Huddersfield Town made the perfect start to life in the Premier League with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Saturday.
Club-record signing Steve Mounié bagged a brace for the Terriers as they out-played the Eagles in all areas across the pitch after a Joel Ward own goal broke the deadlock mid-way through the first half.
The victory tees Town up perfectly for the first home match of the season against Newcastle United next week, with David Wagner's men looking to maintain their position as Premier League leaders.
But what did we learn about the new-look Terriers in south London yesterday? Here are five things Rory Benson learned from the stunning display at Selhurst Park....
1. David Wagner is the master of the pre-season
At 2-0 down to VfB Stuttgart in Austria last week, Town looked sluggish with the new signings not looking settled in Wagner's favoured counter-pressing system.
Town fought back to level the game up at 3-3, but the performance did not fill Town fans with confidence.
But a week later and the new-look side look like they have been playing together in this system for years.
The head coach has timed the pre-season perfectly and the Terriers have hit the ground running – with a good start and points on the board crucial for any newly-promoted side.
2. Steve Mounié has it all
There are not enough superlatives to describe Mounié's performance yesterday - the desire he showed to beat the defender to the ball for his first goal coupled with his work rate throughout showed his hunger as a Premier League striker.
Add to that his clinical finishing and ability to hold the ball up and you have a serious weapon in Town's arsenal.
His goals will be vital for Town this season.
3. Town's midfield options will cause Wagner a headache
Before the game, I predicted Wagner would start Danny Williams in the middle of the park alongside Aaron Mooy, but the head coach opted for Philip Billing – a brave, attacking selection.
With the Dane alongside Mooy in midfield, Town took the game to Palace, dominated the ball and picked out the forwards well, with the transition from defence to attack too quick for the Eagles to handle.
The performances from both midfielders hand Wagner a selection headache moving forward as Williams and Jonathan Hogg both proved their ability in the same position last season.
What a nice headache to have, though.
4. The 'Terrier identity' is Premier League standard
Before the match, the head coach was adamant the 'Terrier identity' would not change because Town had been promoted to the top-flight – and once again he has been shown to know best.
The pressing game worked wonders against a Palace team struggling to get to grips with Frank de Boer's possession-based game.
If Town can keep up the energy they showed on Saturday, they will cause the other top tier teams trouble and force mistakes.
And with less games in the Premier League season than the Championship campaign, fitness should not be an issue for the Terriers.
5. Just 37 points to go...
The performance from Town was sensational from start to finish but, more importantly, Town earned a valuable three points away from home in the Premier League.
If Town are to stay up this year – which, although the boss emphasises the 'no limits' mantra, is the ultimate aim – they will need a solid home record and any away points can almost be seen as a bonus.
Away points in the Premier League are like gold dust, and to take them off a team who could well be in the relegation dogfight come May makes it doubly sweet.
Usually 40 points means a team stays up, so Town's philosophy should mirror that of Leicester City when they won the league back in 2014/15 – get to 40 and see where you can go from there.
