Brighton Player Ratings September 2024: Now I’m a Baleba

The honeymoon period came to an end for Fabian Hurzeler in his second month in charge of the Albion. Brighton failed to win a Premier League game in September 2024, making for a low scoring set of player ratings.

24 hours after Hurzeler was announced as Premier League Manager of the Month for August and the Seagulls were held to a 0-0 draw at the Amex by newly promoted Ipswich Town.

Safe progress was made to round four of the League Cup thanks to a 3-2 win over Wolves. But there were plenty of questions being asked about Brighton’s defending as they conceded cheap goals and contrived to gift the Old Gold several other opportunities.

That theme continued into the 2-2 home draw with Nottingham Forest and then reached its nadir against Chelsea. A woeful showing from the Albion back line contributing to Cole Palmer becoming the first player since Sky Sports invented football in 1992 to score four goals in one half.

Palmer sent Brighton to a 4-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge when the Blues could and probably should have racked up seven or eight.

Here are your WAB Brighton September 2024 Player Ratings.

1) Carlos Baleba – 7.50

Injury to James Milner gave Baleba his starting opportunity as September arrived. He grabbed it with both hands, scoring against Wolves and Chelsea, assisting the other goal at Stamford Bridge and looking the Albion player best suited to Hurzeler’s aggressive press. Miles clear at the top of the player ratings and voted WAB Player of the Month as well.

2) Jan Paul van Hecke – 7.05

Made a deserved international debut for the Netherlands at the start of September. Ruled out with injury at the end. The defensive horror show which took place at Stamford Bridge without him showed just how important Van Hecke has become to Brighton over the past 12 months.

3) Yasin Ayari – 6.48

Not going to lie, it is somewhat surprising to see Ayari riding so high in the Brighton September 2024 Player Ratings. Solid outings against Ipswich and Wolves combined with missing the Forest match through illness and only coming off the bench for the second half at Chelsea push him into third.

4) Joel Veltman – 6.36

Veltman is another whose score has been insulated by playing no part in the Chelsea defeat. Helped keep a clean sheet at home to Ipswich Town and still managed to achieve a decent score for the Forest match despite playing the Tricky Trees onside when they broke to score their second half equaliser.

5) Simon Adingra – 6.32

Bit of a weird month for Adingra. Looked lively from the bench against Ipswich and scored past Wolves to maintain his flying form, meaning Fabian Hurzeler could no longer ignore his claims for a place in the starting XI. But Adingra ended up disappointing when finally given his chance in the Forest draw before injury ruled him out of the trip to Chelsea.

6) Danny Welbeck – 6.31

One goal for Dat Guy in September but what a goal it was. A stunning effort bent into the far corner against Forest which was remarkably the first time Welbeck had scored direct from a free kick in his long and illustrious career.

7) Jack Hinshelwood – 6.29

Showcased his excellent aerial ability when heading Brighton level in the Forest game. A magnificent goal line clearance to prevent a comical Adam Webster own goal was another September highlight for the teenager.

8) Georginio Rutter – 6.07

The club record £40 million signing improved with each game through September. A low key full debut in the Ipswich draw, a livelier showing against Forest and then his first Brighton goal to put the Albion 1-0 ahead at Stamford Bridge.

9) Bart Verbruggen – 6.03

Not a great month by the high standards Seagulls supporters have come to expect from the Dutch number one. Left exposed at times by the high line, although that could not excuse poor attempts at playing out from the back and then being beaten at his near post in the Chelsea defeat.

10) Ferdi Kadioglu – 5.86

Kadioglu was signed for his versatility and he spent September looking like a Jack of all trades but master of none. Scored the decisive third within a few minutes of coming off the bench against Wolves but that just muddied the waters further about where exactly he fits into the Brighton starting XI.

11) Kaoru Mitoma – 5.83

A blistering return in August having been ruled out since February with a back injury was followed by a quieter September for the Japanese Bullet Train.

12) Joao Pedro – 5.69

Pedro returned from injury as a substitute against Forest… before getting injured again about 10 minutes later. Rutter settling in nicely at least lessened the blow of the Albion losing their main goal getter.

13) Evan Ferguson – 5.60

Remains without a goal since November last year. There were signs of the Ferguson of old though when he started the League Cup tie with Wolves, linking the play well and getting into some decent positions.

14) Tariq Lamptey – 5.58

Hurzeler would appear to not be a fan of Lamptey if the limited game time he was afforded despite Brighton making mass changes for Wolves is anything to go by. Out of contract at the end of the season. A January departure looks certain unless Brighton are happy to see him leave on a free next summer.

15) Lewis Dunk – 5.73

Extremely rare to see Dunk so far down the monthly player ratings. That comes from the Brighton high line which cruelly exposes his lack of pace.

16) Julio Enciso – 5.48

Third choice number 10 seemingly behind Pedro and Rutter. The prodigious Paraguayan youngster really needs to stake his claim whilst Pedro is injured if the 2024-25 season is not to pass him by.

17) Jakub Moder – 5.42

Handed his first action of 2024-25 in the Wolves game. Failed to stamp any real authority on proceedings. Another whose Albion future leaks bleak.

18) Jason Steele – 5.42

Classic Steele in his one appearance of September. Some fine saves against Wolves mixed in with a fantastic cock up which gifted the Old Gold their second of the night.

19) Igor Julio – 5.40

Had one of those games where nothing he did made any sense in the League Cup. Much less erratic when coming on at Chelsea, helping the defence tighten up so as not to concede in the second half.

20) Mats Wieffer – 5.35

Injury and struggling to cope with the speed and physicality of English football mean Brighton are yet to see the best of Wieffer yet.

21) Yankubu Minteh – 5.19

Pretty ineffective in the draw with Ipswich before losing his spot to Adingra for the Forest game. Inconsistency is to be expected from a 19-year-old playing their first season in English football.

22) Pervis Estupinan – 5.09

Hard to know what to pick as Estupinan’s September highlight. Hacking down Palmer to concede a cheap free kick the Chelsea forward duly stuck into the top corner. Or that moment in the Forest game where he took a corner on the right which failed to beat the first man before running all the way over to the left to take a throw which flew straight into the face of a Tricky Tress defender.

23) Adam Webster – 4.65

Hinshelwood saved him from a magnificent own goal against Wolves. Nobody could bail Webster out at Chelsea though after his woefully under hit attempted back pass to Verbruggen gifted the Blues their opener.

The September 2024 Brighton Player Ratings have been formulated through our matchday player scores. To play your part, make sure to follow us on Twitter and leave your post game player ratings in the relevant thread.