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Who shone on their debut?
- Updated: August 16, 2016
New season, new ball, new teams, new managers, but how did the new players fare on their debuts in the Premier League?
As Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte, Aitor Karanka and Walter Mazzarri all took their Premier League bow off the pitch, the summer imports shone on it during the opening weekend of the season.
With some familiar Premier League stars also appearing for their new clubs for the first time, here’s how a select few got on…
John Stones – Man City
Stones was under the spotlight on his Manchester City debut against Sunderland on Saturday after his £47.5m move from Everton.
He was solid in the opening 45 minutes, taking off on one or two marauding runs over the halfway line, and dealing with everything that came his way.
However, sometimes criticised for his eagerness to step out of defence, Stones was arguably at fault for Sunderland’s equaliser.
Upon charging out to close former City man Jack Rodwell down, Stones left a gap behind him for Jermain Defoe to run into, cue the equaliser. A mixed debut, but Guardiola will no doubt give him plenty of chances to prove himself.
Nolito – Man City
Starting on the left of midfield for City, Nolito showed all the trademarks we expected after his signing from Celta Vigo in the summer.
He was hard-working without being spectacular, and came close to opening his account with a curling effort having cut in from the left onto his right foot.
On the opposite wing, Raheem Sterling endeared himself to the City fans after a difficult summer with a man-of-the-match performance, and with many predicting a duel for the left-wing position between the two, the England man may have the upper hand at this early stage.
Sadio Mane – Liverpool
Mane’s superb second-half strike sent his manager and team-mates into raptures, cutting in from the right on a mazy run before finding the top corner with his left foot, but his all-round contribution should not be underplayed.
The Senegalese forward seems to have bought into Jurgen Klopp’s philosophy seamlessly, defending from the front and causing a nuisance for Arsenal’s makeshift back four.
He made six tackles and gained possession eight times, more than any player on the pitch at the Emirates, and while his pace was his trademark at Southampton, it will be interesting to see what defensive qualities he develops under Klopp.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Man …
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