The opening weekend across some of Europe's biggest leagues served as a strong reminder that individual brilliance can set the tone for an entire campaign, with new heroes emerging in the Premier League and Serie A.

There were also eye-catching displays in Spain and France, while the DFB-Pokal added another memorable performance to the mix.

Brighton's Jack Hinshelwood announced himself with a two-goal burst against Aston Villa, Raphinha ran the show for Barcelona, Wladimiro Falcone kept Lecce in front with a superb goalkeeping display, and Florian Thauvin rolled back the years for Lens. Then came Can Uzun, whose contribution to Frankfurt's extraordinary victory was impossible to overlook.

Picking one player from such a collection of performances is never straightforward. Goals naturally attract attention, but the strongest candidates combined individual quality with a direct influence on their team's results. Here are our picks for the best players across Europe's top leagues over the weekend.

Biggest Performers of the Weekend in the Top Five Leagues

Premier League: Jack Hinshelwood of Brighton

Jack Hinshelwood announced himself as the standout player of the Premier League's opening weekend with a devastating brace in Brighton's 4-0 demolition of Aston Villa at the Amex, sending the Seagulls to the top of the table.

The young midfielder produced a decisive first-half double, scoring twice in the space of just two minutes as Brighton tore through Villa's defence and raced into an unassailable lead before the visitors could comprehend what had hit them.

Hinshelwood's finishing was matched by his movement, intensity and willingness to attack spaces, giving Brighton another dimension in a first half that saw all four goals arrive within 31 minutes.

The England Under-21 international headed home Diego Gomez's cross to make it 3-0 on the half-hour mark before capitalising on João Gomes' error to grab his second and the final goal of the game a minute later.

His brace capped Brighton's biggest opening-weekend victory, with the Seagulls completely overwhelming the Europa League holders, who were later reduced to 10 men following João Gomes' dismissal.

LaLiga: Raphinha of Barcelona

Raphinha underlined his status as one of LaLiga's most decisive attackers with a commanding performance in Barcelona's 5-0 demolition of Elche as the champions began their title defence after their opening-weekend fixture was postponed.

The Brazilian winger was directly involved throughout a ruthless display, scoring twice and providing an assist as Barcelona opened their title defence in emphatic fashion. He broke the deadlock from the penalty spot in the 14th minute before striking again in the second half to complete his brace.

Operating with the freedom to influence the game from central areas, Raphinha constantly threatened Elche's defence with his movement, intensity and finishing. His second goal arrived after Anthony Gordon's clever assist, while his overall display helped Barcelona turn a competitive opening into a one-sided contest.

With two goals and one assist in a five-star away win, the captain was the driving force behind Barcelona's statement start and a worthy choice for LaLiga's Gameweek 2 Player of the Week.

Serie A: Wladimiro Falcone of Lecce

Wladimiro Falcone was the standout performer of Serie A's opening weekend after playing a decisive role in Lecce's impressive 2-0 victory over Venezia, whose performance deserved a better outcome.

While his teammates delivered at the other end, the goalkeeper ensured Lecce's lead was never surrendered, producing a string of crucial saves to keep the visitors at bay.

Falcone made six saves, including four from inside the penalty area, and was credited with preventing 2.27 expected goals, underlining just how influential he was in securing the clean sheet. His composure was particularly important during a first half in which Venezia enjoyed plenty of possession and territory.

Falcone repeatedly stood between Venezia and an opener before Lecce struck twice after the interval. Awarded a 9.9 rating by Sofascore and also leading the fans' vote, the Italian goalkeeper was unquestionably the architect of Lecce's unlikely clean sheet and a deserved choice for Serie A's Gameweek 1 best player.

Ligue 1: Florian Thauvin of RC Lens

Florian Thauvin has picked up where he left off last season with another standout display, earning our Ligue 1 Player of the Weekend award after inspiring Lens to a commanding 5-2 victory away to Auxerre.

The experienced captain was at the centre of almost everything positive for Lens, scoring twice from the penalty spot and supplying an assist as his side made an emphatic start to the campaign.

Thauvin opened the scoring in the 12th minute with a composed penalty before converting another late in the contest to complete his brace. In between, he played a key role in Lens' attacking flow, setting up Saud Abdulhamid for the club's third goal.

Beyond the numbers, Thauvin's influence and authority were evident throughout, with the Lens captain leading from the front as his side turned an impressive opening performance into a statement victory.

His contribution makes him a compelling choice for Gameweek 1's best player, and few have been better since his return to France last summer, especially after leading Lens to the Champions League and winning both the Coupe de France and the French Super Cup.

DFB-Pokal: Can Uzun of Eintracht Frankfurt

Can Uzun was the standout performer in Germany over the weekend after playing a starring role in Eintracht Frankfurt's historic 11-0 demolition of SC St. Tönis in the DFB-Pokal first-round clash.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder delivered a ruthless display, scoring twice and adding a hat-trick of assists as Eintracht Frankfurt produced their biggest victory in the competition's history.

Uzun also played a major part in Frankfurt's explosive start, delivering the corners that produced their first two goals before turning scorer himself with a quickfire brace that helped turn the game into an exhibition.

Jonathan Burkardt's hat-trick understandably grabbed the headlines, but Uzun's all-round influence made him equally deserving of recognition in Adi Hütter's first competitive match back in charge of the Eagles.

Ultimate Player of the Weekend

Can Uzun is the standout performer of the weekend. The Frankfurt youngster scored twice and supplied three assists in an extraordinary all-round attacking display to help his club make DFB-Pokal history.

Five direct goal involvements in one match from a midfielder are difficult to ignore, making the 20-year-old the clear pick of the bunch.