So, we are three matches into the new Premier League season and what have we learned?
Well, for a start, that all three newly promoted clubs can be quietly satisfied with their return, particularly Fulham, whose tally of five points has been as impressive as it has been unexpected by some.
It has been some time since all three newly promoted clubs managed to survive in the top flight – in fact, I think this has only happened twice in the past two decades (most recently in 2017 when Newcastle, Brighton and Huddersfield Town stayed up in the campaign immediately following promotion).
While I expect one of Fulham, Bournemouth or Nottingham Forest to succumb after a long slog of a season, they have all given themselves a starting foundation in the opening weeks of the campaign.
Elsewhere, the strong starts made by a number of the established big-hitters – champions Manchester City, Spurs and Arsenal among them – are not surprising but the likes of Brighton, under the quietly impressive Graham Potter, certainly are when you consider they sold two of their best players to much bigger clubs this summer.
Then there are their M23 rivals, Crystal Palace, whose strong start shows the belief Patrick Vieira is instilling at Selhurst Park. It may be early days but, again, progress seems tangible.
Leeds have also taken many, this SBOTOP reporter included, by surprise and their fine 3-0 victory over Chelsea on Sunday showed a desire and hunger which stunned their opponents and created arguably their best set of Premier League 2022 highlights since they were promoted two seasons ago.
Brentford will never forget the day they humiliated Manchester United, even though, without taking anything away from Thomas Frank’s team, it was very much self-inflicted.
Having achieved top-flight status for the first time in 74 years, the Bees were meant to be immediately relegated last term. Instead, they finished 13th.
If the Bees can stay up again it will be an achievement to prove wrong so many doubters and once more show scant disregard for many of the Premier League 2022 betting odds.
Elsewhere, West Ham have had a disappointing start but will not stay downbeat for too long and, having overachieved in many ways during the past two seasons, will surely climb the table to a respectable placing.
Everton are going to struggle again one suspects and, while I cannot see them breaking into the top half, they should not be taken quite to the wire this time in the battle to beat the drop.
Aston Villa fans seemed joyous last November when Steven Gerrard was brought in as manager to replace Dean Smith.
At the time I questioned the decision, thinking that Smith deserved longer at the helm, despite five successive league defeats.
The initial bounce was clear and Gerrard’s reputation as a player helped attract talent to Villa Park. But are they really going to progress any further under his management? Time will tell.
One club which has had a ring of uncertainty around it since February has been Chelsea.
World events which led to Roman Abramovich ultimately selling the club clearly had a destabilising impact on and off the pitch and, although new owner Todd Boehly has backed manager Thomas Tuchel in the transfer market, there has been a lot of change in a quick period.
Combined, that has left them with gaps in their squad.
Whether they could have done more to keep hold of players like central defenders Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen (both departed on free transfers) is unknown as it seems their hands were tied for many months due to sanctions imposed on the club.
But they have yet to strengthen significantly across the piece, not helped by the run of misfortune N’Golo Kante is experiencing on the injury front (when the influential Frenchman is missing, so is their beating heart).
Further forward, having allowed the likes of expensively acquired strikers Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner to depart, they will need more than Raheem Sterling, however talented the four-time Premier League winner.
As a Guardian report recently acknowledged, a front three of Sterling, Mason Mount and Kai Havertz looks modern and fluid, but what of the players in reserve? Callum Hudson-Odoi and Hakim Ziyech reportedly want out. Christian Pulisic is unreliable. Armando Broja is untested at the highest level.
Of course, there is still over a week until the transfer market closes but, without strengthening, the west Londoners may be hard pushed to match last season’s place finish and run to both domestic cup finals.
In fairness, Boehly, who took on the role of interim sporting director after the departures of Marina Granovskaia (who ran the club’s recruitment on behalf of Abramovich), and Petr Cech, the club’s former technical and performance adviser, has been thrown in at the deep end. The American is learning on the job.
As many have learned the hard way, the Premier League can be a most unforgiving place to learn on the job.
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