Six big names who disappoint in the Premier League

The first five rounds of the new Premier League season are now history and the break for the national teams provides an opportunity to take stock. While some of the big names have started the campaign impressively, others are still far from the expected level. Among them are players for whom clubs paid huge sums, as well as established stars from whom much more was expected. Florian Wirtz is one of the most striking examples. The German arrived at Liverpool for 117.5 million euros, but last season he recorded only 17 goal appearances in all competitions, and the start of the current campaign has not been impressive either - just one assist. The former Bayer Leverkusen player rarely manages to take control of matches, and criticism of him is already increasing. Jamie Carragher even said that in his opinion Wirtz is not just in temporary bad form, but is showing his real level. Liverpool will hope that the upcoming break will help the playmaker find his best version. Brian Mbemo has also failed to fulfill his potential at Manchester United. The “Red Devils“ have only one win and five points after the first five rounds, and the Cameroonian striker has scored two goals. The problem is that after the injury to Amad Diallo, Mbemo has been forced to play more often on the wing, instead of in the center. It was as a center forward that he was particularly effective in the second half of last season, when he scored seven of his 11 goals in the Premier League. Currently, Mbemo has only 0.6 successful dribbles per 90 minutes according to “WhoScored”. Victor Gokeres has also fallen short of expectations. The Swede scored 14 goals in the Premier League last season and five more in Europe, but failed to become the big scorer that Arsenal had been counting on. The situation is even more difficult at the start of the new campaign - Mikel Arteta does not trust him enough and the striker has only 29 minutes in the championship. Gökeres is still without a goal and his future in the squad looks uncertain. Sandro Tonali also does not justify the huge transfer fee of 100 million pounds that Tottenham paid Newcastle. The Italian has the qualities to carry the ball over long distances and help with transitions, but he needs the right partners in midfield. Under Roberto De Zerbi, he has not yet found his optimal role, and Tottenham are last in the standings after five rounds. Emiliano Martinez has also had a difficult start since his transfer to Chelsea. The Argentine goalkeeper has conceded 10 goals in four games, although his statistics are not that bad - he makes an average of 4.5 saves per 90 minutes. Chelsea's structural problems without the ball are also not helping him, but so far Martinez does not look like the instant difference that many expected from one of the most established goalkeepers in recent years. Dominic Solanke completes the list. The Tottenham striker started his stay at the club promisingly, but 2026 is turning out to be a difficult period for him. He started the season with an ankle injury, and his fitness remains an issue. After the 2-3 defeat at Aston Villa, Roberto De Zerbi admitted: "His fitness is not good enough. Maybe he lacks confidence at the moment, but a lot of things can be better." Tottenham badly need Solanke to return to the level of his debut season after the break.