London: All 20 Premier League clubs had at least five players representing 59 different countries during the recent international break. From debut goals to unfortunate injuries, the performances of these top-flight stars varied significantly.
According to BBC, Aston Villa had a mixed experience. Poland’s Matty Cash impressed by scoring a late equaliser against the Netherlands and finding the net in a win over Finland. Despite an injury scare, reports indicate it is not serious. Meanwhile, Youri Tielemans shone with two goals in Belgium’s 6-0 victory over Liechtenstein, and Ezri Konsa celebrated his first goal for England in their 5-0 win over Serbia.
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo struggled to replicate his club form with Ghana, failing to score in their matches against Chad and Mali. Nevertheless, he received praise from coach Otto Addo for his tenacity in attack.
Brentford’s Dango Ouattara made headlines with two goals in Burkina Faso’s 6-0 win against Djibouti. Mikkel Damsgaard also found the net for Denmark, while Jordan Henderson saw limited action for England.
Brighton saw Yakuba Minteh score his sixth international goal for Gambia, but Kaoru Mitoma was rested for Japan’s defeat against the USA. Bart Verbruggen started both of the Netherlands’ matches, and Carlos Baleba featured for Cameroon after missing their previous game.
For Chelsea, Marc Cucurella scored in Spain’s 3-0 win over Bulgaria, and Reece James provided an assist for England. However, Moises Caicedo’s red card did not stop Ecuador from securing a win over Argentina.
Crystal Palace’s Jefferson Lerma and Daniel Munoz contributed to Colombia’s World Cup qualifying victories, with Lerma playing a pivotal role in their second match.
Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gana Gueye were instrumental in Senegal’s comeback win over DR Congo. Jordan Pickford’s impressive performances for England saw him match a clean sheet record.
Fulham had standout performances from Calvin Bassey, who scored for Nigeria, and Raul Jimenez, who netted for Mexico. Timothy Castagne helped Belgium secure clean sheets in their victories.
Leeds United’s Dan James played in Wales’ matches, while Liverpool’s Alexander Isak made his first appearance of the season for Sweden. Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz also found the net for Egypt and Germany, respectively.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scored five goals for Norway, but Omar Marmoush’s injury ruled him out of the upcoming Manchester derby. Jeremy Doku and Bernardo Silva also scored for Belgium and Portugal.
Manchester United’s Benjamin Sesko played significant minutes for Slovenia, and Newcastle United’s Yoane Wissa and Anthony Elanga made notable contributions for their respective countries.
Nottingham Forest’s Chris Wood scored for New Zealand, while Serbia’s Nikola Milenkovic was sent off in their defeat by England.
Southampton’s Granit Xhaka played every minute of Switzerland’s qualifiers, and Tottenham Hotspur’s Pape Sarr scored a late winner for Senegal. Djed Spence made history as the first Muslim to play for England’s senior men’s team.
West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta continued his scoring form for Brazil, while Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek had limited involvement for their countries.
Wolverhampton Wanderers’ Jean-Ricner Bellegarde debuted for Haiti, and Marshall Munetsi played for Zimbabwe against Rwanda.