Liverpool’s new boy Bradley Barcola set top speed on his debut
By Luke Oluoch, September 5, 2026Liverpool’s new winger Bradley Barcola needed only his day one of competitive action to record the Premier League’s top speeds so far.
Having promised to give his new signing an opportunity after catching the eye in training, the manager stayed true to his word at Portman Road.
Coming off the bench for Victor Muñoz in the 64th minute on Friday, September 4, 2026, French international winger Bradley Barcola handed Liverpool fans an explosive glimpse of what is to come—recording the fastest top speed in the Premier League so far this season during a 26-minute cameo.
With the Reds sitting comfortably on a two-goal cushion, the £123 million arrival from Paris Saint-Germain was tasked with stretching the opposition and managing the game’s closing stages.
Though he did not find the back of the net, Barcola made an immediate statistical statement by clocking a lightning top speed of 35.9 km/h. That sprint places him firmly at the top of the Premier League speed charts, clear of Coventry City’s Milan van Ewijk and Chelsea’s Pedro Neto, who both recorded identical peak speeds of 35.3 km/h.
Following the brief cameo, the French winger earned high praise from his manager, who underscored the importance of managing a player who had not featured in competitive action since representing Les Bleus at the World Cup.
“Bradley has not played a single minute since the World Cup, so we needed to be careful. He is training well and he is good. We have not found him in a couple of situations as well when he was 1v1 with the keeper, but he did a very good pass on the counter. Always a threat when he had the ball, “Iraola stated.
New chapter in England
Looking ahead, the former PSG star appears destined to forge a memorable chapter in England. The travelling Anfield support at Portman Road greeted him enthusiastically, serenading the winger with a brand-new chant shortly after his arrival on the pitch.
With legendary talisman Mohamed Salah having departed the club at the end of last season as an all-time Premier League and Anfield icon, eyes will naturally be on Barcola to see how he shoulders the expectation and carves out his own path toward cult-hero status in North West England.