Brighton’s south-coast rise has already altered the club’s horizons once. Now, with Fabian Hürzeler’s side sitting third after five league matches, the early weeks of the new campaign have brought an unfamiliar question to the Amex: how far can this run carry them?
The club’s modern Premier League chapter began with promotion in 2017/18, eight years after Tony Bloom had taken ownership. Brighton had spent a long time pursuing a return to the top level and initially had to navigate seasons spent close to the relegation line. They stayed up, gradually found firmer ground, and moved into the division’s middle ranks from 2021/22 onwards.
Roberto De Zerbi then took the club to sixth place in 2022/23, securing Brighton’s first European qualification. That remains their highest Premier League finish, but the opening under Hürzeler has encouraged thoughts beyond another respectable mid-table season.
Ten points from a possible 15 have placed the Seagulls third. The statement results have been emphatic: a 4-0 opening-day victory over Aston Villa and a 3-0 defeat of reigning English champions Arsenal. It is much too early to make title predictions, yet the pace recalls the start made by Leicester City on their way to the 2016 title. Leicester, led by Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, had collected only one point more after five games, albeit against less demanding opposition.
A costly summer and a test in Sunderland
Brighton’s belief has been backed by significant movement in the transfer market. The club committed €180 million to strengthening the squad, while the departures of Carlos Baleba for €76 million and Jan Paul van Hecke for €60 million helped balance the books.
The next stop is the Stadium of Light, where Brighton face Sunderland on Saturday. A positive result in the north-east would keep Hürzeler’s team moving with the leading group and extend a start that has already given the Sussex club’s supporters reason to imagine another step forward.
