Brighton’s best-ever finish in the highest tier of English football is sixth place, but collecting 16 points from seven games has raised supporters’ belief that the club could seriously compete for Champions League qualification or perhaps even challenge for the championship.
They have scored 23 league goals, four more than table-toppers Manchester City and over twice the 11 managed by defending champions Arsenal.
Since the Premier League era began in 1992, just three teams have registered a higher goal total in their opening seven matches: Arsenal scored 24 in 2009-10, Manchester United matched that figure in 2011-12, and Manchester City struck 27 in 2019-20.
Across Europe’s five leading leagues, Barcelona are the only club with a better domestic scoring record, having found the net 39 times in nine La Liga fixtures.
Sitting third in the standings, Brighton have also provided plenty of excitement, with 10 different players contributing goals so far.
They began their league campaign with a 4-0 victory over an Aston Villa team that placed fourth in 2025-26, and Fabian Hurzeler’s side have since proved that performance was no isolated success. Their other notable results include a 5-0 away win at Coventry, a 3-0 triumph over Arsenal, a 2-0 victory at Sunderland despite a red card, and their latest 5-0 success against Palace.
In the Carabao Cup, Brighton recovered from a two-goal deficit at Old Trafford to win 3-2 and knock out Manchester United. They have also lived up to expectations as Conference League favourites, scoring four goals against both Norwegian club Tromso and Lithuanian champions Kauno Zalgiris.
For Hurzeler, who became the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history when he took charge in June 2024 at 31, the mood inside the Amex was completely different from the atmosphere surrounding the previous meeting with Palace.
After the Eagles earned a 1-0 victory in February, Brighton sat 14th and had recorded only one win in 12 league matches, prompting sections of the home support to predict the manager’s imminent dismissal.
Given that recent experience, it is understandable that Hurzeler remains cautious despite his team’s impressive run.
He quickly dismissed suggestions that Brighton might compete for the Premier League crown, insisting that the squad must remain grounded because there is still a long way to go.
He added that the players cannot afford to become complacent. Instead, they must continue working hard, remain modest and recognise the reasons behind their current success if they want to maintain the same standard.
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