maria led European Champions Real Madrid with 17 assists last season.
Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace) – On his way out of Manchester, the 21-year-old Zaha returns to Crystal Palace on loan for the remainder of this season. The Eagles introduced Zaha at the 70-minute mark against Newcastle last match and the jet-heeled midfielder made an immediate impact. Not only did he lead his team with four shot attempts (three on target), but Zaha also converted a late equalizer to earn Palace's first point of this season. Come Saturday against lowly Burnley, he is expected to start in the No. 10 role, providing an extended opportunity to display his prized talents.
Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea)
Since signing the spectacular Spaniard this summer, Chelsea has been far more consistent at posing a threat in the final third. Fabregas is currently tied for the league lead in assists with four and has also attempted nearly two shots per game. No matter where he plays, the former Barcelona man is virtually a lock for double-digit assists over a season. That creative ability should come in handy this weekend against a Swansea defense that's allowed a league-low one goal on the season. With the match at his new London home, Fabregas could help prolong Chelsea's streak of scoring at least two goals in four straight Premier League matches.
Raheem Sterling (Liverpool)
A player that has absolutely blown-up over the past year or so, the 19-year-old Sterling is now the catalyst of Liverpool's attack. With two goals and an assist thus far, Sterling has also attempted close to three shots per game. While he's been deployed as Brendan Rodgers' No. 10 recently, Sterling could play in an even more advanced role against Aston Villa this Saturday, since countryman Daniel Sturridge (thigh) is expected to miss out. Coming off a man-of-the-match performance in England's recent game versus Norway, Sterling is one of the Premiership's brightest young talents.
Forwards:
Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)
Now fully fit again, Aguero has enjoyed the start to this season, as he's scored two goals in just 119 minutes. Additionally, the Argentine put one past Germany in last Wednesday's friendly, his only involvement since Week 3. Facing an Arsenal defense yet to keep a clean sheet, Aguero also enters Saturday's match having scored the last time he was fit to play the Gunners. Although City was held scoreless in their most recent outing, Manuel Pellegrini's side has at least two goals in six of their past seven away matches.
Mario Balotelli (Liverpool)
The enigmatic Italian attempted five shots (one on target) in just 61 minutes to begin his second Premier League stint in Week 3. Now at Liverpool, Balotelli is expected to partner Daniel Sturridge on most occasions this season, but since the Englishman picked up a thigh strain over the international break, Balotelli figures to be trusted to lead the line at Anfield this weekend. Visiting the ground will be Aston Villa, an opponent Balotelli netted six goals in four appearances against during his time at Manchester City. Helping his cause is the fact that Liverpool has scored at least twice in all but one of their last 17 home games.
Radamel Falcao (C) (Manchester United)
The headliner of deadline day action, Falcao is expected to make his Manchester United debut before the home supporters this Sunday. However, with captain Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie around, there's going to be stiff competition for places under manager Louis van Gaal. As a result, the Colombian may come off the bench against Queens Park Rangers, but considering he's only arriving on loan, the Red Devils would be wise to use him as much as possible while they have him. An elite No. 9, Falcao has an amazing 153 goals in 197 competitive club appearances since arriving in Europe in 2009. Facing a QPR side that leaked four goals in their last away contest, Falcao could make a statement in his first English match. Earning Falcao the Best XI Gameweek 4 captain's armband is his record of scoring at least once in his respective home league debuts for FC Porto (Portugal), Atletico Madrid (Spain), and AS Monaco (France) since arriving on the continent.
Begovic
Ivanovic – Dier –Baines
di Maria – Zaha – Fabregas – Sterling
Aguero – Balotelli – Falcao (C)
