Some people genuinely believe that Kaoru Mitoma has had points in Brighton's career where he has 'fallen off'. That is insane. 

Quite often in football, fans like to hate on the 'big name'. Whether it is Jude Bellingham for England, Erling Haaland at Manchester City or Mo Salah at Liverpool. When things are looking bleak, fans and media have a strange tendency to point the finger in the wrong direction.

The same can be said in Mitoma's case. Brighton have been underperforming since the arrival of Fabian Hürzeler, and the quality of play on the ball has changed dramatically. All of a sudden, styles had shifted, and so Mitoma had to follow suit. 

Let's cast our minds back to 2022/23, when Brighton achieved European football for the first time in their history. Newly appointed Spurs head coach, Roberto De Zerbi, transformed Mitoma's whole trajectory as a player. Mitoma was originally brought into the club as a wing-back, and that was how he was seen at the club.

De Zerbi turned him into a demon. Goals, assists, but most significantly, total composure and quality on the ball. It was obvious that there was a superstar on the pitch. Pure running and a fearlessness that excited fans. The elastic first touch opened up countless opportunities. The type of feeling that gets you out of your seat and makes you believe that every single run is about to be effective. 

He ended the season by tearing apart right-backs like Trent Alexander-Arnold and even pushing Leandro Trossard out of the squad, forcing him to move to Arsenal. 

Mitoma quickly became noticed by the general Premier League, but seemingly forgotten about when considering the ultimate best wingers in the league. His mind-bending dribbling ability became the talk of the town, along with the fascinating story of how he once studied dribbling at a Japanese University. 

The consensus around Mitoma is that he isn't as effective because his goal contributions aren't the best. I like to call them G/A merchants.

He was one of Brighton's top scorers in the 2024/25 season under Hürzeler. 10 goals, but only four assists. Perhaps, the final metric could read slightly better. Funnily, this stat wasn't much better in the European campaign, the same 10 goals, with eight assists.

Sometimes football is about what you see with your eyes. His goal against Chelsea at home last season was the club's goal of the season. A long ball from Bart Verbruggen, taken down with a single touch, just weighted perfectly to send Trevor Chalobah in the wrong direction... the finish? Perfectly in the bottom corner. 

It was one of those goals where quality shines through. For a long time, Brighton fans have said Mitoma has the best first touch in football, while being largely laughed at by most other fanbases. This goal switched the narrative. All of a sudden, everyone had noticed Mitoma's sheer ability on the ball. Could any other player in that Brighton and Chelsea squad have pulled that move off? Highly unlikely.

It's moments like this which create players like Mitoma. Consistently possessing an inner quality which exceeds anyone else on the pitch. Sometimes, you don't even have to do anything to see it.

Whether it's a simple, clever run, a ball across that nobody could quite get on the end of, or creating space whilst running with the ball close to the feet. Small margin, defining moments in football which only some players possess the magic to be able to pull off. 

It is why Eden Hazard is remembered as being a Premier League great, but statistically close to being a 'normal' winger in the league. 

In truth, Mitoma has been doing this every season for Brighton. Eye-catching performances, but there's a difference. Managers and players know the game now. He isn't raw or an unknown quantity.  He is doubled, tripled up on, like a standout player should be. 

When this level of defending is combined with the changing of coaches and an ongoing back injury since 2024, it is no surprise that the output has regressed slightly. Realistically, the biggest drawback for Mitoma has been his injury record and keeping that ongoing pain at bay. When recovered, even slightly, he remains the best Brighton player on the pitch at the best of times. 

Nothing has changed. The same old runs, the same old dribbles, and the same old exciting Kaoru Mitoma, who was once idolised. The difference? An injury and an underperforming Brighton side. Therefore, less media and social media talk around his name. 

I'd argue that Mitoma has become incredibly underrated. Not because he has been forgotten, but because, still, nobody truly understands the level that he can bring to a football pitch. 

Rather poetically, Kaoru Mitoma scores against England with a wonderful move for Japan. Everything about that goal: from the first touch, to the run, to the finish, sums up everything you need to know. World-class.