5 best players to score a brace on their Premier League debut
For many professional footballers, getting the chance to play in the Premier League is a dream come true. The league is quite different from every other league in world football. The intensity and pace of football in the Premier League doesn't have many parallels around the world. Due to this disparity, players tend to take a bit of time to adapt to the league and its tempo.
New Manchester City striker Erling Haaland scored twice in his league debut against West Ham United, keeping up his record of scoring on all his debuts. He looks set to become one of the league's best players in terms of goalscoring abilities.
Here is a list of the five best players to score a brace in their first appearance in the Premier League.
#5. Odsonne Edouard of Crystal Palace
French striker Odsonne Edouard joined Crystal Palace from Scottish giants Celtic to much fanfare. The striker was coveted by various Premier League sides, including Leicester City, before settling down in South London. He made his debut in the London Derby against Tottenham on September 11, 2021. He marked the occasion with a well-timed brace.
Edouard was introduced off the bench at the 84' mark as a replacement for Christian Benteke, and he opened his account seconds later to double his side's advantage. The French striker doubled his personal tally in the third minute of added time, making him one of a few players to have scored a brace on his Premier League debut.
Odsonne Edouard ended up scoring six goals in 28 appearances for the Eagles in his debut season in the league. The young striker is currently at the club and featured for them in their 2022-23 season opener against Arsenal.
#4. Michu of Swansea City
Spanish forward Michu enjoyed his time in the Premier League with Swansea City. He joined the club in 2012 from Rayo Vallecano as a replacement for Gylfi Sigurdsson, who had moved away from the club. He made an explosive start for the Welsh club.
Michu made his Premier League debut for the Swans against Queen's Park Rangers and scored a brace in a 5-0 win for his side. He also added an assist to his two goals in the game. The Spaniard scored 18 goals in 35 appearances in the league during his debut season.
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After his spectacular debut season, Michu suffered a dip in form the following season. He scored only six goals in 24 appearances for the Welsh side before leaving the club at the end of the season. Injuries ravaged the Spaniard after he left Swansea and he was forced to retire in 2017, aged just 31.
#3. Marcus Rashford of Manchester United
An injury crisis that saw Louis Van Gaal left without any first-team strikers forced him to select 18-year-old Marcus Rashford in 2016. The Dutch manager trusted the teenager to start against FC Midjtylland in the UEFA Europa League, where he contributed a brace in a 5-1 win.
Rashford repeated the trick just three days later against one of his club's biggest rivals, Arsenal. Marcus scored twice and bagged an assist for the Red Devils as they claimed a 3-2 win, which made him the third youngest goalscorer for the club in the Premier League after Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck.
Rashford is still a key player for Manchester United and has scored 93 goals and contributed 57 assists in 303 appearances for the club. He has already featured for the club in the 2022-23 season opener.
#2. Erling Haaland of Manchester City
When Manchester City completed a deal for Erling Haaland, shockwaves went through the football world. One of the best sides in world football had signed one of the world's best strikers and it looked like a match made in heaven.
Haaland made his official debut for Manchester City in their 3-1 defeat to Liverpool in the Community Shield and had a game to forget. The Norwegian turned it around with a stellar performance in his Premier League debut against West Ham United. He opened the scoring from the spot in the first half before adding a second from a beautiful De Bruyne assist in the second half.
Erling Haaland is the first Manchester City player to score twice on his Premier League debut since Sergio Aguero 🎯 https://t.co/t7t0GswjXR
Haaland joined the Citizens for around €75 million, a fee that may turn out to be a bargain in the coming seasons. The Norwegian striker is expected to be the final piece needed to unlock the Champions League glory that has evaded Pep Guardiola for over a decade.
#1. Sergio Aguero of bagged a brace in his Premier League debut
Sergio Aguero left Manchester City to join FC Barcelona in the summer of 2021. Many people fail to remember that the Argentine striker made a grand entry into the Premier League.
After establishing himself as one of Europe's most talented young strikers with Atletico Madrid, clubs began to circle the young Kun Aguero. He was reportedly very close to sealing a move to Chelsea before Manchester City swooped in for him. He made his debut for the club against Swansea City in the Premier League as a substitute and immediately made an impact. Aguero scored twice and made an assist in his 30-minute cameo as his new side ran out 4-0 winners. He ended up scoring the magical goal that won his side the title and earned him a legendary status at the club later that season.
Aguero has scored 184 goals in the league for the Citizens and is the club's all-time record goalscorer. He left the club in 2021 but was forced to retire altogether shortly after when it was discovered that he had a heart defect. He remains the foreigner with the most goals in Premier League history.