Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend

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Five things we learned from the Premier League weekend, featuring Brighton’s brilliance, Arsenal’s acid test and Chelsea’s hat-trick hero.

Brighton model continues to thrive

Brighton continue to serve as an example to other Premier League clubs, with an infrastructure and business model greater than the sum of its parts. The Seagulls have seen key players and managers depart season upon season, though continue to punch above their weight in the Premier League.

The exits of Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi have been navigated with new boss Fabian Hurzeler making a perfect start to his reign at the Amex Stadium. After thrashing Everton on the opening weekend, Brighton beat Manchester United in their first home fixture of the season courtesy of Joao Pedro’s 95th-minute winner.

It was a fifth win in six Premier League fixtures against Manchester United, despite the financial chasm between the sides. Erik ten Hag’s team cost around £487.8m to put together. Brighton’s starting XI, by comparison, was signed for just £75.1m. For context, that’s less than Harry Maguire alone.

Key figures have come and gone but Brighton continue to evolve. Their almost unmatched talent identification can’t go on forever but it’s showing no signs of slowing just yet.



Ipswich implosion a tough lesson

Ipswich have been handed a harsh return to the Premier League after opening the season with fixtures against Liverpool and Manchester City. Despite successive defeats, the Tractor Boys have shown encouraging signs and took a shock lead against the champions this weekend.

However, Kieran McKenna’s team soon discovered that individual errors rarely go unpunished at this level with City capitalising on an Ipswich implosion.

Leif Davis’ naive challenge conceded a penalty for Erling Haaland to convert before goalkeeper Arijanet Muric endured a nightmare two-minute spell against his former side. He was caught in possession for City’s second, before losing a footrace with Haaland in the lead-up to the third.

Just nine minutes after Sammie Szmodics had put Ipswich in front, the visitors were 3-1 down at the Etihad. Not every team has the quality – or is as ruthless – as Manchester City, but this was a tough lesson for the promoted side.



Performance of potential champions from Arsenal?

An early-season acid test provided Arsenal a chance to send a statement and while the performance was far from perfect, the result indicates improvement. Last season, Arsenal lost both games with Aston Villa, an obvious route to progress after a 2023/24 season where even exceptional standards did not result in the title.

Mikel Arteta was reliant on an outstanding save from David Raya with the game goalless before Leandro Trossard came off the bench to decide the game with his first touch. Thomas Partey scored a second to make the points safe, as Arsenal claimed a win some would suggest was undeserved.

Will they care? Not one bit. Another clean sheet and a hard-fought three points at one of the toughest venues in the Premier League. This was gritty and, at times, a little fortunate. A potential performance of champions.

Spurs centre-backs up there with the best

Ange Postecoglou’s adventurous brand of football means Spurs are unlikely to ever be considered one of the Premier League’s best defensive teams. But in Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven, the North Londoners have a central defensive pairing as good as any in the division.

Each were outstanding in the 4-0 win over Everton with their complementary characteristics on show. Romero was aggressive in his defending and exceptional on the ball, carving out a chance for James Maddison with a wonderful lifted pass. The Argentine got the goal his performance deserved with the third, as he crashed in a header off the underside of the crossbar. No defender in the Premier League has scored more goals than Romero (6) since the start of last season.

His partner, Van de Ven, provided another demonstration of his unique profile. The Dutch defender is a monstrous athlete, capable of shifting a solid 6ft 4in frame across the pitch at lightning speed. His box-to-box charge to set up Son Heung-min was a moment perhaps no other centre-back in Europe could produce.

Postecoglou’s system suggests it’s unlikely Romero and Van de Ven will receive the required protection to make their partnership impregnable, but as individuals and complementary centre-backs, there are few better.



Madueke makes his point

Noni Madueke was in danger of becoming a forgotten figure at Chelsea. After struggling for a regular role last season, the 22-year-old has watched the Blues bring in Joao Felix and Pedro Neto to add to their attacking options.

After scoring against Servette in midweek, Madueke was brought in from the start against Wolves and delivered his best performance in a Chelsea shirt. The winger scored a second-half hat-trick as Enzo Maresca claimed his first Premier League win, with Madueke and Cole Palmer in irrepressible form at Molineux.

The former was sharp and incisive, completing his treble inside a 14-minute burst that could kickstart his Chelsea career. After a questionable assessment of Wolverhampton was ‘accidentally’ posted on social media pre-game, Madueke was the pantomime villain at Wolves. By full-time, he was clutching the match ball, having sent a real statement to his manager

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