Brighton scored four times against Aston Villa by the 31st minute, producing the fastest four-goal opening-round spell seen in the Premier League for almost two decades.
No team had reached four goals so quickly in the first match of a Premier League season during the past 20 years. The previous side to achieve the feat was Manchester United, who scored four goals against Fulham in only 19 minutes at the start of the 2006-07 campaign.
Brighton’s remarkable early burst against Aston Villa therefore represents the competition’s best opening-day start of its kind since Manchester United’s performance in 2006. All four of Brighton’s goals in the match had been created by the 31st minute, underlining the speed and efficiency of their attacking display.
The record places Brighton in notable company at the beginning of the new Premier League campaign. Manchester United remain the last team to score four times in such a short period during the opening round, having done so against Fulham nearly 20 years ago.
Brighton will now turn their attention to their next league fixture, when they travel to face Chelsea in London. That match is scheduled for 30 August, the penultimate day of what has been a particularly short summer.
The meeting with Chelsea will provide Brighton with their next opportunity to build on the fast start highlighted by their four-goal spell against Aston Villa. Their opening-round achievement has already established the club’s performance as the quickest four-goal start to a Premier League season since the 2006-07 campaign.
