Premier League 2019/20: 8 Big Takeaways From Gameweek One
7. The New Signings
After a summer of big change for a lot of teams, the opening day of the season is the first chance for managers, teammates, and fans alike to see their new additions in action. Whether big money, potentially game changing signings, or low-risk free agent signings, there is always an eagerness to see what the new blood will bring to the team.
The most intrigue was around the world’s most expensive defender, Harry Maguire. The man Ole Gunnar Solskjaer paid £80 million for made an immediate impact, earning himself the Man of the Match award against Chelsea, letting nothing past him and starting off the move that saw United go 2-0 up. His teammate and fellow United newbie Daniel James also made a great start to his career at Old Trafford, scoring just seven minutes after being introduced. There were also debut goals for Spurs record signing Tanguy Ndombele and Brighton new boy Neal Maupay, as both teams recorded opening day wins.
Aston Villa, one of the biggest spenders in Europe this summer, started an incredible six new signings against Tottenham. It was certainly a risk to introduce so many new faces at once, and Dean Smith’s bravery backfired as Villa fell to a 3-1 loss to an admittedly brilliant team.