| Hoedt or Wimmer: Who would you prefer? | One of the biggest transfer sagas of the summer has been that of Virgil Van Dijk. The Dutch defender has handed in a … 14-08-2017 |
| Goa Family complete £210m takeover of Southampton FC | The long-running uncertainty surrounding the future of Southampton regarding a proposed takeover has finally been … 14-08-2017 |
| Saints Put In Bid For Lazio Defender | According to Italian outlet Calciomercato.it, Saints have slapped in a bid of €17m for Wesley Hoedt. 14-08-2017 |
| Saints Confirm Takeover | Saints have just confirmed that the the investment in the club has been concluded and a new era has begun. 14-08-2017 |
The new competition, which sees Saints in group C, comprises of six groups of four teams play each other once in the group stage, either at home or away.
The six group winners and the two best runners-up, decided by total points and then goal difference followed by head-to-head record progress to the quarter-finals.
In the knockout stages of the competition, ties are decided by extra-time and penalties should the game not be settled in normal time.
Southampton kicked off their Premier League season with a 0-0 home draw against Swansea City, and we’ve got the best of the action here for you in our 90-second highlights package.
The Saints youngsters host Reading in their opener at St Mary’s and Jaïdi has set his men high targets for the season.
“Hopefully we can set the standard early on and go from there,” he started.
“We won’t stop what we have been doing, in terms of developing players and linking between the academy and the first team.
“So first is the opportunity to make the boys ready for the first team, and collectively we want to finish as high as possible and try to achieve our top table target.”
Having enjoyed a pre-season camp in Spain and a number of friendlies back in England, Jaïdi feels his men are more than ready to hit the ground running this season.
“We had a good pre-season,” he continued.
“We had enough numbers to work with despite some being involved in the first team. We are now super excited to start the season.
“Obviously we can’t have a better start than playing at St Mary’s in front of all the coaching staff, families and supporters.”
Entry is free for those wanting to come along and show their support at St Mary’s this evening (7pm kick-off). Parking is also available for £2 on a first-come, first-served basis.
That’s according to former Blues striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, who reckons Antonio Conte has to make more signings before the transfer window shuts.
Chelsea are gearing up for a return to Champions League action and have lured Alvaro Morata, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Antonio Rudiger and Willy Caballero to London this summer.
However, they had been expected to complete a cluster of other deals having let a host of talent leave Stamford Bridge since the end of last season.
Conte’s men slumped to a shock 3-2 defeat to Burnley on Saturday, with just an inexperienced bench at the Italian gaffer’s disposal.
The 22-year-old stopper, who was previously with West Bromwich Albion, has signed a one-year contract at St Mary’s.
Rose had two loan spells during his time at The Hawthorns, making his professional debut with Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup before a similar loan spell with Crawley.
Reflecting on his move, Rose said: “I came in for a week or so to get a feel for the place and show them what I could do and I’m excited to be here now.
“Everyone knows about the reputation Southampton have in bringing through young players and they give you opportunities.
“It makes it more real when you see the young players being given chances in the first-team so that’s one of my goals.
“There is a great pool of goalkeepers here who I can learn from to develop my game.
"Fraser is an England international, Stuart Taylor has a lot of experience and I trained with Alex McCarthy in the week –he was really good with me.
“Dave Watson has been with England and is brilliant at what he does, so I can’t wait to get going.”
| Five reasons why Saints should sign Wimmer | Southampton have been linked with a move for Tottenham defender Kevin Wimmer for over a year now… The Saints were … 14-08-2017 |
Find out who impressed as the Premier League returned from its summer intermission with a thrilling opening weekend.
We asked Sky Sports Now guest Tony Cottee to give each side a grade, based purely on their weekend performance.
So, how did your team fare? Did they get a stunning A*, an awful F, or something in between? Read on to find out…
There was so much pressure on Huddersfield going to Selhurst Park, so to go and win 3-0 was fantastic. They couldn’t have asked for much more. Absolutely fantastic.
Fantastic. The only negative was that conceded a couple of goals but to overcome their away troubles of last season at the home of the champions was incredible.
West Ham’s poor performance is the only reason for not giving United an A*. All of their top players performed and it was great for Romelu Lukaku to get two goals, he’ll be a threat this season for sure.
It’s hard to give Arsenal anything more than a B because they conceded three goals, but they deserve credit for persevering, Olivier Giroud scored a fine winner.
By all accounts Everton should have won by more goals. I was delighted to see Wayne Rooney get back on the scoresheet and seal a solid start to the season.
City made hard work of beating Brighton and should have had a few more goals. They’ve got to build on that and embark on a run similar to the one they had at the start of last season.
They didn’t play overly well but had a lot of chances towards the end. To return to the scene of their heavy defeat of the 2015/16 season makes a good result even sweeter.
Three points and a set piece goal - usual stuff from West Brom. It’s a good result for them to start the season.
By all accounts, Newcastle held their own until Jonjo Shelvey’s dismissal. It’s a poor result but you’ve got to factor in the sending off against a good Tottenham team.
Watford did well up to a point and kept battling away to get the equaliser at the death, but they were a little disjointed at times, not helped by two injuries they picked up in the first half. Overall, they will be pleased with a point against Liverpool.
I was a little bit disappointed with Bournemouth. They have still got to sort out the striking situation, whether they prefer Jermain Defoe, Joshua King or Benik Afobe. They have options but they have to find a system that works.
Class told against one of the best teams in Europe, let alone England. Brighton would not have expected much from this game so they just need to move on.
Leicester made a good fist of things in their first away game of the season, the Emirates is a tough place to go. They led twice against Arsenal so they will be disappointed not to get anything from the game, but there is certainly room for optimism going forward.
Liverpool deserve an A for going forward and an E for defending. They’ve got all the talent in the world but they are all over the place defensively. I don’t like zonal marking and they still need players - a goalkeeper and some defenders.
Southampton have carried on not being to score from last season. There is no lack of effort there, they just lack the quality in terms of finishing. They need to get Charlie Austin and Manolo Gabbiadini back in the goals.
They didn’t have a single shot on target but ultimately they will be pleased with a point having not played well.
I don’t know where Stoke are going with things at the moment, they have sold players and haven’t brought too many in. This disjointed performance summed up the uncertainty around the club at present.
It was a dreadful start to the season for Chelsea. Gary Cahill’s challenge was poor, leaving Chelsea with 10 men, but there was no excuse for their collapse. Yes, they scored two goals in response but it was not good enough.
As starts to the season go, it doesn’t get much worse than losing 3-0 at home to a newly-promoted side. I fancied Palace to win but they were all over the place in defence and attack. A dreadful start.
Dear me. I have to give my former club an E because it was the worst result of the weekend. It was a poor result and a poorer performance. They have got to get their heads down and bounce back at Southampton next week.
The 22-year-old stopper was previously at West Bromwich Albion, spending his youth career there before being released in June having not made an appearance for the first team.
Rose spent time on loan at Accrington Stanley, making his professional debut there in the FA Cup, before heading to Crawley, again on a loan deal.
He arrives to bolster the club’s under-23s’ 'keeper options with Harry Lewis currently on loan at Dundee United and Paulo Gazzaniga likely to move before the end of the transfer window.
Rose said: “I came in for a week or so to get a feel for the place and show them what I could do and I’m excited to be here now.
“Everyone knows about the reputation Southampton have in bringing through young players and they give you opportunities.
“It makes it more real when you see the young players being given chances in the first-team so that’s one of my goals.
“There is a great pool of goalkeepers here who I can learn from to develop my game.
"Fraser is an England international, Stuart Taylor has a lot of experience and I trained with Alex McCarthy in the week –he was really good with me.
“Dave Watson has been with England and is brilliant at what he does, so I can’t wait to get going.”
A Chinese businessman has become the majority owner of Southampton in what is thought to be a £200m deal.
Gao Jisheng’s attempts to buy 80 per cent share of the club through his company, Lander Sports Development, had stalled.
But Katharina Liebherr said in a statement that she was ‘entering into a partnership’ with 64-year-old Jisheng, who has made his money as a property developer.
It is thought that Jisheng’s daughter and only child, Nelly Gao, will join the Southampton board and be a key representative for the new owner. She has formed a good relationship with Liebherr during the sale negotiation.
Liebherr said: ‘Following extensive and fruitful work, we are entering into a partnership with the Gao family and I am excited about what we will achieve together.
'Today is the start of a new and exciting chapter for our club. Mr Jisheng Gao and his daughter, Mrs Nelly Gao, with whom I have built a close relationship, share our values and ambitions.
'As a team, we will strive to build upon the strong foundation that is in place towards sustainable long-term success.’
The Premier League gave approval in June for the takeover of the club by Jisheng’s company.
The deal takes the number of European clubs under Chinese ownership to 28, with another British deal expected next month. Six of that number are British: WBA, Birmingham City, Aston Villa, Wolves, Reading and Northampton – with Manchester City 13 per cent owned by Chinese.
New Chinese ownership could strengthen Southampton’s resolve to hold on to central defender Virgil van Dijk, as a sign of ambition, though the player does seem intent on leaving and submitted a transfer request a week ago.
The low key nature of Southampton’s announcement – which described the deal as a ‘partnership’ rather than the acquisition which it is - suggests that Jisheng will maintain continuity on the South Coast and will not seek high profile or to shake things up.
The may be little change to the make-up of the club’s board. Supporters will want to know, though, how much investment Jisheng isa prepared to make.
Liebherr is thought to want to keep some of her shares to maintain continuity before selling up completely if satisfied that additional investment will come from the Chinese.
She feels that the club needs more investment to maintain a top ten position. She is also facing the prospect of a large tax bull, following an investigation by German authorities into the estate of her late father, Markus, who bequeathed her the club following his death in 2010.
I am pleased to confirm that talks to bring in a new partner to our club have been concluded. Following extensive and fruitful work, we are entering into a partnership with the Gao family and I am excited about what we will achieve together. Today is the start of a new and exciting chapter for our club. Mr Jisheng Gao and his daughter, Mrs Nelly Gao, with whom I have built a close relationship, share our values and ambitions. As a team, we will strive to build upon the strong foundation that is in place towards sustainable long-term success. Mr Gao, Nelly and I have full trust in Ralph Krueger and his management team. We wholeheartedly support their plans to follow the Southampton Way in the years ahead. But for now it is business as usual at Southampton Football Club and we must allow everyone at the club to focus on the first few weeks of the new season. I would like to thank the passionate supporters of the club for their ongoing loyalty and faith, and I look forward to seeing you soon at St Mary’s. I am honoured and humbled to become a partner of Southampton Football Club alongside Katharina Liebherr, who, together with her father, has been such a great steward of the club, its growth and success. Together, we have the passion and motivation to build on Southampton’s excellent progress in recent years as we look forward to an exciting next chapter for the club.
The Premier League is back, and while the opening weekend saw many familiar faces returning on the scene, there were many new players on show to light up the opening weekend of the season.
Manchester United and Huddersfield Town both enjoyed dream starts to the new campaign thanks in large part to business done over the summer months, while other sides may have wished they had stuck to a ‘tried and tested’ formula.
While there is still plenty of time to bed in to their new surroundings, Sportsmail assesses the debutants who contributed to the Premier League breaking the £1billion barrier in transfers since the window opened.
Lacazette was quick off the mark to settle him quickly in the Premier League. Only time will tell if he can adapt to life in England, but the early signs are good.
The Frenchman is just the seventh player to score on his Premier League debut for Arsenal after Kevin Campbell, Steve Bould, Fredrik Ljungberg, Emmanuel Adebayor, Samir Nasri and Thomas Vermaelen.
Took his goal instinctively and worked tirelessly when pushed out left to make way for Olivier Giroud through the centre.
Having scored in the Community Shield against Chelsea, Kolasinac showed his strengths going forward once more as he set up Danny Welbeck for Arsenal’s first equaliser.
But the Bosnian also suggested he is fallible at the back, albeit in a less natural role as part of a defensive three, with Jamie Vardy and Shinji Okazaki both profiting from poor marking.
Beaten at close range by the ‘Nesta of the Pyramids’ Ahmed Hegazy, Begovic will not have been happy that the downward header went through his legs but the Bosnian shouldn’t be too hard on himself.
Busy from the first minute, the goalkeeper signed for £10m from Chelsea showed why he is an upgrade on Artur Boruc.
Having shown his importance to Bournemouth following his return to Chelsea in the second half of last season, Ake’s return for £20m was unsurprising, but he went missing for Hegazy’s winning goal.
The youngster composed himself, however, to limit West Brom to few chances thereafter and he nearly earned his side a penalty late on after a challenge on him by Craig Dawson.
Howe opted to start Defoe on the bench due to fears over a groin strain, and the free transfer from Sunderland is likely to start against Watford this weekend after a quiet afternoon from Benik Afobe.
Having scored 19 goals for the Cherries in his first spell on loan back in the 2000-01 season, Defoe will be expected to excel once more on the south coast but at The Hawthorns he was given just half an hour to make an immediate impact.
The Australia international, a £5.8m summer signing from Valencia, made every inch of his 6ft frame count as he kept out a point blank effort from Gabriel Jesus in the first half.
The keeper was unable to react quickly to Lewis Dunk’s inadvertent header on his own goal, but his earlier reflexes suggest he could be the difference to the Seagulls staying up this season. Ryan attempted more passes than any outfield Brighton player in this match (27).
Cut a lonely figure in Brighton’s attack, and was far too isolated to be in any real position to demonstrate his true qualities.
Will certainly face easier afternoons in the top flight but worked hard to replicate the creativity shown at Ingolstadt to bring about his move.
One of several Chelsea loanees on show in the Premier League this weekend, Brown’s evening was ended early following a bright start. A knee injury means it may be a little while before he is able to prove his worth at this level.
Having sealed his move just days before the curtain raiser, Propper was chasing shadows for large parts of the game at the Amex Stadium.
The £10m midfielder struggled to get on the ball and often conceded possession cheaply. Worked tirelessly but a lot more will be expected from him following the club-record move.
The veteran striker was brought on in the 75th minute in an effort to close out the game, and victory for Walters will have tasted all the sweeter after he scored two own goals for Stoke against Chelsea in January 2013.
An excellent debut from Cork. There was plenty of scepticism surrounding his £10m move to Turf Moor having been allowed to leave Swansea for a potential Premier League rival, but the former Chelsea trainee relished being back on familiar territory.
With Cesc Fabregas suspended, Tiemoue Bakayoko unfit and Nemanja Matic sold on, Cork showed Antonio Conte what he’s missing ahead of the game against Tottenham.
Rudiger may have seen a home fixture to Burnley on the opening day as the perfect assignment to ease himself into the Premier League but he was in for a rude awakening.
Granted he was not helped by the dismissal of his captain Gary Cahill, but the presence of Sam Vokes unsettled him, and there’s plenty more revered strikers in the English top flight that await. Booked.
Antonio Conte looked at the positives after the champions were humbled by the traditionally travel-sick Clarets at Stamford Bridge, and in Alvaro Morata he certainly found one.
The £70m buy from Real Madrid had an instant impact, reducing the deficit with a well-placed diving header before setting up a Grandstand finish with another glance into the path of David Luiz.
Could have completed the comeback in stoppage time but was unable to adjust his feet, by the early signs are that he will be a hit in west London.
Fosu-Mensah denied Steve Mounie the chance of a hat-trick with a superb recovery challenge after a slip from Scott Dann but it was clear the youngster has had barely a training session in him in this unfamiliar three-man defence.
Plenty of room for improvement but his versatility makes him a useful asset both in defence and midfield. Having looked impressive for United during pre-season, he will want to forget about his first Palace outing quickly.
A far from impressive start from the defender signed from Ajax for £7.9m. Riedewald’s nerves appeared to rub off on the fans in the Holmesdale End, and he was far too reluctant to carry the ball forward.
The Dutchman will want to draw a line under his Premier League bow after a tense affair in which he was sarcastically cheered by fans when he did eventually launch the ball towards the front.
Loftus-Cheek was the one high note for Frank de Boer on a chastening opening day in English football.
Driving his side forward from midfield, Huddersfield were kept busy but he looked more effective when he was withdrawn from his initial attacking position. Certainly needs more from those around him to be a hit.
Having arrived at Everton for a British-record fee for a goalkeeper, Pickford suggested he will not be overawed by his £30m price tag as he produced a quietly commanding performance despite Stoke’s blunt attack.
The former Sunderland goalkeeper knew when to punch and when to gather from the countless number of balls thrown into his box, and his distribution with the ball at his feet was impeccable.
The save from Xherdan Shaqiri in the dying minutes having not been tested all game earned his side two points and an immediate return on his hefty outlay.
Like Pickford, Keane has fitted seamlessly into this Everton defence. Having lost a tooth for his troubles in the second-half, the former Burnley man battled on manfully with the threat of Peter Crouch and never put a foot wrong.
Three clean sheets in all competitions from three appearances says all you need to know about the start he’s made on Merseyside.
The Dutchman, like so many early on in the Premier League, appeared somewhat lost at times in the first half as the Toffees struggled to assert themselves with a system of three centre-halves.
Klaassen clearly has quality on the ball, but too often he found himself crowded out in central areas, and could have done more to find pockets with his defence soaking up slow possession.
His movement for the goal, dragging two Stoke defenders with him to create space for Rooney was the standout moment before he was withdrawn on the hour-mark.
Rooney was the difference between the two sides, both in his decisive finish and overall quality. Brought his game management when Everton needed a calm presence during Stoke’s late onslaught, winning free-kicks, and he was rarely wasteful in possession.
His goal brought memories of a time when he would make late dashes into the box at Manchester United and the early signs are that he will comfortably hit double figures this season upon his return to his boyhood club.
Another summer signing who looks like he will take time to adjust to the rigours of the Premier League. Sandro was involved in the winner with a sharp turn but he snatched at his only chance.
Was moved out to the left during the half-time reshuffle but his understanding with Rooney will need work if it is to prosper.
Brought on at half-time as Koeman shuffled from three at the back to a more familiar 4-3-2-1 formation, Martina provided his side with better balance as youngster Dominic Calvert-Lewin was pushed further up field.
One comical foul throw aside, the indications are he can provide an adequate stopgap while Everton await the return of Seamus Coleman.
Lossl is the latest goalkeeping Dane to leave an impression in the top flight having marked his debut with a clean sheet.
Signed on loan from Mainz, the 28-year-old demonstrated an excellent command of his area, reflexes and distribution to keep Crystal Palace at bay during the 3-0 win.
Jorgenson - or Zanka as he may well become known - signed a three-year deal this summer and he dealt well with the threat of Loftus-Cheek, Wilfried Zaha and Christian Benteke.
The defender rose well at the far post to create his side’s opener, showing he can be useful in both boxes for his side this season.
Having impressed during the promotion-winning campaign, Mooy was signed for £10m in the summer and the defensive midfielder turned attacking maestro was heavily involved in everything good about the Terriers.
Mooy delivered the set piece which caused Joel Ward to put the ball into his own net, and it was his cross once more that found the head of Steve Mounie for Huddersfield’s second.
A second-half replacement for Tommy Smith, Williams said it would be his dream to play in the Premier League and he fulfilled this in the 57th minute with his side leading 2-0.
Was asked to do a job by David Wagner in an unfamiliar right-back position with Palace looking to increase the urgency through Zaha, and he didn’t disappoint.
Two goals on his Premier League debut, it’s no wonder Mounie was the name on everyone’s lips in the away section at Selhurst Park.
Ought to have completed his hat-trick but led the line impressively following his club-record move from Montpellier. Could be one of the finds of the season.
Recovered from Lacazette’s early goal to play a hand in Leicester’s instant equaliser, towering at the far post to set up Shinji Okazaki for a simple finish. Arsenal’s own defensive problems down the other end served to accentuate Maguire’s qualities.
There were eyebrows when the Foxes parted with £17.5m for his services from Hull, but having been wanted by Tottenham, this was a very promising start from an individual perspective despite the late collapse.
Iheanacho was introduced by Craig Shakespeare at the Emirates at a time when his side were trying to preserve a 3-2 lead, but the Nigeria international appeared to not understand his role as the switch played into Arsenal’s hands.
The return of Okazaki and Jamie Vardy working so effectively as a partnership prior to his appearance could mean the man signed for £25m has to wait for his opportunity from the start.
Salah was the first of two Egyptians to score on Saturday, as he and Hegazy became the first to notch on the same day in the competition since November 1, 2008 (Mido and Amr Zaki).
The former Chelsea winger won the penalty which led to the second equaliser, and he looks set to feature prominently this term, prodding in at the far post after an exquisite take and lob from Roberto Firmino. A constant threat.
Recovered from a nervous first touch as his clearance failed to make the halfway line, but Brighton offered very little to reveal if the £35m signing from Benfica is the man long-term to guard Pep Guardiola’s goal. A virtual spectator.
In Benjamin Mendy’s absence, Danilo was deployed in the left wing-back role and the Brazilian provided dangerous in-swinging deliveries particularly in the first half.
Regularly looked to get forward on the overlap to show why Guardiola forked out £26m on a player who can play both sides.
After all the hype surrounding his £54m move from Tottenham, Walker made a strong start to life at City. The England right-back got was a constant outlet, unchained from his defensive duties with Brighton pinned in their own half.
Tipped by many to be the standout signing of the summer, Bernardo Silva was made to watch from the bench among others from City’s wealthy talent pool, and his seven minutes of action were not enough to draw a rating.
Lukaku has now scored on his Premier League debut for three different clubs - West Bromwich Albion, Everton, Manchester United.
His latest goals means he has now scored more in all competitions against West Ham than he has against any other English side (11). But his overall game was sound as he again showed his clinical streak against sides outside the top six. More will be expected.
Lukaku grabbed the headlines with his brace, but the performance of Matic was every bit as impressive as he protected the back four and showed his ability on the ball with one brilliant piece of skill on the right side.
Composed in possession and always in the right place, if there was a performance to suggest he is the missing piece of the jigsaw at United, this was it.
Having failed at Liverpool and Sunderland, this must surely be Manquillo’s final chance to show he is cut out for the Premier League, and fellow Spaniard Rafa Benitez may feel he can get a tune out of him.
The full-back was a willing runner going forward providing a couple of good crosses and he dealt well given the enforced changes alongside him.
Looked comfortable until Harry Kane’s scything challenge brought a premature end to his debut. The Frenchman was caught late by the England striker after 34 minutes and will now be assessed.
Having impressed with two goals and four assists during pre-season, Atsu continued his good form with a display full of energy having made his loan move from Chelsea permanent over the summer.
Having got the best out of him last year in the Championship, the Ghana international could prove lethal for Benitez against lesser sides.
Brought on after Jonjo Shelvey’s brainless sending off, Merino plugged a hole in midfield but saw little of the ball with Tottenham making full use of the man advantage.
Will learn more when likely to be handed his chance from the start at Huddersfield this Sunday.
Signs of encouragement for Zouma as he reminded Antonio Conte of his qualities as starter, keeping Sandro Ramirez quiet before the forward’s withdrawal.
Found things tougher up against Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and there was one hairy moment when he was dispossessed cheaply by the Englishman which led to a smart save by Jack Butland.
Fletcher helped Stoke make the brighter start at Goodison Park in recycling the ball for the creative likes of Xherdan Shaqiri to cause problems, and came within a yard of equalising with a long-range drive.
The former West Brom midfielder’s presence will enable Joe Allen to venture into more advanced areas and he kept his side compact and organised even after Rooney’s breakthrough.
Stoke were blunt in attack with Said Berahino who still cannot buy a goal in the Potteries, but in replacing Marko Arnautovic, Choupo-Moting produced an encouraging cameo despite his inability to salvage a draw.
Comfortable on the ball, the Cameroon international received a glowing report from his manager Mark Hughes. In line to start the next match against Arsenal.
Abraham was a threat all afternoon to a Southampton defence shorn of Virgil van Dijk, and the Chelsea loanee will perhaps feel he ought to have done better with a headed chance in the first half that went inches wide.
Showed his qualities in the box by carving out another chance for himself in the second period, and may have to do so throughout the season given the likelihood of Gylfi Sigurdsson departing. Brought off after 80 minutes.
Brought on to replace Daryl Janmaat after 18 minutes, Femenia didn’t look equipped for the Premier League. Up against Liverpool’s swashbuckling three-pronged attack, the former Alaves full-back struggled more and more as the game wore on.
Brought in on loan last season, Cleverley completed an £8m switch from Everton over the summer, and his industry was on show in the build-up to Watford’s second goal.
Often described as neither one thing or another, the former Manchester United midfielder built on an encouraging spell at Vicarage Road last term by dragging his side back from 3-2 down.
Chalobah returned to the Hornets following a successful loan spell four years ago, and he looked assured in possession during a game in which neither side had control.
Produced an audacious attempt to catch Simon Mignolet out with a 50-yard effort which shows the former England Under 21 international is not short on confidence despite a lack of opportunities at Chelsea.
Signed late last week, Gray was made to wait for his full Watford debut as he was handed a brief cameo by Marco Silva.
Brought on with his side trailing, the former Burnley striker looked to stretch the tiring Liverpool defence but he had little impact on the game. A case of watch this space.
Another one of Silva’s summer signings who came off the bench, the Brazilian looked a threat down the left-hand side and won a free-kick in the lead-up to the stoppage time equaliser.
Rodriguez at £12m could prove a snip, and his pre-season form suggested he is over the worst of his injury worries.
The 28-year-old may have scored on a couple of occasions but still received glowing feedback from his manager Tony Pulis. Kept at bay on this occasion, but his energy suggests he could be a real asset for the Baggies this term.
The star Premier League debutant of the weekend along with Matic, Hegazy could become a cult hero. Provided a constant aerial threat at set pieces, and had chances to add to the opportunity he did convert from Chris Brunt’s cross.
Pulis watched the Egypt international at the African Cup of Nations, and here on his first appearance at The Hawthorns the centre-back already looked at home. Defensively sound, West Brom can make Hegazy’s loan move permanent and that could well be secured well in advance of the end-of-year option.
Hart will not have been grateful to the fixture computer for throwing up United as his opponents upon his return to the Premier League, but there was little he could do about the goals.
Will hope the develop a relationship quickly with those in front of him to convince Gareth Southgate he is still the right choice as England’s No 1 and he can expect to be kept busy on this evidence.
Another former Manchester City player who has certainly seen better days, Zabaleta was given a torrid time by Marcus Rashford, and was already on a booking when he looked up to see Anthony Martial coming on in his place.
Honest as the day is long but cannot be expected to provide the Hammers with the athleticism of modern-day full-backs, and he received very little protection from Arnautovic.
Different shirt colour, but the same mercurial Austrian. He will have his days, but this was not one of them.
Arnautovic pushed through a move to West Ham over the summer claiming he was joining a bigger club, but this was another one of those days where he looked disinterested when his new team needed him to put in a shift.
The one bright spark for West Ham. ‘Chicharito’ had very little support at Old Trafford, but the Mexico striker worked hard in his bid to score against his former club.
Lacked endeavour at times from those around him, but Slaven Bilic is unlikely to leave him as isolated in less challenging encounters.
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