Darwin Nunez scored four goals for Liverpool against RB Leipzig; Erling Haaland scored within 11 minutes on Manchester City debut; Sky Sports recalls some of the greatest starts by new signings in the Premier League era
Tuesday 26 July 2022 08:24, UK
Darwin Nunez hit the ground running with four goals for Liverpool against RB Leipzig and Erling Haaland opened his account within 11 minutes on his Manchester City debut - but which forwards have made the biggest impact at a new club in Premier League history?
Here, we take a look at 10 players who struck instant hot streaks...
Les Ferdinand was one of the shining lights during the inaugural Premier League season back in 1992/93, scoring 20 goals for Queens Park Rangers and helping his side secure a fifth-place finish.
Sustained returns culminated in a blockbuster £6m move to Newcastle for the start of the 1995/96 season and this produced, arguably, the most explosive impact from a new signing in the history of the division.
Ferdinand scored on his league debut against Coventry, netted a double at Bolton three days later and proceeded to register 13 goals in his first 10 league games for his new club - finishing the season on 29 goals.
Micky Quinn made his name at St James' Park but his switch to Coventry in November 1992 produced one of the greatest starts at a new club to date - netting 10 league goals in his first six appearances.
The streak sizzled out, but Quinn still ended the campaign on 17 goals to help the Sky Blues secure top-flight safety.
Diego Costa joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid for £32.5m in 2014 and hit the ground running in sensational style, scoring on his Premier League debut at Burnley, again against Leicester, before a double at Everton and a hat-trick against Swansea.
Costa continued to find the back of the net, notching 11 goals in his first 10 league appearances and helped the Blues claim their first league title in five years - finishing the campaign on 20 goals, despite suffering injuries and suspensions.
Papiss Cisse signed for Newcastle in the winter window of 2012 to join up with compatriot Demba Ba and enjoyed an impressive start with two goals in four games. But the Senegal international hit an explosive streak of form after only making the bench as the Magpies suffered a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal.
Cisse proceeded to net nine goals in the following six games and registered another double in a 2-0 win over Chelsea during the business end of the season to help his side secure a fifth-place finish.
Alan Shearer remains the greatest scorer in Premier League history with 260 goals, spanning a 14-year career in England's top-flight and, it is, therefore, fitting he also produced one of the most spectacular starts at a new club.
Blackburn broke the English transfer fee record to prise Shearer from Southampton for £3.6m in 1992, amid interest from Manchester United, and the then-22-year-old hit form from the first-ever weekend of the Premier League era.
Shearer scored twice against Crystal Palace on his debut and went on to score 10 goals in his first 10 league appearances before a cruciate ligament injury curtailed his campaign.
Andy Cole emerged from Arsenal's academy and established himself as a clinical striker at Bristol City before joining Newcastle in February 1993 with the Magpies leading the second tier.
Technically, this should exclude him from our list of the greatest Premier League starts, but, the impact that term, followed by an even more devastating start in the top-flight in the following campaign secures his inclusion.
Cole initially netted 12 goals in as many games for Newcastle in 1992/93 before hitting a record-equalling 34 Premier League goals in 1993/94 - having scored 15 goals in his first 15 Premier League appearances.
Mohamed Salah, quite literally, hit the ground running at Liverpool after failing to secure a regular starting berth at Jose Mourinho's Chelsea and kindling his profile at Roma.
Salah scored on his league debut for the club at Watford and went on to grab 12 goals in his first 15 appearances. Incredibly, his strike-rate only improved as the campaign progressed.
The Egyptian finished the season with 32 league goals from 36 appearances to claim the Golden Boot - the highest tally since 1994/95, when the league comprised of 22 teams and, therefore, produced more games in a season.
Mark Viduka arrived at Leeds in mid-2000 after completing a £6m move from Celtic, amid the club's best run of sustained top-flight success to date - forming a strike force comprising Michael Bridges, Harry Kewell, Alan Smith and Robbie Keane.
The former Australia international's inclusion in our list could be questioned, based on his goalless returns from his opening three league games - but the striker proceeded to register 10 goals in his following six appearances.
Chris Sutton became Britain's most expensive player when Blackburn paid Norwich £5m for his services in 1994, toppling the previous record fee set by new team-mate Alan Shearer two years prior.
The striker took no time to find his groove at Ewood Park and scored 13 goals in his first 16 league appearances, including a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over Coventry.
However, Sutton only netted two more goals after hitting 16 that season, but frequently created goals to help guide Rovers to their first top-flight crown in 81 years.
The final entry in our top 10, and also the most recent, is new Nottingham Forest forward Jesse Lingard, who found the Midas touch during his short loan stint at West Ham in 2021.
Lingard produced nine league goals from his first 10 appearances in claret and blue - without even factoring his four assists over that period - to cast serious questions over whether his ability was fully harnessed in Manchester.
