After weeks of wondering, pondering, hoping, and celebrating, the transfer window if finally closed. Oddly enough, there were three rounds of premier league fixtures while the window was still open, a moot point, but a curious one.
Nonetheless, the distraction of transfer talk is no more, and we can finally focus on football. This weekend, it was the new boys on the block who shined the brightest.
Diego Costa, Chelsea
Praise continues to be heaped on the Brazilian errrhmm…Spaniard. It remained to be seen if Costa could handle the physicality of the premier league, but this is by no means an issue. With seven goals from four games, Costa has enjoyed a historic start to life at Stamford Bridge.
His goal record is indicative of his nature; he simply doesn’t miss when given the chance to score. Chelsea is brimming with midfielders who make a living off of creating chances, so it’s no surprise Costa has been seeing the back of the net with such frequency. With the addition of Costa, this could be one of the strongest Chelsea squads ever.
Alexis, Arsenal
I was recently in a debate as to whether or not Arsenal needed the services of Alexis. 35 million pounds is a lot of money, but so far he has proved he is worth every penny. The Chilean’s work-rate is ridiculous, and his injection of relentlessness into the lineup seeing Arsenal hunting the ball more effectively high up the pitch.
His go-ahead goal was a thing of beauty, a perfectly timed side foot volley past a helpless Joe Hart. The Emirates crowd is adopting Alexis as a fan favorite, a title he completely deserves. He has now scored a goal in each of his last three appearances for Arsenal, but his performance against the Citizens on Saturday proves he doesn’t shy away from the big stage.
Angel Di Maria, Manchester United
Di Maria was at the core of most of Manchester United’s attacking moves on Sunday. His dynamism from a deeper role earned him a man of the match performance. Had Robin Van Persie finished Di Maria’s sublime outside-of-the-foot chipped pass among other chances, the game could have been worse for QPR.
As I said on twitter this morning, Di Maria is proving his worth. His game is much more complete than people imagined, and as a fan of the sport it is always a treat to see a player of his quality develop even further. Touted as a speedy winger, the Argentine has much more to him than initially meets the eye.
Graziano Pelle, Southampton
In a way, Pelle is a poor man’s Diego Costa. The Italian is proven physical poacher. He takes his chances well, and is a big reason Southampton are in the position they are. At 29, Pelle is by no means a ripe prospect, but that’s not what Southampton need out of their strikers.
Pelle is similar to Rickie Lambert, in that he is an intelligent forward who is an exceptional header of the ball. Ronald Koeman deserves a gold star for signing the Italian, who must prefer his new life in England to the dull nature of the Dutch league.
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