Although the Premier League season is still too early to draw any firm conclusions, familiarity is already apparent.
By the end of May, at least seven of the clubs who are presently ranked in the top 10 should still be there, while the three teams that will be demoted already appear to be among the bottom six. Nor would it be shocking if Manchester City emerged victorious once more.
Sitting just below them currently are many of the teams Pep Guardiola has been warning about.
Liverpool look very good under new manager Arne Slot and even if they haven’t played brilliantly Newcastle are just two points behind and unbeaten from the opening three games; City expect an improvement from Eddie Howe’s men given they no longer have European football to contend with this season.
The same could be said for Brighton, who sit third after three games on the same number of points. The departure of Roberto De Zerbi could have weakened the Seagulls but they look to have appointed another very good coach and have been one of the biggest spenders this summer as well.
A win at Everton on the opening day was followed up with a home victory over United and then a point at the Emirates; for all the focus on Arsenal and Declan Rice’s red card, that is a terrific point for Brighton.
Even in the small sample of three games, Brighton have already shown a lot and they too do not have the distraction and effort of Europe this season.
City are one of seven teams who do, and their first match against Brighton is an away trip on the back of away games at Bournemouth and Sporting in the Champions League.
Brighton are one of the games that Guardiola will least enjoy having so little preparation time for, and when they head down to the coast in November they will likely find a very good team rather than one that has faded away.
Nobody is tipping Brighton for a title race, yet there is every chance that they could hang around the top four like Aston Villa and Newcastle have done in recent seasons and prove to be one of the most difficult opponents in the league to play.
Where that spark appeared to fade under De Zerbi last season amid a lot of injuries, 32-year-old Fabian Hurzeler appears to have breathed new life into them.
City will know more where they stand after their next three fixtures up against Brentford, Arsenal and Newcastle – the teams currently occupying 6th, 4th, and 5th position in the league respectively.
Brighton in that time take on Ipswich, Forest, and Chelsea, and if they can continue their level it will confirm a wildcard team for Guardiola to watch out for.
