Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend | OneFootball

Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend, featuring impressive debuts for Nick Woltemade and Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Woltemade proves there’s life after Isak

Eddie Howe admitted it was relief that the Alexander Isak saga came to an end on deadline day, with the Newcastle forward eventually getting his desired move to Liverpool. The Magpies reinvested that record windfall in signing Nick Woltemade and Yoane Wissa, with the former encouraging on debut this weekend.

Woltemade scored the decisive goal with a fine header against Wolves, rising above his marker to nod home at St James’ Park.

In between he won physical duels and showed an array of neat touches that indicate he could shine as either a number nine or 10 moving forward. Losing your leading goalscorer is always a blow, but Newcastle have reason to be optimistic after the new arrival’s eye-catching start.

Iraola sure to be in demand as Bournemouth keep improving

Football’s food chain means the catch for almost any side who perform above expectations is that predators soon start to circle. Bournemouth were picked apart in the summer, with Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabaryni and Milos Kerkez poached by Europe’s elite, while Dango Outtara headed to Brentford in a £42.5m deal.

Fortunately, a brilliant recruitment team and head coach have ensured Bournemouth continue to be upwardly mobile. This weekend’s win over Brighton made it three wins from four games, with the only blemish on Bournemouth’s record a late defeat at champions Liverpool. Andoni Iraola deserves huge credit for his role, one which might see clubs enquire about his services in the not too distant future. There are sides with significantly more wealth and far poorer performances than could do much, much worse.

Hopeless Hammers leave Potter on the brink

After a morale-boosting win before the international break, West Ham’s bubble burst this weekend. A chastening 3-0 home defeat to fierce rivals Tottenham Hotspur has increased the pressure on Graham Potter’s position.

West Ham just do not look like a team. They’re vulnerable at set-pieces, unorganised, and underperforming. Pape Sarr’s opening goal for Spurs was something straight out of a pub league, with the midfielder allowed to head home unmarked inside the six-yard box, as West Ham’s zonal marking was badly exposed.

The Hammers have already conceded six times from set-pieces this season, three times as many as any other side in the league. It’s a situation that leaves Potter on the brink.

Salah strike masks stuttering start

Mohamed Salah was the hero for Liverpool at Burnley, as the Egyptian kept his cool to smash home a decisive 95th-minute penalty at Turf Moor. Salah has two goals and an assist in his opening four games, but the eye test has shown the 33-year-old is not at last season’s record-breaking levels.

Salah has recorded an xG of just 1.13 across four league games this season, a figure dwarfed by Erling Haaland (4.87), Antoine Semenyo (3.50) and Viktor Gyokeres (2.66). Even Anthony Gordon, suspended since the second fixture of the campaign, has recorded 1.70.

Salah’s stats are further concerning given his penalty at Burnley will have contributed around 0.79 of that total. Having been the centre piece of Arne Slot’s attack last season, Salah has spent more time closer to the touchline this time around, dimming his impact in the final third.

With Dominik Szoboszlai filling in as an auxiliary right-back, Salah has been tasked with holding Liverpool’s width. Liverpool improved at Burnley after the introduction of Rio Ngumoha and Jeremie Frimpong in wide areas, allowing Salah more freedom to move centrally. Frimpong’s recent return from injury could be what is required to get the reigning PFA Player of the Year back in more dangerous areas regularly.

Donnarumma makes City more solid

Gianluigi Donnarumma did not appear a natural fit for a Pep Guardiola team, but the opportunity to sign an elite shot-stopper at a knockdown rate was too good to turn down. The Italian made his debut against Manchester United this weekend and instantly proved his worth.

There were commanding punches to relieve pressure at set-pieces, and a superb stop to deny Bryan Mbeumo.

It’s often forgotten amid the modern phenomena of patient build-up from the back that a goalkeeper’s primary objective is to keep the ball out the net. Few do that better than the giant Donnarumma.

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