Two weekends down, twenty games in the books.

After sweating through a three-month hiatus, English Premier League fans are rejoicing with the return of all of the drama, sublime skill, history and intrigue the world’s most famous football league provides.

In just two games, reigning champions Manchester City have reminded the league of their phenomenal prowess, which, to Tottenham Hotspur’s credit, they were at least able to match with a 2-2 draw at City’s Emirates fortress over the weekend.

Champions League winners and EPL title aspirants Liverpool have already demonstrated their intent this season, winning both of their games - netting six goals in the process - with five different players finding their way onto the scoresheet. Meanwhile, the league’s other powerhouse clubs, Arsenal and Manchester United, have started their 2019/20 campaigns positively, boasting unbeaten starts to the season.

With plenty happening across the Premier League landscape, Stats Insider has selected six talking points from the EPL’s first two matchdays.

Aston Villa, your relegation scrap starts now

When a promoted club shells out almost 150 million Euros in the off-season, it signals their aggressive intent to survive their first season back in the EPL since 2016.

Aston Villa's start to the season, however, is not at all what they would have had in mind.

Two games in and Villa's results look decidedly dreadful, most recently losing their home opener 1-2 to Bournemouth after being eviscerated 3-1 the week prior at Tottenham.

Over the first two games, Villa have conceded a league-high 22 shots per match, while spending a staggering 39% of their game-time stuck in their own third. For context’s sake, the most time any club spent cramped near their own goal last season was Bournemouth’s 31%.

While there’s still 36 games left, each and every point will matter in Villa’s quest for survival. Each disastrous performance will work as a reminder of the 116 million Euros Fulham spent last offseason, only to find themselves straight back in the Championship after one season.

Teemu Pukki is an EPL God

Not only did Finland’s finest, Teemu Pukki, provide the season’s second hat-trick over the weekend, but his performance netted the Canaries their first top-flight win since May, 2016.

Over the first two games, Pukki has been simply sensational for Norwich City, registering a league-high four goals, while his ten shots is a number only Manchester City’s England international, Raheem Sterling, can claim to match.

While Pukki isn’t a complete stranger to English football - having scored a league-high 29 times in the Championship last season - few expected his talents to translate so easily to the Premier League.

Norwich, as all newly promoted clubs can attest to, face a season-long uphill battle to maintain their top-flight status, especially with a squad Transfermarkt considers the league’s least valuable, outside of Sheffield United. 

Yet, if the likes of Pukki can continue to prosper then there’s every chance Daniel Farke’s men can produce an unforgettable story of survival.

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Everton’s defence is holding up well early

Everton vigorously opened up the chequebook over the offseason, bringing in the likes of Juventus’ Moises Kean, Manchester City’s Fabian Delph, Barcelona’s Andre Gomes and Jean Phillipe-Gbamin from Bundesliga club Mainz.

And, as coveted and talented as all of these acquisitions were, none are defenders, which is considered Everton’s' achilles heel,' and potentially their biggest barrier to breaking into the Premier League’s vaunted top six.

Two games in, however, and the Toffee’s defence has performed as well as anybody in the EPL.

They’re the only team to have kept a clean sheet in both matches to date, which is also the first time Everton have opened the season in such stingy fashion since 1993.

Only Manchester City have conceded fewer shots this season, with the Michael Keane-Yerry Mina centre-half pairing working wonders for the Goodison faithful. 

The pair’s defensive solidity has allowed for Everton’s wing-backs to flourish, with Lucas Digne already proving to be one of the Premier League’s biggest handfuls down the left-wing, with Ireland’s Seamus Coleman holding his own on the right.

Yes, Everton has so far only played EPL strugglers Crystal Palace and Watford, but their start to the season, particularly from a defensive standpoint, has been more than encouraging.

2019/20 could be a long season for Chelsea

One of the strangest refrains over the European off-season was that Frank Lampard returning to Chelsea as the manager would somehow represent an upgrade over Maurizio Sarri.

While Lampard had a glittering playing career with the West London giants, his one season as coach of Championship-marooned Derby County surely holds no candle to the 30-year managerial career of Sarri, which most recently saw him take Chelsea to an unexpected third-place finish in the Premier League, along with a Europa League triumph.

In fact, it’s taken just two games for a sense of dread to encompass Stamford Bridge, as Chelsea have struggled their way through the opening weeks of the new season, first humiliated by Manchester United 4-0, and then slugging out a 1-1 draw in their home opener against Leicester City.

And, owing to Chelsea’s transfer ban, things aren’t likely to rapidly improve, with the Blues exhibiting one of their shallowest squads in a number of years, relying upon their army of youth, which up until now, they haven't needed to call upon.

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And, while the likes of Mason Mount, Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic have flashed moments of promise, Chelsea are going to need every single ounce of N'Golo Kante and Jorginho’s brilliance if they’re any chance of winning themselves another Champions League berth.

Thankfully for the Blues, their next two games are against two of the EPL’s promoted teams, Norwich and Sheffield United. Failure to win these two matches, however, might have people questioning the wisdom of the Lampard appointment.

Brighton have improved out of sight under Graham Potter

The default team for Australian fans without a historical EPL interest must surely go to Brighton & Hove Albion FC, owing to Matt Ryan’s reliable presence in goal, as well as the Seagulls recent loan acquisition of perhaps Australia’s most talented outfielder, Aaron Mooy.

Furthermore, the level of play so far exhibited by Brighton should make it even easier for Australian fans to wrap their arms around the South Coast club, with Brighton completely revitalised under the stewardship of new manager, Graham Potter.

The Seagulls barely survived relegation last season and took the difficult decision to move on from manager Chris Houghton who had been at the club for five strong years.

His replacement in Potter is regarded as one of the sharpest minds in British football, and who's already invigorated a much more vibrant and dynamic Brighton squad.  

In just two games, the Seagulls have improved exponentially, producing nearly a shot more per game than last year (10.5 to 9.8), while their possession metrics have also spiked.

Most importantly, Brighton have secured four points from their first two games, with 20 million Euro, Belgian import, Leandro Trossard looking particularly lively, while the Shane Duffy-Lewis Dunk centre-half pairing has conceded just one goal so far, making life reasonably easy for Ryan.

Last season made for a very uncomfortable campaign for the Seagulls, the type of which their fans are desperate not to have to repeat, with their start to the season making for welcome relief.

Rodrigo could be the best signing this season

It’s ludicrously early to be handing out awards of any description, but after two games, the Rodrigo acquisition already seems like a thoroughly inspired one as far as Manchester City is concerned.

At just 23, Rodrigo has already proven his ability to anchor a team’s midfield, acting as the fulcrum for everything Atletico Madrid achieved in Spain's La Liga last season, while recently propelling the Spanish under-21 team to a European crown.

In just two games, Rodrigo couldn’t appear to be any more comfortable with Pep Guardiola's set-up, leading the league in accurate long passes with 14, while his 129 passes is the most among all Premier League midfielders - while operating at an incredible 93.4% passing efficiency.

City paid a big fee to secure the young Spaniard, but he is the embodiment of the player Guardiola has long wanted at Manchester City, perfectly fitting the profile of what Sergio Busquets provided the most superior of Barcelona teams of recent times.

With so much talent ahead of Rodrigo on the pitch, the thought of him setting up City's attacks with his assured, precise passing will send a chill across the continent.

It’s been a breathtaking first couple of weeks of Premier League action. Be sure to visit Stats Insider for our futures projections and schedule analysis, as well as our ongoing coverage of one of the world’s very best leagues.

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