Premier League signings: How did the debutants fare on the opening day?

Timothy Castagne (top left), Willian (top right), Pierre Emile-Hojbjerg (bottom left, Allan (bottom right), Callum Wilson (centre left) and Jeff Hendrick (centre right) were among the weekend debutants

After a quick turnaround and just a 48-day gap, the Premier League returned at the weekend.

The summer transfer window hasn’t been quite as busy as normal yet, but there were still some new faces at new clubs on display.

With the transfer deadline not until 5 October there is still time for Premier League clubs to add to their squads.

But how did the new boys – not including those who were on loan at that club last season – get on?

Check out BBC Sport’s assessment of each player and vote at the bottom of the page for who you think made the biggest splash on the opening weekend.

Timothy Castagne (Leicester)

Timothy Castagne
Timothy Castagne became the fifth different Belgian player to score on his Premier League debut, after Luc Nilis, Thomas Vermaelen, Christian Benteke and Leandro Trossard.

Signed from Atalanta for £21.5m

BBC Sport rating: 9/10

Your player rating: 7.78

Memorable debut for the Belgian, who headed Leicester in front after half-time. Evidently has the fitness to get up and down the wing judging by the number of times he joined the Foxes attack. Ben Chilwell will be a big miss but this was a fantastic start.

Matt Doherty (Tottenham)

Signed from Wolves for £15m

BBC Sport rating: 6/10

Your player rating: 4.63/10

Started well and, just like he did at Wolves, bombed forward at every opportunity. The Republic of Ireland international was denied a goal on his debut by Jordan Pickford.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg (Tottenham)

Signed from Southampton for £15m

BBC Sport rating: 5/10

Your player rating: 3.45/10

Unable to make the same impact as Everton’s new signings as Spurs were over-run. Ended the match with a 91.9% passing accuracy but had very little impact going forward.

Allan (Everton)

Signed from Napoli for £21m

BBC Sport rating: 8/10

Your player rating: 7.81/10

Carlo Ancelotti knows all about the Brazil midfielder from their time together at Napoli. Allan is just what Everton need – organising and coaching his team-mates throughout the match with Tottenham. He looks a terrific signing.

James Rodriguez (Everton)

James Rodriguez
Rodriguez created five opportunities for his Everton team-mates

Signed from Real Madrid for £12m

BBC Sport rating: 9/10

Your player rating: 8.06/10

Outstanding performance by the new signing from Real Madrid whose first appearance in Everton’s new-look engine room oozed class and creativity. Rodriguez played with a swagger, his raking cross-field passes causing havoc.

In total, Rodriguez created five opportunities for his team-mates, the most by a player on their Premier League debut since Alexis Sanchez back in August 2014.

Abdoulaye Doucoure (Everton)

Signed from Watford for £20m

BBC Sport rating: 7/10

Your player rating: 7.60/10

A calm presence in midfield. The French midfielder created four chances and made two key challenges.

Gabriel (Arsenal)

Gabriel
Gabriel is the 10th player to score on his Premier League debut for Arsenal, and the first to do so in an away match since Thomas Vermaelen in August 2009

Signed from Lille for £23m.

BBC Sport rating: 9/10

Your player rating: 7.96/10

After a shaky start, Brazilian centre-back Gabriel, 22, was excellent on his debut in English football – and his first game in six months – following a £23m move from Lille.

As well as scoring the second goal in a 3-0 win over Fulham, he had more touches of the ball and attempted and completed more passes than anybody else on the pitch.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: “It was a big challenge for him today to come in. He hadn’t played any football in the last six months and he had a terrific performance.

“Credit to him, he performed well, physically he felt really good and he was very happy to play.”

Willian (Arsenal)

Willian
Willian is the first player to assist two goals on his Premier League debut for Arsenal since Ray Parlour in August 1992 against Liverpool.

Signed on a free transfer after leaving Chelsea

BBC Sport rating: 9/10

Your player rating: 8.44/10

A Premier League stalwart, 32-year-old Brazilian winger Willian was making his Arsenal debut after a free transfer from Chelsea and instantly looked as if he has been in their team for years.

He had a hand in all three goals at Craven Cottage. His saved shot led to Alexandre Lacazette’s first goal and then he picked out Gabriel and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for Arsenal’s other goals. He also hit the post with a first-half free-kick.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta: “We knew that Willian was going to give us performances straight away.

“It’s difficult at the moment to pick the right players up front because there is so much competition, but that’s going to raise the level of the team.”

Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace)

Signed from QPR for £19.5m

BBC Sport rating: 5/10

Your player rating: 6.40/10

Despite being deemed not match fit enough to start, forward Eze, 22, came on in the closing stages when Crystal Palace were looking to kill the game off.

The £19.5m signing from QPR managed 15 touches in nine minutes but he was not on the pitch long enough to judge a forward talent Roy Hodgson believes will be a big hit.

Kyle Walker-Peters and Eberechi Eze
Eberechi Eze (right) became the second Premier League player that has a palindrome for a last name – he joins Sheyi Ojo (eight matches for Liverpool) in this respect

Robin Koch (Leeds)

Signed from Freiburg for £13m

BBC Sport rating: 4/10

Your player rating: 6.26/10

Robin Koch and Sadio Mane
Germany defender Koch joined Leeds from Freiburg

Tough start for the Germany defender, especially in the first half when he handled for a penalty and then seemed to lose his bearings in the area as Virgil van Dijk escaped attentions to put Liverpool 2-1 up.

In Koch’s defence, he will not face many sterner challenges than this Liverpool attack, augmented by the power of Van Dijk trying to get on the end of some magnificent deliveries.

The bonus will be that he has learned the harsh lesson and how unforgiving the Premier League is right away.

Rodrigo (Leeds)

Signed from Valencia for £26m

BBC Sport rating: 3/10

Your player rating: 5.8/10

Rodrigo emerged for his debut after his £30m signing from Valencia in the 62nd minute – and his only serious contribution was the one that lost Leeds United this wonderful match.

There was absolutely no need for Rodrigo to make a challenge on Fabinho in such a dangerous position, let alone one that resulted in a reckless, obvious foul that was only going to lead to one outcome.

Rodrigo looked suitably shattered. He had ruined all of Leeds United’s good work.

What do they say? The only way is up.

Callum Wilson (Newcastle)

Signed from Bournemouth for £20m

BBC Sport rating: 9/10

Your player rating: 8.15/10

Callum Wilson
Wilson has scored eight goals in nine league games against West Ham, more than he has netted against any other side in his league career

Wilson appeared back to his best working in tandem with Andy Carroll at the apex of Newcastle’s attack.

The 28-year-old England forward’s pace caused West Ham problems all evening and he went close to scoring on three occasions before registering his first Premier League goal since 7 March.

Jeff Hendrick (Newcastle)

Signed on a free transfer after leaving Burnley

BBC Sport rating: 7/10

Your player rating: 7.38/10

After an inauspicious start, miscontrolling the first two passes into him, Hendrick, 28, slowly grew into the game.

The Republic of Ireland midfielder, had few opportunities to influence the game as an attacking force but then superbly popped up in the West Ham penalty area to seal Newcastle’s victory with a fine finish late on.

Jamal Lewis (Newcastle)

Signed from Norwich for £15m

BBC Sport rating: 7/10

Your player rating: 7.3/10

Lewis, 22, looked solid in defence and got forward at every opportunity, creating two first-half chances for Wilson with pinpoint crosses to the near post.

Providing an outlet on the left, the young full-back had the second most touches and covered the most ground of any Newcastle player.

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