Following the international break, the fifth round of Premier League encounters got underway yesterday afternoon.
While the likes of Gareth Bale and Wayne Rooney were starring for their respective countries, clubs in England's top flight were hurrying through transfer deals as the deadline approached.
Some of those players made their debuts on Saturday and here, Sports Mole has assessed how five of the new boys fared.
1. Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
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With David Silva and Raheem Sterling both absent, it seemed inevitable that the £54m man would be included in City's starting lineup away at Crystal Palace. Yet, Manuel Pellegrini resisted the temptation to hand the Belgian a full debut, although the decision was somewhat taken out of his hands when Sergio Aguero went down in pain midway through the first half.
The Argentine was replaced by De Bruyne, who despite never setting the world alight, also did not appear to be fazed by the hefty price tag hanging over him. He created five openings for his new teammates and would have opened his assists account had Jesus Navas not fluffed his lines with an open goal at his mercy.
Debut rating: 6/10
2. Jonny Evans (West Bromwich Albion)
Having fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford, Evans probably arrived at The Hawthorns in the belief that he had point to prove. The Northern Ireland international broke through at Man United under Sir Alex Ferguson's management, but a combination of injuries and a lack of progression saw him fall out of favour in the eyes of David Moyes and more recently Louis van Gaal.
Now a Baggie, it was a solid outing from the 27-year-old against Southampton. According to Whoscored.com, Evans made two challenges, two interceptions, four clearances and blocked one shot. He did limp off in the 86th minute, although West Brom boss Tony Pulis suggested after the game that Evans was suffering with nothing more serious than cramp.
Debut rating: 6/10
3. Matt Jarvis (Norwich City)
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On Twitter yesterday evening, Jarvis described his first outing in a Norwich shirt as a "dream start". The winger certainly looked delighted to be back out on the pitch, having spent much of last season among the substitutes at parent club West Ham United.
The former England international caused problems for the Bournemouth rearguard early on at Carrow Road, before going on to open his goalscoring account in the 67th minute with a curling shot that found the far corner of Artur Boruc's net - his first goal since April 2014. Speaking after the final whistle, Norwich boss Alex Neil said of his new number 16: "He gives us a different dimension with his pace and trickery."
Debut rating: 7/10
4. Virgil van Dijk (Southampton)
A host of Premier League clubs were said to have been eager to sign the Dutchman, but following Celtic's Champions League exit, it was Southampton that won the £11.5m race. Manager Ronald Koeman has been cautious thus far when it comes to using fellow new centre-back Steven Caulker, but there was no such reluctance where Van Dijk was concerned, who was thrown in alongside skipper Jose Fonte in the Black Country.
There may not have been much to remember about the stalemate, but Van Dijk's debut was something that stood out. Assured in possession, the defender ended the contest with a passing accuracy of 86%, as per Whoscored.com. In a defensive sense, Van Dijk made two interceptions and four clearances.
Debut rating: 8/10
5. Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
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Man United manager Van Gaal did his best to ease the pressure on Martial's young shoulders in the days leading up to the clash against rivals Liverpool, but the fact is that if £36m (potentially rising to £58m) is spent on a player, supporters will expect instant results, regardless of age.
The 19-year-old, who was unknown to many prior to his big-money switch from Monaco, started on the bench. His bow came in the 65th minute as a second-half substitute for Juan Mata and after a lively cameo, he sealed the 3-1 victory in the closing stages. Collecting possession wide on the left, Martial weaved his way inside, leaving the dithering Martin Skrtel trailing in his wake before showing unwavering composure to beat Simon Mignolet.
Debut rating: 7/10
