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PULSE OF THE DAY

Super Eagles stars & 5 other interesting Premier League GW 1 observations

The banter and heartbreaks have started following an interesting and entertaining start to the new Premier League season with 26 goals scored across 10 matches at the weekend.

Alex Iwobi was the standout performer from a Super Eagles PoV on the opening week of the Premier League season.

The Premier League finally returned at the weekend with Antonio Conte and Tottenham setting the pace early on.

An average of 2.6 goals were scored per game but Tottenham provided the best entertainment following a brilliant 4-1 win over Super Eagles debutant Joe Aribo and his Southampton club in London.

There were also wins for two other London sides, Arsenal and Chelsea with defending champions, Manchester City, also smiling away with a win.

But what else happened on the opening match day of the season? Pulse of the Day takes you through them.

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Enjoy the ride!

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Mikel Arteta and Arsenal got proceedings in the season off to a start with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

Gabriel Martinelli scored one while Bukayo Saka forced former Chelsea man Marc Guehi into scoring an own goal for the second.

But the night belonged to 21-year-old centre-back, William Saliba, who made his Premier League three years and three loan moves after he was signed in 2019.

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The youngster announced himself in style and looked like a proper beast at the back, helping the Gunners kick off the season with a deserved away win and a clean sheet. He was also named the official man of the match winner.

The €100m signing from Benfica is showing signs that will gladden the hearts of Liverpool fans following another impressive match-winning impact.

As he did in the community shield the previous weekend, Nunez started his life in the Premier League as a substitute and came on to become a super sub.

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With the Reds trailing, the 23-year-old Uruguayan came on to score one and assist another to open his account for the season on his Premier League debut.

However, his efforts were not enough as Liverpool shared the spoils with their host Fulham, who indeed deserved more than just a point from the game.

Game week one got off to the worst possible start after the trusted and most picked player ever in the history of Fantasy Premier League, FPL, Gabriel Jesus, kept a ridiculous clean sheet.

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Jesus was trusted by a record-breaking 76.9% of the managers and what did he do? Repaid everyone of them, including this writer, with just a shot in 83 minutes.

Jesus wasn't alone though, Harry Kane also disappointed his owners while it seems of all the players valued at £8m, Tottenham's Dejan Kulusevski is the TRUTH.

He has provided the most assists (10) since he made his debut for Spurs last season - on GW 25.

This writer also invested in the wrong £8m man, Mason Mount for GW 1. The breakfast will go around this season.

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  • Two debuts, two defeats

There were two Premier League debuts for Nigerian and Super Eagles players in the first game week of the new Premier League season. But no Nigerian celebrated a win at the opening weekend in the PL.

Joe Aribo and Taiwo Awoniyi made their official debuts for Southampton and Nottingham Forest respectively but were welcomed with painful defeats.

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Aribo started for the Saints but suffered a 4-1 thrashing with his teammates at Tottenham. He played from start to finish and came close to scoring on his debut but was denied by a brilliant Hugo Lloris in goal for the home side.

At St. James's Park, Awoniyi also made his debut but from the bench. He still ended on the losing side after Newcastle United defeated them 2-0 on Saturday.

  • Iwobi shines in a new role

Elsewhere, Alex Iwobi put in a solid display for Everton after he was drafted into a new central midfield role this time by his manager, Frank Lampard.

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Iwobi took off from where he stopped last season, looking assured in his new role and was at the end of most positive things from the Toffees.

But it wasn't meant to be as Chelsea held them off to take a 1-0 win at Goodison Park.

  • Brothers share spoils at the King's

At the King Power Stadium, it was brothers at war as Wilfred Ndidi and senior man Kelechi Iheanacho welcomed Frank 'the tank' Onyeka and his Brentford side.

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But only Ndidi was considered good enough to get on the pitch by both managers in the four-goal thriller which ended 2-2.

The duo of Iheanacho and Onyeka were spectators on the bench from start to finish in what may become a repeat of their last season's predicament.

Manchester City's latest weapon of mass destruction Erling Haaland is off the mark for the season for his new club.

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After he was outshone by fellow summer arrival, Darwin Nunez during the community shield clash, Haaland finally replied to the Liverpool man.

The 22-year-old matched Nunez's debut display for Liverpool, one goal and assist, by scoring two goals on his PL debut to inspire the champions Manchester City to a 2-0 win over West Ham United on Sunday.

Haaland impressed his new manager and showed why he is one of the most feared strikers in the world at moment.

With him and Nunez off to a flying start, the question is, who will win this war at the end of the season? Who will outscore the other?

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The more things change, the more they remain the same for Old Trafford giant Manchester United.

The Red Devils served the first real banter of the season after a 2-1 defeat at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Sunday.

New manager, Erik Ten Hag, screamed at the end of the game that he's got on his hand one 'hell of a job' in a quick reaction to the painful breakfast.

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Graham Potter and Brighton seem to have perfected how to play and steal points from United after taking their first-ever three points at Old Trafford.

The season never start, Ten Hag has broken a record already. United fans may be in for another long, long season.

Game of the game week - Tottenham 4-1 Southampton

Player of the week - Dejan Kulusevski

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