Premier League Tips: Five opening day winners to back this weekend | OneFootball

English Premier League

The title hunt is officially underway with new signings impressing

Ste Tudor picks out five top-flight players who shone last weekend, backing each to shine again...

Even if pre-season games are factored in, it's still far too early to make any firm judgement calls on players or teams. Going off the performances of these five individuals on the opening day however, they're going to be just fine.

Moreover, if they can take their form from last week into this weekend's games, they are definitely ones to watch.

Tijjani Reijnders to boss it v Spurs

You know you're had a stonking start with your new club when the BBC run a feature inspired by it, recalling the greatest ever Premier League debuts.

Simply put, the Dutchman ran the show at Molineux, scoring, assisting for Erling Haaland, and dinking one of the most delightful pre-assists witnessed for a long time.

A substantial 47 chances created for AC Milan in Serie A last season reveals this was no fluke while 10 league goals is a testament to his ability to ghost into the attacking third.

This weekend Manchester City entertain Spurs, and with high-scoring thrillers a staple of this fixture who's to say the 27-year-old doesn't register another goal involvement or two.

Mohammed Kudus to trouble Blues

This Saturday lunchtime at the Etihad showcases another player who shone on his league debut last week, though of course in the case of Mohammed Kudus we're already very well acquainted with what he can do.

Last term, in a struggling West Ham side, the Ghanaian completed the third most dribbles in the top-flight even if, regrettably, they were often to little avail.

Another two completed at Burnley's expense was perhaps the least important facet to what was a brilliant opening showing by the winger, for a Spurs side who already appear to be revitalised under Thomas Frank.

Two assists greatly helped his new side gain the points while five key passes bode well for the likes of Richarlison and Johnson who love to dart into the channels.

Notably, Kudus was also fouled twice, after being impeded 2.16 times per 90 in 2024/25.

The player with the most completed dribbles incidentally was Jeremy Doku so check out the Match Ups market when odds become available 48 hours prior to kick-off.

David Raya to shut out Leeds

Sixteen clean sheets in 2023/24 and 13 last season has furnished Raya with back-to-back Golden Glove awards and the Arsenal keeper opened his latest account with another shut-out at Old Trafford last Sunday, doing it the hard way into the bargain.

With the Gunners looking surprisingly blunt all over the park it was left to their Spanish international to ensure Riccardo Calafiori's early goal ultimately secured them the points. This he did in typically consummate fashion, making seven saves all told, the most of any top-flight keeper last weekend.

One in particular, low to his left to thwart Matheus Cunha, had goalkeeping gurus drooling, and rightly so. Arsenal host Leeds, who haven't won in North London since 2003. Half of their losses in that time have been to nil.

Don't count against Raya adding a third Golden Glove to his burgeoning collection come May.

Hugo Ekitike to break deadlock again

While the world and his dog follow the Isak-to-Anfield saga with increasing incredulity, Etikike has gone about his business with the minimum of fuss, quickly establishing himself as a Premier League striker of note, and all in the space of just 72 impressive minutes last Friday.

Having notched the opener in the Community Shield, the French forward broke the deadlock again versus Bournemouth before adding an assist in the second period. He also won two-thirds of his aerial duels ensuring a struggling Cherries back-line were beaten in the air, as well as on the deck.

Last season, the 23-year-old bagged in 13 Bundesliga games for Eintracht Frankfurt. He was the game's first goal-scorer in six of them. It seems to be quite a habit.

Daniel Ballard immense

Amidst a carnival atmosphere at the Stadium of Light, as Sunderland celebrated their return to the promised land with a thumping opening day victory over West Ham, Dan Ballard stood out: immense, imperious, impenetrable.

The former Arsenal youth star even found time to venture forward and bullet a centre-forward's goal to put the game beyond the sorry Hammers.

Accruing a 9.3 rating on Sofascore, the defender made nine clearances - one off the line - and committed to four blocks. He won 10 of his 13 duels.

It's to Burnley where the Mackems head next, a team who failed to score in both attempts when these sides met in the Championship last season.