Danny Murphy praised Brighton for their aggressive pressing and quality on the ball after their recent victory over Aston Villa. However, the former Liverpool midfielder feels the visitors made it easy for their opponents, effectively falling apart after conceding the first goal.
Analyzing the game on BBC's Match of the Day, Murphy highlighted Brighton's teamwork off the ball:
The pressing was superb. They worked as a collective, and it’s also important how well they managed the ball after winning it back.
You can run and press all you like, but once you regain possession, quality is crucial. They had plenty of players in the box and delivered excellent crosses from the flanks. I liked a lot of things about Brighton’s play.
Aston Villa did themselves no favours at all. After conceding the first goal, everything was just dreadful. They were creating problems for themselves.
After the first goal, they completely fell apart. Last season, they were a well-organised side.
Simply keep an eye on your players, communicate with one another, and tighten up the spaces. These are basic aspects that are trained every day.
For the third goal, no one even puts pressure on the ball carrier, and at the far post, there's a two-on-one situation. They were everywhere and yet nowhere at the same time.
Brighton was magnificent, a fantastic start for them. But Villa were awful. They have significant issues.
