Don't get carried away folks, but feel free to be very excited, because this was good. Rhys encouraged Matos to "target a fast start and get the home crowd anxious", and oh boy we did. In a game where Swansea were expected to dominate the ball and control the tempo, the Swans turned up the heat right away.

It took just over 90 seconds before Eom Ji-Sung made a brilliant run to the edge of the area before playing a cutback to Joseph Opoku, who once again scored away from home. As usual we were very direct offensively, and together with our new signings we have become very dangerous on the counter; Eom and Opoku on either flank are lethal and very effective in transition.

What we did best, however, was the change of tempo. We controlled the ball calmly, and when the opportunity arose we exploded, catching Derby off-guard. We use different triggers to initiate our attacks; let me explain. At 17:30 we are in Derby's half, playing the ball around our backline. Fulton plays a sideways pass to Stamenic, who gets pressured by Derby's right winger from behind. This is our trigger. Looking at our setup, we see a deliberate structure where Eom on the left has moved into an awkward position between Derby's right back and their central midfielder. With Tymon advancing along the touchline, when Derby's right winger starts pressing Stamenic centrally, Tymon becomes free on the flank; if the right back follows Tymon, Eom is left with a sea of space behind him.

So, when Stamenic gets pressured from the flank, this is our cue to increase the tempo. Stamenic plays a simple pass back to Stephen Welsh, who finds Tymon, who now has space to run into. In this way we expose Derby whenever they mistimed their press; this not only showcases our ability on the ball, but also the importance of a well-timed press, something to keep in mind for ourselves. But perhaps what we did best in this half was our energy. Frenetic, intense and unrelenting, we never stopped. We were superb at winning second balls, and even though we had to go long less often than against Sheffield United (because of Derby's lower press), when we did, it was far more effective, as we could win ground through more aggressive duels.

But this level of intensity can take a toll. After just 24 minutes, Opoku went down, seemingly with a knee problem. (now diagnosed as a deep leg cut) The Ghanaian was brilliant before going off, but we need these injuries to stop. At least two starters, arguably three with Burgess, have now been sidelined in the first three games of the season; we need to get a grip on this. Despite losing Opoku, we continued to create in the first half. We won possession numerous times in dangerous positions; in this regard, the returning Josh Key was very good. The right back had a very good overall game, and it wasn't just him who improved defensively. After Sheffield United, I critiqued our inability to help our full backs whenever they got overloaded, too often failing to track overlapping and underlapping runs. Yesterday we were far better at that; when it wasn't one of our wingers, it was either Stamenic or Fulton picking up the runs in behind. Hopefully this continues; seeing us patch up these defensive mistakes is very reassuring.

But Derby aren't the only ones trying to overload the flanks. We have seen a pattern this season where we deliberately transition to one side, overloading it and going straight for goal, and it yields results. The second goal came after Welsh picked up a clearance from Derby and found Lissah on the right. Josh Key and Moussa Yeo were already pushed up, and Melker Widell had also shifted over; that means we had four players in that area having just transitioned right. As a result, Widell goes unmarked and receives the ball in a central pocket. He takes a touch forward, drawing in defenders, before releasing Yeo, who delivers a brilliant cross to Adam Idah. Idah is only denied by a spectacular save from Zetterström before Eom can put the rebound away.

This type of overload is often characterised by our number ten drifting to one side, creating an extra option for our winger. The Swans went into half-time 2-0 up with optimism flying high, and we would see more of that, but the second half proved tougher. John Eustace made a triple substitution at half-time, and Derby came out transformed for about fifteen minutes. They became the frenetic, intense and an unrelenting side, while we struggled to keep up. We tried to go long to escape their pressure, but we ended up losing the duels. We needed to be calm and slow the game down, knowing that eventually Derby would gas themselves out, and they did. The Swans just needed a little more control.

And in the 65th minute, control arrived. Stephen Eustáquio makes something tingle in my stomach. I have not been excited for a signing in a very, very long time. He is not flashy; he is, honestly, the reverse. He keeps it simple and composed, and I could not be happier about that. Eustáquio didn't try to drive with the ball unnecessarily or try to prove himself like some world-beater; he just set the tempo and slowed the game down, a beacon of calm and security. To see this in broad daylight, take a look at 89:50 in the build-up to the third goal. Eustáquio receives the ball, plays it, repositions, then does the same thing again and again. He alone dismantles the tired press of Derby through simple one-touch play and clever repositioning, and when the moment arises, he seizes it. He plays a line-breaking pass forward, and, just to top it all off, wins back the ball after Ronald's shot is blocked and gives the Brazilian a second chance, which he takes well. So simple, yet so brilliant from our new Canadian maestro.

In the second half this Swansea press was clinical.

3-0 away, a dominant performance and a wonderful result, but I must talk about my joint men of the match: Stephen Welsh and Filip Lissah. Both last season's starting centre backs are out injured, but this combination stepped up magnificently and brought something completely different from Cabango and Burgess. Welsh and Lissah are brilliant on the ball. Earlier I mentioned the changing of tempo, and often it was these two who were behind it. They understand the flow of the game and have the ability in possession to exploit this. They are far less prone to misplacing passes in dangerous areas, and they also offer a completely different attacking threat. At 09:27 (below) Stephen Welsh plays a delicious floated ball with perfect weight and timing to Opoku, who tried an acrobatic finish but couldn't connect. That quality of pass would never have come from either of last season's starters. The Scotsman once again had the most completed passes, continuing to be our go-to outlet in possession.

The potential weakness of Welsh and Lissah is their physicality. Ben Cabango and Cameron Burgess are imposing figures, on the ground but especially in the air. But against a very physical Derby side, the new pairing proved they can compete in that aspect too. Welsh won two out of three ground duels and two out of three aerial duels, but it was Lissah who impressed me most; he won two out of two ground duels and six out of seven in the air, while also remaining solid whenever Derby played in behind. There has been discussion about Lissah's best position, and I have suggested he might be better in the middle than out wide; this game could support that argument, but we'll have to wait and see. Josh Key got man of the match in some quarters.

The duo were also remarkably coordinated when it came to the defensive line, regularly catching the Derby attackers offside. Truly a superb performance from both, particularly given this was their first start together as a partnership. The team was brilliant in so many respects and only really struggled for ten to fifteen minutes in the second half; otherwise we were comfortably better than a limited Derby side.

Be hopeful folks; there is something being built here. On to Watford. Uppa Swans !

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