£250 Million New Signings Make Debuts: One Comes Off the Bench, One Leaves With Cramps

In the first round of matches after the Premier League transfer window closed, new signings from various teams faced their debut tests. Barcola, signed by Liverpool for £123 million, impressed after coming off the bench, while Manchester City's two new signings Enzo Fernandez and Iliman Ndiaye showed completely different debut performances.

Barcola: Came on in the 63rd minute, with pace as his biggest highlight

Liverpool new signing Barcola came on as a substitute in the 63rd minute after the team took a 2-0 lead over Ipswich. Manager Iraola explained before the match that, because the player had lacked competitive match time since the World Cup, the team planned to gradually integrate him. Despite limited playing time, Barcola's speed and attacking impact on counterattacks were impressive. Since Luis Diaz left Liverpool in 2025, the team's attack had lacked a speed element, and Barcola happened to fill that gap.

Manchester City's duo: One pressed actively, one left early

Manchester City new signings Ndiaye and Fernandez also completed their debuts. Ndiaye was active in the first half, making several energetic challenges and even winning back possession during a seemingly unlikely pursuit of the ball, showing the fighting spirit the team needed. He looked confident in possession, repeatedly attempting inside cuts and outside runs, and also resolved several dangerous situations in his own half. However, he went down with cramps late in the match, showing the intensity of the game.

In contrast, Fernandez's performance was relatively quiet, and he was substituted with 14 minutes remaining in the match.

Tottenham and Nottingham Forest play out a goalless draw

In another key match of the round, Tottenham drew 0-0 with Nottingham Forest. Tottenham invested nearly £400 million in squad rebuilding this summer, but after starting the season with two consecutive defeats, new manager De Zerbi urgently needed a win to stop the decline. Facing Nottingham Forest, who were also in a rebuilding phase, Tottenham failed to break the deadlock, and whether this draw can become a turning point for the team remains to be seen.