The start of the 2026/27 season in the English Premier League has laid bare serious issues for several clubs and leading players. GiveMeSport has highlighted five key figures whose performances and managerial decisions caused the most frustration during the second round of fixtures.
Roberto De Zerbi (Tottenham Hotspur)
After narrowly escaping relegation last season and spending a record-breaking £350 million this summer on players including Sandro Tonali, Savio, Omar Marmoush, Mateus Fernandes, Jan Paul van Heck, and Andrew Robertson, Spurs find themselves in a grim situation. Having suffered back-to-back defeats, the team faltered yet again, losing 2-0 at home to Newcastle following a 3-0 drubbing by Brentford, resulting in a wave of frustration from the fans.
Jeremy Frimpong (Liverpool)
The Dutch defender, tasked with filling the right-back position in place of Trent Alexander-Arnold, is still struggling to find his place in new manager Andoni Iraola’s system. In Liverpool's 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest, Frimpong's erratic performance was under scrutiny; he made positional mistakes in defence and failed to offer enough attacking threat down the flank.
Luke Shaw (Manchester United)
Even though Manchester United secured a 5-2 victory over Ipswich, the display from the 31-year-old left-back raised serious concerns. Shaw allowed Abdul Fatawu to slip the ball through his legs leading to the first goal and struggled to keep up with his opponent, which left Michael Carrick's coaching staff worried about the lack of depth in the left-back position.
Frank Lampard (Coventry City)
Coventry's return to the top flight has not started well, suffering a significant defeat at the hands of Hull City. While the initial loss against the reigning champions Arsenal was taken on the chin by fans, the inability to break down a direct Championship rival resulted in the club dropping to 17th place.
Tierno Barry (Everton)
Having begun the campaign brightly with four goals, the 23-year-old forward faced a tough outing against Bournemouth as he failed to convert crucial chances. Despite an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.48, Barry squandered two golden opportunities, including a clear error by goalkeeper George Petrovic. Everton was saved from defeat only by a late strike from defender James Tarkowski.
