Much maligned Socceroo Brett Holman produced a lively display to help AZ Alkmaar overcome Heerenveen 2-0 on Sunday in the Dutch Eredivisie.The Australian attacker started the game brightly before brilliantly setting up AZ's opener on the half hour mark.
After just 8 minutes, Holman might have got his own name on the scoresheet when the ball fell kindly to him in space but his low shot was well saved by Heerenveen stopper Martin Lejsal.
Two minutes later, Holman combined with Mounir El Hamdaoui before the Moroccan blasted an effort just wide of the target.
But that combination play was just a warning for Heerenveen, after Holman expertly worked a one-two to get in behind the hosts' defence before playing a central ball for El Hamdaoui who somehow hit the post from point blank range only for Lejsal to comically fumble the rebound into the net.
Holman was substituted on 62 minutes after a solid display which would have impressed new AZ boss Ronald Koeman, before the champions grabbed a second through El Hamdaoui.
Elsewhere in the Dutch Eredivisie, Nikita Rukavytsya was absent again with an ankle problem troubling him, as FC Twente defeated newly promoted RKC Waalwijk 2-1 in Enschede.
English Premiership newcomers Burnley have already claimed the scalp of Manchester United at home and Tim Cahill's Everton became Burnley's latest victim as the Blues lost 1-0.
Cahill played deeper in midfield behind Maroune Fellaini but still managed to have a shot deflected for a corner when he pushed forward during an otherwise quiet match for him.
The game went to half-time with Burnley up 1-0 but a Louis Saha penalty miss in the 76th minute saw Everton finish the weekend on the bottom of the Premiership table.
Mark Schwarzer was beaten twice by Chelsea on Sunday as Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka threaded the ball past the Aussied to defeat Fulham 2-0.
In the Scottish Premier League Celtic recovered from their mid-week loss to Arsenal to thrash St Johnstone 5-2. Scott McDonald scored the fifth goal with a header on 74 minutes.
Danny Invincibile made his return from the injury that kept him out of the Socceroos squad against Ireland. Invincibile came off the bench in the second half but could not help Kilmarnock as they lost 3-1 to Motherwell.
James Wesolowski played the full shift for Hamilton Academical but the Accies went down 3-0 to Aberdeen.
In the Italian Serie A, Mark Bresciano started life up new Palermo boss Walter Zenga brightly playing a full game as the Sicilians defeated Napoli 2-1.
In the Turkish Super Lig, Mile Jedinak got off to the best of starts with new club Antalyaspor, by scoring the opener in a 2-0 win over Kasimpasa. Jedinak, who played the full game, rose unchallenged to head in a 60th minute free-kick.
Elsewhere in Turkey, Harry Kewell was absent as Galatasaray thumped Kayserispor 4-1, with Troisi playing 74 minutes for the losers. While in the second tier Lig A, young Aussie left-back Ersan Gulum played a full game as Adanaspor beat Karsiyaka 1-0.
In Sweden's Allsvenskan, Ante Covic played a full game as IF Elfsborg went top of the table with a 2-1 win over Orebro SK. According to reports though, Covic was partly to blame for Orebro's goal with a touch of hesitation from the ex-Newcastle Jets stopper.
In Russia's Premier League, Luke Wilkshire picked up two bookings and was sent off after 69 minutes as Dinamo Moscow crashed to a 3-0 home loss to champions Rubin Kazan. That result suggests Dinamo are out of the title race as they drop ten points off the pace set by Rubin Kazan.
In Switzerland's Super League, veteran Scott Chipperfield was back on the sidelines as FC Basel drew 2-2 at Neuchatel Xamax.
In Denmark's Superliga, World Cup hopeful Michael Beauchamp is still on the sidelines at Aalborg BK, as he was not involved as they lost 2-0 at Esbjerg fB.
And finally in Croatia's Prva HNL, Josip Skoko played a full game as Hajduk Split woeful start to the season continued with a 2-0 loss at NK Rijeka.
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