The Premier League season is underway, and several intriguing matches took place today. Here's a look at the key events and team news surrounding Brighton v Fulham, Tottenham v Burnley, and Sunderland v West Ham.
Brighton v Fulham
Brighton hosted Fulham at the American Express Stadium. Ahead of the match, Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler stated that his squad was in good shape, despite losing key players like Joao Pedro (to Chelsea), Pervis Estupinan (to AC Milan), and Simon Adingra (to Sunderland). However, Brighton has also added several new players, including Maxim De Cuyper, Diego Coppola, Olivier Boscagli, Stefanos Tzimas, Tommy Watson, and Charalampos Kostoulas. Hurzeler highlighted the return of Ferdi Kadioglu from injury as a significant boost.
Fulham, on the other hand, have had a relatively quiet transfer window, with the signing of Benjamin Lecomte as a backup goalkeeper being their most notable move. Marco Silva expressed concerns about the club's ambition if further reinforcements are not brought in. Injury-wise, Antonee Robinson is still recovering from surgery and was unavailable for the match. Ryan Sessegnon was also doubtful after picking up a knock in a pre-season game.
Ahead of the game, Chris Sutton of the BBC predicted Brighton to win, despite acknowledging that the departure of Joao Pedro could be a problem. FourFourTwo also predicted a 2-1 victory for Brighton, highlighting their impressive home form and attacking prowess.
Historically, Fulham has had the upper hand in this fixture, but Brighton won their most recent encounter 2-1 in March. In their 19 head-to-head matches, Brighton has won 6, Fulham 9 and 4 matches ended in a draw.
Tottenham v Burnley
Tottenham faced Burnley at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Tottenham, under new management with Thomas Frank, were looking to bounce back from a defeat against PSG in the UEFA Super Cup. However, they were dealing with significant injury concerns, with James Maddison ruled out for most of the season with an ACL injury. Dejan Kulusevski, Destiny Udogie, and Radu Dragusin were also sidelined, while new signing Kota Takai and returning loanees Bryan Gil and Manor Solomon were unlikely to feature. Yves Bissouma was potentially in line to return after missing the Super Cup due to disciplinary reasons. Recent signing Mohammed Kudus and Joao Palhinha potentially made their debut.
Burnley, newly promoted to the Premier League, had a busy summer transfer window, bringing in players like Kyle Walker, Martin Dubravka, Axel Tuanzebe, Armando Broja, and Lesley Ugochukwu. Dubravka, Walker and Quilindschy Hartman all started. Scott Parker opted for a back three, with Hartman and Oliver Sonne as wing-backs.
Historically, Tottenham dominates this fixture, with 17 wins compared to Burnley's 4 in their 25 head-to-head games since 2004.
Sunderland v West Ham
Sunderland played West Ham at the Stadium of Light, marking Sunderland's return to the Premier League. Sunderland completed 11 signings to try and remain in the top flight.
West Ham manager Graham Potter confirmed that George Earthy and Crysencio Summerville were unavailable due to injury. Callum Marshall was also out, serving the last of a suspension. New signings Mads Hermansen, Mallick Diouf, Kyle Walker-Peters and Callum Wilson were looking to feature.
Historically, West Ham has a superior record against Sunderland, with 16 wins to Sunderland's 9 in their 34 matches. The last match between the two sides ended in a 2-2 draw in April 2017.
