Derby County and Brighton & Hove Albion played out a goalless draw to kick off their 2016/17 Sky Bet Championship campaigns.

The Rams started brightly in Nigel Pearson's first competitive game in charge, with Darren Bent firing over the bar and Tom Ince forcing a great save out of David Stockdale in the early stages.

Brighton also had some good chances as Tomar Hemed came close with an effort from outside the box early in the second half, before on loan striker Glenn Murray saw his header fly over the crossbar.

Bent could have won it in added time when he got on the end of a Cyrus Christie cross, but his header flew straight into the arms of Seagulls goalie Stockdale.

Both teams had chances to win the game but neither took those opportunities in order to win all three points in a game where neither side played to their full potential.

FootballLeagueWorld writer Rob Booth identifies THREE things that we learned from the game on Saturday...

Derby need to bring in some signings

Big changes aren't needed at the iPro Stadium, but if the Rams are to win promotion, some new signings must be made.

There have been divided opinions between fans on the strike force, with many wanting a quick, agile striker to be brought in. Bent got into good positions yesterday, but struggled when it came to chasing the ball, so a fast attacker would be welcome.

After the game, manager Pearson confirmed that the Rams have submitted bids for players.

So far this summer, Derby have made no signings at all.

Brighton need to be more clinical in front of goal

The Seagulls had 16 shots at the Derby goal yesterday, five being on target.

Brighton are just one or two signings away from a promotion-winning squad and another goalscorer would be a real help to them, as they are missing the likes of James Wilson and Bobby Zamora who left after last season.

Hemed, Murray and Baldock are all good strikers, on top of the likes of Knockaert, Skalak and Kayal, one more prolific player and Brighton a force to be reckoned with this season.

Nigel Pearson doesn't know his best XI yet

In his first competitive Derby match, Pearson named a starting line-up that not many would've predicted.

Chris Baird started at the back, however this was down to the fact that Marcus Olsson and Craig Forsyth were missing from the squad. Will Hughes, Johnny Russell and Chris Martin all began the game on the substitutes' bench, with Russell not featuring at all.

After the Brighton game, changes could be made by the Rams boss, with a number of Derby players not performing to the best of their abilities on the opening day.

Derby's next league game is away to Barnsley at Oakwell.

Derby and Brighton fans... what did you think of the game? Will both sides be at the top end of the table by May? Let us know your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!