Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, Everton can all declare that they have owned very high-quality new contracts, but the joy of the end of the match is not for everyone in round 2 of the Premier League.
James Rodriguez (Everton) - 1 goal, 1 assist
Following his successful debut in the win at Tottenham, James Rodriguez affirmed that, with his qualities, the transition from one environment to another does not affect him at all. The problem is how much the coach trusts him.
Welcoming West Brom, James was assigned by coach Carlo Ancelotti to the right wing of the attack but still took on the role of organizer. After scoring in the 45th minute, the Colombian midfielder also lost a player (Kieran Gibbs cooled down and coach Slaven Bilic complained that the referee was all given red cards).
Before leaving the pitch, James also assisted Dominic Calvert-Lewin to complete his hat-trick, and sealed the score at 5-2 for Everton.
Donny van de Beek (Man United) - 1 goal
Not being placed in the starting lineup like James, Van de Beek had to wait until the 67th minute of the match between Man United and Crystal Palace before being sent on by coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to replace Paul Pogba. Before the Dutch midfielder entered the field, the Red Devils showed a lack of vitality and could not connect at the opponent's third.
With the 23-year-old, his mobility has somewhat affected Palace's defense. He was present at the gaps, and appeared in the right place to score an equalizer 1-2. It is just a pity that his new teammates cannot understand him enough to often bring the ball to the position to create quick coordination, leading to Man United not being able to create more pressure.
Timo Werner (Ch Chelsea)
While Kai Havertz is still struggling to integrate into the Premier League, former goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga has continuously made mistakes, while Werner has proven that he is the right contract for Chelsea.
Although he has not scored any goals for his new team, the German striker has made his mark in the past 2 matches. He brought Chelsea 2 penalties in 2 matches against Brighton and Liverpool, thanks to his speed and ability to control the ball into the opponent's penalty area.
Unfortunately, Jorginho did not make an 11m cut in the match against Liverpool when the score was 2-0 for the away team. If he had scored, the Blues' spirit would have been high to fill the lack of players in the second half.
Thiago Alcantara (Liverpool)
Having just arrived at Liverpool on Friday, Thiago was left a reserve by coach Jurgen Klopp when visiting Chelsea. After the first half, he took Jordan Henderson off, putting Thiago in the role of deep-lying midfielder. It took the European champions just 45 minutes to set a record in the Premier League.
He made 75 successful passes (accuracy rate 90.4%), including 56 passes on the opponent's field. Since the 2003-04 season, when Opta started making statistics, no player has been able to do so. No Chelsea player has a higher pass accuracy rate than Thiago.
Maybe, Thiago got that comfort thanks to Chelsea playing with one less player, but in a short time, he showed the qualities of one of the world's top midfielders.
