Five wins in six propel Brighton to the top of the form table. Discover how Fabian Hürzeler masterminded this dramatic turnaround.
Brighton and Hove Albion have been known to be a side alluded to as having their ‘inconsistent consistencies’.
Once again, we are seeing the Seagulls on an impressive run shortly after having a very tough run.
Albion are funnily right at the top of the form table. In their last six games, they’ve achieved an impressive 15 points, more than any other side in the Premier League.
Just before this run of form, the Seagulls had just one win in 13, and fans were growing restless. Chants from the crowd of “sacked in the morning” and boos from both home and away, things were looking to become toxic.
Albion have now won five from six.
Shortly behind them is the wonderful Manchester City, who have hit a staggering run as the business end of the title race starts to close in.
Brighton’s form can be seen as many things, but to give full credit to the side and head coach Fabian Hürzeler would be incredibly disingenuous.
What has actually happened?
Well, it goes without saying, something changed after the Seagulls lost to their arch rivals, Crystal Palace.
Their recent 2-0 win against Burnley wasn’t glamorous, but for the simple reason that Albion historically struggle at difficult lower fixtures and have had around three weeks away from action, the win remains a good one.
An additional three points have put them within touching distance of a European place, only a couple of points away from Chelsea, whom they play next week.
A game which always has more than the average amount riding on it, with the abundance of mass exodus of players and staff continuing to make the trip from the South Coast to Cobham.
The trip to North London against lowly Tottenham, who are at the polar opposite of the form table, with a staggering single point in their last six, leaves a mountain task for former head coach, Roberto De Zerbi.
De Zerbi’s first home just had to fall against Albion, in a game which is bound to be emotional for several reasons. A defeat could leave the unthinkable relegation of Spurs as an incredibly likely scenario.
The change in mentality from the Albion side has been the notable aspect. A switch back to basics, fielding a considerably ‘older’ starting 11 to grind out results. While not necessarily glamorous, Hürzeler has found a way to win, and it’s working remarkably well.
With that being said, their 2-1 home win against Liverpool was by far the standout of the run.
A game where Brighton were in total control, and played by far the most fluid and exciting football we’ve seen under the German head coach since he arrived in 2024.
Hurzeler has been critiqued for his results, sometimes looking better than his performances, and while that can be true, it’d be impossible not to recognise his ability to get wins over the line.
This all started with a trip to Brentford, when the Seagulls beat the Bees 2-0 away from home.
The weird part of this game was that the Albion faithful were largely expecting the end to be near for the head coach due to underperformance. How football truly can change so fast!
The performance was okay, not glamorous, but solid. Most games have been rather slow from a neutral perspective, Albion have perhaps become more fond of the ‘dark arts’ since the hit out from Hurzeler against Arsenal last month!
Whether this style of Brighton is the right thing for the future is still up for debate. Some fans love simply getting results over the line by whatever means necessary, whilst others watch football to be entertained. There is always the tertiary argument of “if you’re winning, isn’t that entertaining?” After all, that is the aim of the game, right?
Perhaps the entertainment value of the Premier League in general could be argued in itself, as that factor has certainly been shown up in the Champions League campaign.
If Brighton were to achieve European football for the second time in their history, it would be one of the most dramatic turnarounds in a single season for a long time.
From a club who were worrying about relegation some weeks ago, to dreaming of a genuine shot at Champions League football is rather crazy.
The future remains to be seen, but I have to give praise for the present. The games aren’t always pretty (minus Liverpool), but Brighton are being talked about for the right reasons again.