New Brighton and Hove Albion boss Graham Potter will spend the next couple of weeks looking back on the opening games of the season. The former Swansea manager was brought in as a replacement for the sacked Chris Houghton at the end of the last campaign after the Seagulls had been dragged into a top-flight relegation fight which they only just survived last term.
Brighton have made a reasonable start to the current campaign, with a win and a draw in their opening four matches leaving them sat in 16th place in the Premier League table
The head into the first international break of the season after a heavy defeat to champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday but they will not be the only ones that concede four against a side who look destined to battle it out at the top of the table with Liverpool for the title once again.
In the meantime, Potter says he will sit down and reflect on the team’s performances over the opening weeks of the season but he is happy with what he has seen from his charges so far.
Potter said: “I think in terms of performances, I’m delighted. Belief is growing with the players but it’s the Premier League. “We know every game is so, so difficult.”
Meanwhile, young Brighton striker Aaron Connolly made his debut against City on Saturday when he came on for fellow striker Neal Maupay in the 66th minutes of the 4-0 defeat. Despite the result not going Albion’s way, the 19-year-old was delighted to get his first taste of Premier League action and he cannot wait for his next outing after starring for the Under-23 and Under 19s in recent years.
The Republic of Ireland-Under-21 international said: “It is every young kid’s dream-making their Premier League debut. “It’s the same with me. I’ve always wanted to do it since I was young and, thankfully, it happened. The result didn’t go the way me or the team wanted but I’m just proud to have my debut and, hopefully, this is the first of many.”
Connolly admitted to being frustrated to have to wait two weeks before his next possible run-out but he will head off with Ireland’s Under-21 side and then hopefully feature when Burnley visit the Amex Stadium in two weeks’ time.
The youngster has scored an impressive 29 goals for Brighton at Premier League 2 level so far, while he’s also hit five goal in the EFL Trophy and struck his first senior goal in the 2-1 EFL Cup win at Bristol Rovers last week.
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