SM
Aston Villa vs. Man United: 7 hrs
Upcoming predictions and previews

Which new signings impressed on opening Premier League weekend?

:Headline: Which new signings impressed on opening Premier League weekend?: ID:99641: from db_amp
With the opening Premier League fixtures now complete, Sports Mole assesses which new signings made an instant impact for their respective clubs.

While the eyes of many clubs' supporters were firmly cast on their own side, there remained the usual curiosity over the performances of the new signings at their respective clubs over the past three days.

Over £400m has already been spent between the 20 Premier League outfits, with over 40 new arrivals making their debuts over the course of the opening weekend in England's top flight.

Sports Mole assesses which players made the biggest impact at their new home.

Jesus Navas

Jesus Navas arrived in England with a big reputation after a couple of fine seasons for his previous club, Sevilla.

Despite paying a fee in the region of £15m, Manchester City fans believed that they have captured a bargain, and they would have been increasingly encouraged by the Spaniard's opening performance in the Premier League.

The 27-year-old's direct style and impressive delivery frequently had City's supporters on their feet during the 4-0 triumph over Newcastle, and that will only whet the appetite for more from the winger.

Navas scored just once for Sevilla last season, but if he can continue to produce performances such as this one, it will not matter to the Etihad fans.

Paulinho

When Paulinho signed for Tottenham Hotspur during the summer, he was quickly likened to a Brazilian Frank Lampard.

That kind of comparison would have only increased the expectancy levels at White Hart Lane that they had found a potential star of the future.

The 25-year-old was eased into the rigours of the Premier League with a debut against promoted Crystal Palace, but the former Corinthians man performed efficiently for his new side.

He teamed up superbly with Moussa Dembele in the centre of midfield, and after deservedly being named man of the match, Paulinho looks like an important ingredient to Tottenham's success this season.

Maarten Stekelenburg

Fulham had failed with a January move for Maarten Stekelenburg, but the Craven Cottage faithful would have been delighted when a second pursuit was successful for the Netherlands international.

Martin Jol's side had a huge void to fill after Mark Schwarzer departed for Chelsea, and they arguably couldn't have done any better after securing the services of the former Roma stopper.

Stekelenburg was instrumental in keeping Sunderland at bay at the Stadium of Light, as the Cottagers edged to a 1-0 victory.

However, everyone associated with the club will be sweating on the 30-year-old's fitness, after he was substituted after 76 minutes with a shoulder injury.

Ricky van Wolfswinkel

After two productive campaigns with Sporting Lisbon, the transfer of Ricky van Wolfswinkel was something of a coup for Norwich City.

The Netherlands international turned down interest from other clubs to move to Carrow Road, and the home supporters would have been delighted with his impact on Saturday against Everton.

The Canaries had seen the Toffees come from behind to lead 2-1, before Van Wolfswinkel stole in to head home an equaliser with 19 minutes to go.

Van Wolfswinkel will be competing with Gary Hooper for a place in the starting lineup throughout the season, but he couldn't have gotten off to a more perfect start after moving to England.

Kolo Toure

Kolo Toure has spent the past decade plying his trade in England, but he had almost become a forgotten man during his final season with Manchester City.

After Liverpool stepped in to try to revitalise the Ivory Coast defender's career, he went on to deliver a composed performance against Stoke City on Saturday.

It's a big season for Toure to remind Liverpool's supporters that he is still a top player, and they would have been happy with his contribution in helping their club keep a clean sheet against the Potters.

It remains to be seen whether the former Arsenal centre-back will keep his place upon the return of Martin Skrtel, but he could have done little more on his Anfield debut.

amp_article__99641 : Database Data restored...  : 
last updated article - 2013-08-20 21:27:00:
html db last update - 2013-08-20 21:27:00 :

ex - 7200 : read : read cache amp html

Click here for more stories about Jesus Navas

Click here for more stories about Liverpool

Share this article now:
Recommended Next on SM
Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool76011321118
2Manchester CityMan City7520178917
3Arsenal7520156917
4Chelsea6411157813
5Aston Villa6411129313
6Newcastle UnitedNewcastle733187112
7Fulham7322108211
8Tottenham HotspurSpurs6312125710
9Brentford73131313010
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton623110829
11Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest62316519
12West Ham UnitedWest Ham72231011-18
13Bournemouth7223810-28
14Manchester UnitedMan Utd621358-37
15Leicester CityLeicester7133912-36
16Everton7124715-85
17Ipswich TownIpswich7043614-84
18Crystal Palace7034510-53
19Southampton7016415-111
20Wolverhampton WanderersWolves7016921-121
Scroll for more - Tap for full version


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
AL
Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!

Loading ...

Failed to load data.



. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .