CORNERFLICK
Brighton’s fast start under Fabian Hürzeler has taken them to third in the Premier League after a 4-1 win over Crystal Palace at the Amex. They sit on 16 points from seven matches, five behind the leaders, and have become one of the league’s most efficient sides.
Numbers behind the run
Brighton have scored 23 league goals, the most in the division, and conceded only five. Their 3.29 goals per game is the highest average in the Premier League, while they have kept five clean sheets in seven league matches and have conceded only once in their last five league games.
The wider run is even stronger. Brighton have won six straight games in all competitions, scoring 22 and conceding two in that sequence. Those results include a win over Arsenal, last season’s champions, and a heavy derby victory.
Hürzeler’s imprint
Hürzeler has rebuilt the side after a difficult spell last season, including a home defeat to Palace. His team press high, move quickly from defence to attack and have spread the goals around, with more than 10 players on the scoresheet.
Brighton have also done it without Danny Welbeck leading the line. Diego Gomez, Yasin Ayari, Charalampos Kostoulas and Jack Hinshelwood have all chipped in, while Gomez’s 51-yard strike against Palace was one of the season’s best goals.
Possession has sat at about 60 percent, and Brighton are also unbeaten in the Conference League with no goals conceded, while they have reached the next round of the League Cup.