The weekend produced plenty of talking points across Europe’s top five leagues, with important results and landmark individual moments shaping the early season as real challengers continue to build momentum. 

Manchester City won the Manchester derby at Old Trafford, with Erling Haaland scoring his ninth goal and becoming the fixture’s all-time leading Premier League scorer, while Arsenal preserved their perfect league start with a hard-fought victory at Sunderland.

Barcelona maintained their invincibility in Spain while Real Madrid also returned to winning ways in style. Several clubs in Italy, Germany and France secured crucial results, with European champions PSG securing their first league win of the season thanks to Ferran Torres's lone strike at Brest.

Alongside those results were individual displays that stood out for their quality and importance. From decisive saves and goals to creative performances and a history-making hat-trick, several players made a strong case to be named the weekend’s best performer. Here are the standout stars from the weekend, with one emerging above the rest.

Stars of the weekend in Europe's top 5 leagues 

Premier League: David Raya of Arsenal

On a day when the odds appeared to be stacked against the Premier League champions, David Raya stood tall and proved why he is the frontrunner for the 2026 Yashin Trophy despite having to make just a couple of saves.

After being untroubled for almost an hour of football at the Stadium of Light, the Spaniard's first real intervention came in the second half, when Sunderland were awarded a controversial penalty and a chance to break the deadlock.

Raya stood his ground and dived to his left to deny Enzo Le Fee from the resulting spot kick to keep the score level, while his team ultimately took the lead exactly 121 seconds later through Bruno Guimaraes.

Raya was called into action again later in the game to deny Nordi Mukiele twice, before Bukayo Saka scored a penalty with virtually the last kick of the match to seal a 2-0 win for the champions, but the result was all down to the goalkeeper's interventions.

LaLiga: Kylian Mbappé of Real Madrid 

Real Madrid scored four against Rayo Vallecano, their most in the fixture since a 10-2 win in December 2015, and Kylian Mbappé was at the heart of it, with three goal involvements to move him level in the race for the Pichichi.

The French international opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the 14th minute after Álvaro Carreras was fouled in the area, moments after an early Mbappé appeal had been waved away by the referee.

Mbappé easily beat the goalkeeper to break the deadlock, and repaid the favour to his teammate by assisting the second goal three minutes later, before Jude Bellingham made it 3-0 ten minutes before the halftime break.

The visitors grabbed a consolation through Sergio Camello six minutes after the restart, but Mbappé completed his brace in the first minute of added time, firing a low shot past the goalkeeper after being teed up by Arda Guler.

Although a host of players impressed during the weekend in Spain, including the Barcelona duo of Lamine Yamal and Raphinha, it was Mbappé who stood out most and earned his spot alongside the other stars from across Europe.

Serie A: Franco Mastantuono of Fiorentina

The young Argentine became the youngest foreigner to score a Serie A hat-trick in a sensational display to help Fiorentina secure their first league win of the season in Paolo Vanoli's first game after his comeback.

Franco Mastantuono finally arrived for the Italian side, who had struggled since the start of the season and lost all their opening three league games, a run that cost Fabio Grosso his job after just three months in charge.

Madrid loanee Mastantuono ensured that the arrival of the new manager coincided with their first league win as he scored three times to secure a 4-2 comeback win away to Venezia, making him the best player in the Serie A during the weekend.

He scored his first to restore parity just a minute before the half-hour, and scored again a minute later to complete the comeback, before his countryman Mateo Pellegrino extended the visitors' lead six minutes after the hour mark.

Mastantuono completed his historic hat-trick six minutes from time, before another Venezia consolation wrapped up a six-goal thriller that saw the visitors leave Venezia with their first Serie A away win at their hosts since October 1966.

19-year-old Mastantuono, who also became the first teenager to score a hat-trick in Europe's top five leagues this season, created four chances, including one big chance, completed three dribbles and won six duels.

Bundesliga: Adam Hložek of Hoffenheim 

After losing their opening two Bundesliga games this season, Hoffenheim finally got their first win, and it was thanks to the brilliance of Czech international attacker Adam Hložek, who scored the two goals in a 2-1 victory over Stuttgart.

On a weekend where a lot of players starred in the German top flight as the goals went in across stadia, the 24-year-old's contributions proved to be more decisive, as they helped his team navigate their way to a win in a close contest.

Hlozek opened the scoring for the hosts in the 13th minute, beating the goalkeeper with a shot from inside the penalty area after receiving the ball from Bambase Conte, but the visitors canceled out the goal three minutes after the restart.

The eventual match-winner came seven minutes after the hour mark, with Hlozek converting a left-footed shot following an assist from Adam Daghim, earning Hoffenheim their first win in the fixture since October 2023.

Ligue 1: Cristian Casseres of Toulouse 

Toulouse had to fight back from 2-0 down away to Lorient after the hosts established a first-half cushion through goals from Ibrahima Balde and Noah Mbamba, to set them on the perfect path to back-to-back wins.

However, Cristian Casseres stepped up with a playmaking masterclass to rescue Toulouse, assisting the two second-half goals to earn a point and extend their unbeaten run in the fixture to seven.

The Venezuelan set up half-time substitute Casper Tengstedt three minutes after the restart to halve the deficit from a corner, and at the start of the final quarter, he doubled his assist by playing through Thomas Jorgensen to finally level the score at 2-2.

Cristian Casseres created five chances, made six tackles, nine recoveries, nine defensive contributions, and won six duels in a complete midfield performance that made him the standout star of the French top flight during the weekend.

Ultimate Player of the Weekend: Franco Mastantuono 

Franco Mastantuono's hat-trick is the biggest highlight of the weekend, and its impact on his team is very decisive, as it helped secure their first win of the season while also placing him in the Serie A hisbooks book as the youngest foreigner to score a treble.

The Real Madrid loanee beat his teammate Kylian Mbappé, who also had three goal involvements, to help Los Blancos return to winning ways in the league after a disappointing loss at Betis last time out.