Premier League winners and losers: Van la Parra brilliance, Zaha howler
By Ty Finch
Winner: Brighton
If you happened to miss the Brighton vs. Swansea match on Saturday, don’t beat yourself up about it. Dull would be a nice way of describing what took place at the Liberty Stadium.
Dull is good for Brighton. The newly-promoted team thrive in defense first, defense second matches, and they pick their spots with precision when it comes to attack. This style has worked wonders for the Seagulls thus far. It has them sitting in eighth place in the Premier League through 11 games.
Glenn Murray awkwardly sent home a cross in the 29th minute against Swansea to make it 1-0. That was all Brighton needed on the day. The goal was Murray’s fourth in the last three games. The 34-year-old is, shockingly, one of the most in-form strikers in the league at the moment. His goals have helped Brighton climb into the top half of the table for the first time this season.
The biggest storyline this season so far has to be the success of the promoted clubs. Newcastle are in the worst position out of the three in 11th place. Huddersfield and Brighton are in the top half. There have only been two instances in Premier League history where all three promoted clubs stayed in the top division. This season might make it three, and Brighton are the big winners so far.
It still remains to be seen, of course, if Brighton can continue their good start. The bigger clubs will likely start to figure them out, and the winter months will be a vital test of their mettle and squad depth. But for now, fans can celebrate their play and resilient nature.