As the season is now well underway, we take a look at which players are making the best debut in the Premier League
The Premier League is back in full swing and while there are plenty of familiar faces hoping to fire their clubs to glory, thanks to an active summer transfer window fans have been treated to a host of new players joining England’s top flight for the first time.
But not everyone has landed firmly on their feet at their new clubs. Some players have flourished under the lights of England’s elite stadiums while others have crumbled under the pressure.
Hot
Granit Xhaka
The £35 million signing from Borussia Monchengladbach has made a very positive impression in his first four league appearances for Arsenal.
The talented midfielder, known for his passing ability and leadership skills, has also demonstrated a sensational skill to find the back of the net from impressive distances, something which has surprised even Arsene Wenger.
In the closing minutes of Arsenal’s 4-1 victory over Hull, Xhaka latched on to a pass and unleashed a lethal strike from 30 yards out, almost bursting the net and putting the gloss on his team’s dominant display.
But with plenty of competition in the Arsenal midfield, has Xhaka done enough to earn his spot on the starting XI?
Nolito
One of the most impressive signings of the summer came in the form of the 29-year-old midfielder and Nolito is proving to be good value for money.
Coming to Manchester City off the back of a 12-goal-7-assist season at Celta Vigo for just £13.8m, Nolito has wasted no time settling in to his new team.
In five Premier League appearances, Nolito has amassed two goals, one assist and a pass success rate of 83%, proving to be a skilled and accomplished player.
The former Barcelona member, who had an existing relationship with Guardiola before his summer transfer, will serve a two-match ban after his red card against Bournemouth but fans will be keen to see how he makes his return.
Eric Bailly
Bailly was one of Mourinho’s first summer signings when he came from Villareal for £30m and clearly has the Special One’s faith to fulfil his hefty fee as the Ivorian has started every league game for Manchester United.
The no-nonsense centre-back, who has been likened to Nemanja Vidic by some, was voted man-of-the-match in his debut against Bournemouth and was the club’s Player of the Month for August.
Honourable Mentions
Ilkay Gundogan came to Manchester City for £21m and produced a sensational debut against Bournemouth, with a pass rating of 93% and finding the bottom corner of the net in the 66th minute to make it 4-0 for City.
Meanwhile, Islam Slimani certainly announced himself to the Premier League when he scored two in his only appearance for Leicester City during the team’s victory over Burnley 3-0 at home.
But not everyone has had their dream start to the top tier of English football. Here are some players who have struggled to adjust to Premier League life.
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Ahmed Musa
Leicester City upgraded their front line over the summer and that included bringing in Nigerian forward Ahmed Musa for £16.6m from CSKA Moscow.
But, despite the 23-year-old’s impressive performance in the team’s EFL Cup loss to Chelsea, Foxes boss Claudio Ranieri said after the match that he needs to better understand the Premier League and that is why he was benched for their game against Burnley.
And with Slimani’s impressive debut in Musa’s absence, it looks like he is going to have to fight a lot harder for his place in the starting XI.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
There has been much speculation surrounding the under-performance of Mkhitaryan at Manchester United.
The 27-year-old was brought in from Borussia Dortmund over the summer for £26.3m but has failed to make an impact on the squad since his arrival.
With some fans claiming he’s being played out of position and his agent telling the press he’s been plagued with injury since the Manchester derby, there may be better things to come from the Armenian midfielder who was thought to be an exciting prospect ahead of the season.
Fernando Llorente
Llorente joined Swansea from Sevilla in a £5m summer deal but the World Cup-winner has yet to find the back of the net since arriving in the Premier League despite starting all four games for his side.
Manager Guidolin said in his press conference that his whole squad must step up if his forwards are to start scoring as the club have struggled this season, taking only four points from five games.
But with Llorente drawing a blank thus far in a Swansea shirt, his place in the starting XI will surely be called in to question in the future, especially with Borja Baston waiting in the wings.
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