Premier League Debuts: Fans witnessed the respective signings from their clubs perform for the first time when the 2022–23 season got underway on Friday, August 5, 2022.
With the assumption that this season might very well be another rousing success, hundreds of millions of dollars have already been invested.
Premier League transfers this summer have been unlike any other, and not just at the top. The new league kicked off with new faces aiming for a successful campaign, as unpredictable additions and power moves continue throughout the league.
Who, then, stood out the most from Match week one?
Erling Haaland
This season, Pep Guardiola’s Manchester United will have a prolific striker up front who other members of the club’s team would continually watch his movement and force the ball to him in every encounter. Yes, it is quite peculiar.
Even though Erling Haaland didn’t have much to do in the Super Sunday main event, everything he performed was of the highest caliber.
The action was flawless—he earned the penalty, converted it, and then found space behind West Ham’s otherwise superbly organized backline to double his personal advantage.
For the Scandi goal scorer, it was just another workday. He’ll shine in this league, but this was only a small sample of his abilities.
Joao Palhinha
He made his English football debut against Liverpool, facing Thiago, Fabinho, and Jordan Henderson in a two-man midfield. When all was said and done, Joao Palhinha’s debut was nothing short of outstanding.
The Portuguese player prevented Liverpool from controlling the game’s tempo by maintaining positional discipline, winning second balls, and controlling Fulham’s central midfield. It should be far harder than Palhinha made it seem to play against such a frantic, high-intensity team.
In the end, the Whites were unfortunate not to receive more than their unexpected point. They won’t fall into the bottom three if they make further acquisitions similar to this.
Darwin Nunez
For Liverpool’s first game without Sadio Mané, Roberto Firmino was the offensive starter. But it didn’t take Darwin Nunez long to introduce himself.
Nunez was brought in in the second half when the Reds were down a goal and was able to spread the play in a way that the aging Firmino could not, while also connecting with Liverpool’s midfielders.
When he was in the box, he hustled and bullied and was rewarded when a lovely flick was put in for the equalizer.
In a contest between two natural No. 9s, Aleksandr Mitrovic and Nunez both showed that they will fit in very well in this league.
William Saliba
Why, in all honesty, did Arsenal send this man out on loan for a full three seasons?
Whatever the cause, it appears to have been a success. With his supreme physicality off the ball and cool head in possession against a deadly Crystal Palace onslaught on Friday night, William Saliba, who is still only 21, was a true titan.
He appears authentic, therefore comparisons to Virgil van Dijk are justified.
Kalidou Koulibaly
In the middle of Everton’s back three, James Tarkowski was secure, but it was a defender on the other side who really distinguished himself. Even though Kalidou Koulibaly is already 31 years old, he continues to improve.
To the left of Thiago Silva, Koulibaly was as powerful as you might expect, but the true excitement in his performance on Saturday night came from the rogue forward dashes that aided the attack. The Senegalese stopper had an impact on play at both ends of the field similar to a Chris Wilder center-back and he appeared to have been a member of this team for a long time.
Antonio Rudiger would not be a major loss if Big Kali keeps playing like this every week.
