🦁 Premier League Player of the Week: A masterful debut | OneFootball

The Premier League is back.

After what seemed like no time at all, the English top flight returned this weekend with 10 absorbing games and countless impressive performances.

But our Player of the Week is ...

Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City

📸 Alex Pantling - 2025 Getty Images

When Manchester City travelled to Molineux on the opening weekend of the 2025/26 Premier League season, most expected Erling Haaland, the opening day master, to dominate the headlines.

Instead, it was new signing Tijjani Reijnders who produced a debut of staggering authority in City’s 4-0 victory over Wolves, immediately marking himself out as the standout player of matchday one across the division.

Reijnders was not just effective in his first Premier League appearance, but decisive as well.

The Dutch international scored City’s second goal with a composed finish just minutes after Haaland’s opener in which he was the player to break between the lines and set the move in motion.

Later he added an assist, cutting back for Haaland to strike again, and in doing so became only the second player in City’s history, after Sergio Agüero, to both score and assist on his Premier League debut.

His impact was felt far beyond the final third, though. Reijnders completed over 91 per cent of his passes, orchestrated play with 82 touches and carried the ball forward 17 times, more than any other City midfielder and bettered across the league by only one other attacking player.

Six of those carries saw the midfielder go more than 10 metres, demonstrating his ability not just to mindlessly recycle possession but to actively progress it in the best possible way.

Yes, Reijnders may have been statistically dominate but you just had to watch with your own eyes to see an unbelievable midfielder Man City have bought for the bargain price of €60m.

There was a poise to his movement, a sense of control whenever he was on the ball and a readiness to set the rhythm of play.

City have long relied on Kevin De Bruyne to dictate tempo and carve open defences, but Reijnders showed he is not there just replace and imitate the Belgian - he's there to offer something new.

Whilst De Bruyne was often about explosive creativity, Reijnders balanced incision with patience in possession and never allowed Wolves themselves to settle on the ball.

Coach Pep Guardiola was quick to praise his composure and technical brilliance to the BBC post-game, saying: "Not just today, in Palermo (a 3-0 pre-season win) he played really good. He is a typical player we need in the Premier League. He is an incredible, big signing for us.

"His work ethic, a holding midfielder occupies a lot of spaces and then after the control with the ball and his movements. And then he is trying to get in behind and score - really pleased."

City entered this season under pressure after a rare trophyless campaign, burdened by questions about whether their dominance was starting to slip.

At Molineux, Reijnders looked like the spark Guardiola’s side needed to reassert themselves and show that last term was a complete aberration.

📸 Alex Pantling - 2025 Getty Images