On Saturday, Brighton and Hove Albion solidified their position in the Premier League, winning away at Sunderland with 10 men. The Seagulls remain third, winning four of a possible six games and trailing only Manchester City and Arsenal. A performance of determination, physicality, and desire earned the Seagulls a thoroughly deserved three points.

However, eight months ago, things looked very different. Brighton had slumped to 14th in the table with 13 matches remaining. A team who were tipped for European football looked at risk of a relegation battle.

As toxicity grew around the club, fans would not have expected to see their club anywhere near the top almost three-quarters of a year later. So, following such a great win, I found myself thinking about what led us to this point.

After the Palace game, many fans were wondering what had gone wrong for Brighton in the months prior. Albion were in touch with the top three at the start of December; however, a loss against Aston Villa at home kick-started a poor run of form which eventually saw Brighton in the bottom half of the table.

Some blamed injuries, some blamed the manager, some blamed the players. However, following Albion’s 1-0 defeat to their rivals, Fabian Hurzeler said he needs to “keep focusing on solutions, not focusing on problems.”

True to his words, Hurzeler focused on solutions. Brighton had clearly lost confidence, and following the club’s last defeat in a cup competition against Liverpool, Albion completely changed. Their first win in six came away at Europe-chasing Brentford, thanks to a commanding 2-0 victory. A team that once looked scared and negative had transformed into a completely different team. 

I believe that the Brentford game was the turning point for Brighton. A loss would’ve only piled more pressure on Fabian Hurzeler and the players, but the quality of the performance potentially kick-started the change in fortunes for the Seagulls.

This positivity and determination have shone through ever since. Albion now seek to control games, and when they can’t, they don’t panic. Thanks to the newfound confidence, Albion would go and win six of their next eight games – beating Chelsea and Liverpool in the process.

They would also win tight and feisty affairs away at relegation-threatened Burnley and newly promoted Sunderland. Thanks to a tight and condensed Premier League table, Brighton were able to completely turn their season around. Launching themselves back into the hunt for European football, Albion found themselves with a real possibility of qualifying for only the second time in their history.

One win in their last four was enough for Albion to sneak into the UEFA Conference League. In the span of just three months, the positivity from the Albion faithful had returned, and Brighton were in Europe again. Though, this was only the beginning of Albion’s success story of the past eight months.

Over the course of the World Cup and Pre-Season, Albion’s signings reflected the ambition of the club. Spending roughly £150m, Brighton were ready for what is arguably the biggest season in their history.

Furthermore, Albion haven’t lost any of their positive spark from the season before. Albion have lost only one game in all competitions, losing 4-3 to Chelsea. Even then, Brighton never gave up and kept pushing even when the game looked finished in the dying moments.

Overall, Brighton’s last eight months have been nothing short of unbelievable. Albion have lost only five of their last 21 games and have given fans a reason to feel overwhelmingly positive for the season ahead. From a team that looked dead and buried, Fabian Hurzeler has got the Seagulls flying in the right direction.