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This is an archive article published on September 14, 2013

Time for first impressions

All eyes on Ozil,Fellaini in first Premier League weekend after close of transfer window.

With the disruption of the international break over,Premier League clubs will be looking for their late additions to make an instant impact.

Arsenal has pinned its hopes on record-signing Mesut Ozil,the only transfer fee paid out by the club in the recent market window. The Germany playmaker is in line to make his debut at Sunderland on Saturday after joining from Real Madrid for 50 million euros.

After a losing start,Arsenal responded with back-to-back wins,and Ozils arrival has further improved the mood.

It is a statement to what the club want to do and what the club want to achieve, Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs said. It is something that everyone has been waiting for so now we have a big signing to help push us to the next level. He has got a clinical side to him and technically he is world-class. He is going to create a lot of problems for opposition we come up against. Manchester United had talked of making several additions to the squad to its title-winning squad.

However,new manager David Moyes only major summer recruitment was Marouane Fellaini from former club Everton on deadline-day for 27.5 million pounds 43 million. The Belgium midfielder joined after Moyes failed to land his first-choice targets. It is a big step, Fellaini said. But I have played five years in England,I know the league and I know the players so I dont think I will have a problem with this move.

He arrives at a team that has endured a patchy start to the season. It started on a high with an eye-catching win at Swansea,but a drab draw against Chelsea and a loss at Liverpool followed to leave United going into Saturdays match against Crystal Palace five points off the lead. Liverpool is setting the pace so far as the only team with maximum points from a three straight 1-0 wins.

Best start ever

The 18-time English champions,who are at Swansea on Monday,have made their best start to a league campaign in 20 years. Liverpools big success over the summer was not caving into Luis Suarezs demands by granting the unsettled striker a transfer,while bolstering its forward options on deadline-day by signing Victor Moses on loan from Chelsea for the season.

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But striker Daniel Sturridge,who has scored all of Liverpools this season,is an injury doubt after missing Englands World Cup qualifiers over the last week with a left thigh injury. The strong start by Liverpool,which last won the title in 1990,has left the expected leading title contenders Chelsea and Manchester City,trailing at this early stage.

 

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