Three brilliant performances make Brighton a force to be reckoned with
According to an AI prediction carried out by European football site Sqwawka, Brighton have a 0.01 percent chance of winning this season’s Premier League title.
That is not much of a chance of course, but interestingly the Albion are listed as one of only seven teams that have any chance at all.
Such early season predictions, whether by computers, pundits or the fan in the pub, come with health warnings as strong as drinking a pint of effluent-laced river water or swimming off a brown flag beach.
I had a nagging sense of pessimism before the start of the season, even after the confident demolition of Espanyol in the last preseason friendly.
Manchester United under their new boss Erik ten Hag at home would surely be a much taller order than the woeful side we took apart at the Amex in May.
Thankfully my pessimism has been, so far, wiped out by three brilliant performances. The Albion have started this season as we finished the last, beating Man Utd and West Ham.
If you look at the most points won in the Premier League since the start of April 2022 we are fourth:
- 29 – Manchester City
- 25 – Liverpool
- 24 – Spurs
- 22 – Brighton
- 22 – Newcastle
- 21 – Arsenal
- 20 – Brentford
- 19 – Chelsea
You could argue that losing to West Ham would have been against the natural order of things, like the sun rising in the west, cows barking, or your energy bills being roughly equivalent to Ronaldo’s monthly wages.
That is not to take away from our performance at the London Stadium or at Old Trafford (the “watch along” compilations on YouTube of United fans apoplectic in their shattered entitlement are my new favourite thing).
For me though, the result of the first three games was the Newcastle draw. Eddie Howe’s Saudi-bankrolled side will be a team to be reckoned with this season, as City found out last weekend when the Toon tore their defence apart, putting three past Ederson.
The Albion absolutely smothered them and were unlucky not to take three points. It was a clear indicator of just how good we are.
Who would have predicted a month ago that Monday night’s Sky Sports game between United and Liverpool would turn out to be a bottom six clash?
And equally, who could have predicted that the only top six game in the fourth weekend of the season would be us hosting Leeds?
There are still a few days of the transfer window left, with I think all eyes nervously on the speculation around Moises Caicedo.
The sales of Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella has swelled the club’s coffers (from French coffre, meaning safe as in large lockable metal box) but our already large squad has few gaps.
Talking of the impenetrable, the combination of Lewis Dunk, Adam Webster, Joel Veltman and Robert Sanchez has not been breached by opposing players so far. Only Alexis Mac Allister has found a way though the Albion defence, putting into his own net at Old Trafford.
I have been thrilled to see what Kaoru Mitoma and new signing Pervis Estupinan can do. The latter’s cross to Solly March for the header put just wide against West Ham was exquisite, and his performance after just a few hours training with the squad confirms the talk that he is a capable replacement for Cucurella.
Caicedo continues to offer the prospect of being perhaps the best player ever to turn out in an Albion shirt. We cannot afford to lose him.
Levi Colwill is a good addition to the squad, a very rare loan signing. Pascal Gross has proved, if any proof were needed, that his renewed contract is well deserved. Mac Allister has shone in a slightly deeper role.
Up front we have yet to see Deniz Undav or Julio Enciso in Premier League action, though both contributed to the cup win at Forest Green Rovers on Wednesday night.
Will Neal Maupay stay or go? Will Deniz Undav be his replacement? Or is another back up striker for Danny Welbeck incoming? Only our brilliant recruitment team know.
The supreme confidence of Leandro Trossard is in stark contrast to the nerves of the early part of last season, and many put that down to his participation in the Belgian national side. March has looked in the form of his life, that sitter from the Estupinan cross aside.
It is early days but a good start to the season. I think someone said we have never been unbeaten in our first three games in the Premier League.
We cannot, of course, play and beat West Ham or Manchester United every week. Leeds will be a stern test this weekend if their hammering of Chelsea is anything to go by.
A long season, interrupted for an entire month by the grimly tainted World Cup in December, lies ahead. There will be winless stretches no doubt, but far better to begin in the top five rather than the bottom five.
Don’t you think, Jürgen Klopp?
Warren Morgan @WarrenBHAFC
