Brighton & Hove Albion have turned September into a month of rather serious notice-taking. Fabian Hürzeler, Pascal Gross and Lewis Dunk have swept the Premier League’s monthly prizes for manager, player and goal respectively, a clean sweep that places the Seagulls in a very small club.
Only four sides had previously collected all three awards in the same month: Chelsea in 2016, through Antonio Conte, Diego Costa and Pedro; Newcastle United in 2022, when Eddie Howe and Miguel Almirón took the honours; Manchester United in 2023, with Erik ten Hag, Harry Maguire and Alejandro Garnacho; and Bournemouth in 2025, under Andoni Iraola alongside Justin Kluivert and David Brooks.
The awards reflect a start with more than a little substance behind it. Brighton have taken 10 points from their first five league fixtures and sit third, two points behind Arsenal and five adrift of Manchester City. September brought a 3-0 win over Arsenal, a 5-0 victory at Coventry and a 1-1 draw with Leeds. There was also a League Cup night at Manchester United in which Brighton recovered from 2-0 down to win 3-2 and send the hosts out.
For Hürzeler, now 33, it is another sign that his appointment from St Pauli in 2024 has developed rather nicely. The Houston-born manager arrived as the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history and has since made a habit of troubling the established order. His Brighton side have beaten Manchester United and Chelsea four times apiece, Manchester City twice, Tottenham twice, Liverpool once and Arsenal once.
Intensity as Brighton’s common language
Pep Guardiola had praised Brighton’s personality and tempo before his first defeat against Hürzeler’s side, a 2-1 result which offered a useful illustration of the problem. Brighton do not approach matches against the leading clubs as occasions for caution. Their manager’s creed is built around winning the first small contests: the opening throw-in, corner, aerial duel or tackle. Gather enough of those, he believes, and the larger victory becomes possible.
That approach is especially clear once possession is lost. Hürzeler demands the ball back within five seconds, with players expected to hold each other to the standard. It is a simple instruction, though rather less simple for an opponent trying to play through a team arriving in waves.
The Arsenal win carried particular weight. Chema Andrés scored his first goal for Brighton as the Seagulls beat the reigning champions, and Hürzeler felt the performance mattered as much as the scoreline. He said his players had shown unity and intensity, making the afternoon deeply uncomfortable for England’s leading side.
The numbers give the style a suitably noisy outline. Brighton lead the division for goals, with 16, and possession, at 64.79 per cent. They have won possession 36 times in the final third, more than anyone else, while their 95 shots rank second in the league. Only two clubs have created more than their 14 big chances.
There is variety in the squad as well as urgency in its football. Brighton have already made Premier League history by fielding players representing 15 different nationalities in one match. Hürzeler’s repeated message is that the group must trust the process, remain clear about its direction and face difficult spells together. At present, with points on the board and three monthly awards on the mantelpiece, that process looks to be travelling at considerable speed.
