To say that Wolverhampton Wanderers were unfortunate to lose on the opening weekend would be an understatement, as the Black Country outfit dominated large spells of their clash with Manchester United, terrorising the hosts’ defence throughout the contest.
In fact, Wolves racked up a whopping 23 shots last time out – the second-highest figure recorded in a Premier League game at Old Trafford since 2004 – with the likes of Matheus Cunha and Pedro Neto wreaking havoc on the Red Devils’ backline.
However, the visitors failed to make the most of their dominance and were ultimately made to pay for their wastefulness, with Raphael Varane scoring the only goal of the game on 76 minutes, breaking Wolves hearts in the process.
The Wanderers can also count themselves unlucky not to have been awarded a penalty when Man Utd goalkeeper Andre Onana clumsily clattered into Sasa Kalajdzic deep into second-half stoppage time, with the officials later apologising for the mistake.
Following the untimely departure of Julen Lopetegui just days before the start of the season, Wolves fans entered the new campaign with doubts and fears, but Gary O’Neil’s first match in charge will give the supporters plenty of reasons for optimism.
Brighton & Hove Albion, meanwhile, picked up where they left off last season on the opening weekend, notching a dominant 4-1 victory over Premier League newcomers Luton Town in front of an elated Amex crowd.
Solly March opened the scoring midway through the first half before summer signing Joao Pedro doubled Brighton’s lead from the penalty spot, although Luton netted a penalty of their own in the 81st minute, with Carlton Morris’s strike setting up a nervy ending.
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However, the Seagulls wasted no time in restoring their two-goal advantage through substitute Simon Adingra, while Evan Ferguson also came off the bench the complete the rout, capping off a successful season opener for Roberto De Zerbi’s side.
Having racked up 71% possession and 27 shots last time out – albeit against newly-promoted Luton – Brighton will be confident of maintaining their impressive goalscoring record under De Zerbi this weekend.
Indeed, the Seagulls have now scored at least two goals in 14 of their previous 25 Premier League encounters, netting at least three goals in nine of those matches to cement their status as one of the most exciting attacking teams in the division.
