How did Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea stars perform on their Premier League debuts?
Beside the thrills and spills of the opening weekend of fixtures, football fanatics have been desperate to view the immediate fortunes of the big summer signings on their Premier League debuts.
However, if you weren’t privileged enough to watch the stars in action, here’s a rundown of how they performed.
Shinji Kagawa – Manchester United
Has already netted for his new club but the Japanese international was helpless to prevent a 0-1 loss against Everton.
Considering his progressive position, he played relatively safe with his passes. It was slightly saddening as, when he did have the opportunity to find a telling pass, he did so, picking out Rooney and Wellbeck with glorious passes that they should have scored from.
Kagawa demand the ball with his positional awareness, always available and quick to release. It was interesting to note that he and Rooney already seem to have struck up a affinity that can only be beneficial for United in the future.
For a man who scored a combined 23 goals in 54 games for Borussia last season, one would expect more of a goal threat. However, he was not the only United player culpable of lacking a cutting edge.
Joe Allen – Liverpool
Joe Allen seems to be going from strength to strength in a small period of time. Valued at just over £15 million, many have suggested that this estimation besets his worth. Yet, his debut went well considering the poor end result for his team.
Allen played ‘Hot Potato’ with the ball, moving it quickly on to maintain a speedy tempo. Don’t confuse this ploy with a lack of confidence in possession as he signalled his intent to be heavily involved in everything that Liverpool did throughout the match.
On numerous occasions, Allen expertly intercepted, rarely giving away cheap fouls. He was outsized by West Brom’s midfield troupe but was never daunted and often entered into challenges with complete conviction.
Santi Cazorla – Arsenal
Touted as the possible successor to the throne that Cesc Fabregas once topped, Cazorla began his premiership life with the belief that he is a senior influence within Wenger’s squad, so he should be the one responsible for orchestrating their play. The club and fans alike will definitely be delighted by this.
As so many debutants do, he kept his game simple, incorporating that Spanish style of quick intricate passing within narrow spaces. He was also willing to have a shot from decent positions instead of getting into that painful Arsenal characteristic that caused them to overcomplicate in previous seasons.
The former Malaga winger performed quick turns and stepovers when allowed to express himself by the Sunderland players. When O’Neill’s men applied pressure, he wasn’t as effective, often conceding possession as a result.
Oscar – Chelsea
The 20 year old attacking midfielder cost the blues a staggering £26 million from Internacional. He wasn’t handed his first start on Sunday but he did make an exciting cameo appearance in the second half.
Oscar displayed good pace and determination at times to latch on to passes he shouldn’t have been able to reach. This was epitomised by a barnstorming straight footrace between himself and Wigan defender, Ramis, in which the Brazilian prospered before firing a rasping drive narrowly wide of the goal.
There was always a willingness to aid the attack and push forward; even though Chelsea were 2-0 up at the time and coasting, he continued to play urgently which shows promise for tougher bouts.
Besides his dynamism – and, as we have come to expect from any Brazilian – he was a bag of inventive flicks and tricks; each one was productive and on target whilst never over-elaborating. For the most part, he played intelligently and neat with consideration of his debut, rarely taking more than a touch of the ball.
Compared to the youngsters of the Olympic tournament, the Premiership offers very large domineering opponents whereas Oscar appears slight in build. He may need to bulk up to cope with the physicality of the league.
Eden Hazard – Chelsea
The star man had a galactic day – two assists in six minutes pretty much speaks for itself. In this short period, he showed just why you spend close to £40 million for his talent.
Hazard has a low centre of gravity and extraordinarily close control bearing in mind the speed at which he attacks. Because of this, he is a nightmare for defenders who so often concede set plays in crucial areas to him – just ask Ramis.
Whether it was a turn on a sixpence or linkup play, Hazard was a constant handful in the early stage of the game with his sheer directness; a feature that saw him subjected to several painful challenges. Surprisingly – contrary to what people may have perceived of his personality from his behaviour during the transfer saga – he took all the targeting in his stride, displaying a professional attitude.
If he were able to maintain his earlier levels for a while longer, Chelsea may have been able to tally a cricket score at the DW. As it was, Hazard drifted out of the game before eventually being substituted.
He followed up his performance with an excellent display against Reading last night, where he provided two assists and won another penalty in a 4-2 win.
Who were you most impressed by?
image: © Ronnie Macdonald
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