Pascal Gross: Der Kaiser’s top 7 Brighton moments

Don’t cry because it is over. Smile because it happened. After seven seasons, 261 appearances, 32 goals and 52 assists, Pascal Gross has left Brighton to live his boyhood dream of playing for Borussia Dortmund.

If it feels like the end of an era at the Albion, that would be because it is. Nobody has done more to firstly establish Brighton in the Premier League than Gross, followed by pushing the club into regular contention for top 10 finishes.

In the wake of his departure, Gross has been lauded as the greatest Albion player ever by some. Everyone seems to be in agreement that he is pretty much irreplaceable.

As impressive as his numbers were, Gross was about more than mere stats. He was a beautiful footballer to watch, combining supreme intelligence with magnificent skill and technique.

Der Kaiser also delivered big moments at key times, which will guarantee his place in the history books as much as those 84 goal involvements at the highest level of football.

As Brighton says tschüss, here are our top seven Pascal Gross moments.

The goal which confirmed first season survival

For Sussex school kids of a certain era, seeing Brighton beat Manchester United at the Amex for the first time was a particularly sweet moment.

Back in the 90s, most of us grew up in classrooms surrounded by United fans. None had been to Old Trafford. Not many could point to Manchester on a map.

United though had Sir Alex Ferguson and hoovered up at least a couple of trophies a year. The Albion were shit, for want of a better word.

There was glory in following United. In contrast, tell somebody you supported Brighton and the stock response was “Yeah, but who are your Premier League team?”

Fast forward to 2018 and not only were the Albion now a Premier League team, but they were one capable of defeating the famous Manchester United. With a lot of those childhood United fans now sat in the Amex as Brighton season ticket holders.

Making Brighton 1-0 United even better was the fact it secured Premier League survival for the Albion. Or to be more precise, Gross secured Premier League survival for the Albion.

It was his header which just about crossed the line to give Brighton victory. Over the 2017-18 season as a whole, Gross’ 15 goal involvements meant Der Kaiser contributed to almost 50 percent of the Seagulls’ total of 34.

Beating David De Gea gave Gross his seventh of the campaign and sewed up Player of the Season. An iconic Brighton moment from an iconic Brighton player.

Two goals against Wolves to put Albion on cusp of Europe

Five seasons later and the Albion were in the mix for European football under Roberto De Zerbi. However, a hectic schedule of 15 games in the final eight weeks was starting to take its toll as April gave way to May.

Brighton had just lost a FA Cup semi final to Manchester United on penalties at Wembley. Three days later and a 3-1 defeat at relegation threatened Nottingham Forest suggested the wheels were coming off.

When the starting XI for the visit of Wolves to the Amex was announced, it showed De Zerbi resting Kaoru Mitoma and Moises Caicedo.

Eyebrows were raised. What hope of getting the 2022-23 campaign back on track with two of the Albion’s best players on the bench?

A couple of hours later and Brighton walked off the pitch having hammered Wolves 6-0 for a club-record biggest top flight victory.

Gross of course was central to it. He was moved from right back to take over Caicedo’s spot in holding midfield alongside Billy Gilmour with Alexis Mac Allister pushed into the 10 role.

Der Kaiser scored goals two and three of the six-goal rout. Gross’ second was one of his best in a Brighton shirt, teeing himself up by flicking the ball into the air and crashing a volley into the top corner from outside the box.

That the strike drew collective gasps from 30,000 people rather than cheers was telling of its quality. The highlight of a Gross masterclass against the Old Gold.

Double Gross Turn to bamboozle Fred

The Gross Turn has become a staple part of the Albion watching experience over Der Kaiser’s seven seasons as a Seagull.

Every opponent must have surely known it was coming and yet almost all were left totally bamboozled by it. A piece of skill worthy of a place in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum.

When Manchester United were thrashed 4-0 at the Amex in April 2022, we were treated to a particularly special sight. A Double Gross Turn leaving £42 million midfielder Fred in a dazed and confused state in front of the West Stand.

Gross had just committed the footballing crime of smashing a free kick straight into a one-man wall. One for the CV of former Brighton set piece coach Nick Stanley.

The ball came straight back to Gross. As Fred tried to close him down, Der Kaiser produced Gross Turn number one to head towards the North Stand followed by a huge “HOORAY” from the home crowd.

A couple of paces later and out came a second Gross Turn to get away from Fred again and head back towards the South Stand. Cue another “HOORAY”.

Fred by now looked like a dog chasing a balloon. Gross completed the humiliation with a backheel to release Marc Cucurella into acres of space down the left flank.

No this is…. pic.twitter.com/JmuLFQwMwS

— Gary (@garyeoinhand) May 7, 2022

All Fred could do was stand there, hands on hips like a bloke who has just been locked out his house by his wife. Glorious.

Pummelling Palace at the Amex

Gross assisted two of the four goals Brighton stuck past Crystal Palace when the Eagles were thrashed 4-1 at the Amex in February 2024.

His pinpoint corner was met by a towering Lewis Dunk header after just three minutes. It was one of only six goals from set pieces the Albion scored in the entire 2023-24 season.

When Palace then kicked off following Joao Pedro putting Brighton 2-0 ahead, Gross pressed relentlessly to win back possession straight from the restart.

30 seconds later, an quick exchange of passes from Pedro and Gross left a Palace defender on his arse with some mesmerising footwork.

Facundo Buonanotte was the beneficiary, Gross teeing up the teenager to sew up victory for the Albion with a little over 30 minutes played.

The self-proclaimed best fans in the world began streaming out of the away end whilst Gross and co celebrated. By full time, those Palace supporters who remained until the bitter end could be seen arguing with their own players.

Gross did that to them.

Gross brace bags Brighton first win at Old Trafford

There was something about playing Manchester United which brought out the best in Gross. None more so than when Brighton went to Old Trafford on the opening day of the 2022-23 campaign.

Erik ten Haag was in the home dugout for the first time. All eyes were on his shiny bonce and what was meant to be the start of a glorious new era at the Theatre of Dreams.

Gross though had not read the script. He tapped in a Danny Welbeck cross on 30 minutes. Nine later and Gross again put himself in the right place at the right time to tuck home the rebound after De Gea saved a Solly March shot.

It finished United 1-2 Brighton. Nine previous visits to Old Trafford had seen Brighton lose eight and draw one. Gross’ brace gave the Seagulls their first ever victory away against the Red Devils.

Brighton went onto secure an even better result 13 months later, winning 3-1 at Old Trafford. Gross scored the second via another high-quality finish.

Of all the other clubs in the Premier League, United will be the ones celebrating Gross moving to Dortmund the most.

Gross gets Brighton their first Premier League goal

Gross set himself on the road to Brighton legend status just four games into his Albion career with a history-making goal.

The Albion had one point from their first three top flight matches following promotion and were yet to score when West Bromwich Albion arrived in Sussex.

Gross struck just before half time when escaping the attentions of a couple of Baggies defenders to convert a low pass from March. In doing so, he became the first Brighton player to net in the Premier League.

Der Kasier doubled the advantage three minutes into the second half. He then delivered an inch perfect cross for Tomer Hemed to head in the third as the Albion ran out 3-1 winners.

Missing a penalty at West Brom

Okay, so maybe not Gross’ best moment in a Brighton shirt. But nothing quite summed up the Albion’s xG nightmare in 2020-21 under Graham Potter like missing two penalties in the space of an hour against soon-to-be-relegated West Brom.

And one of them taken by a German. You couldn’t make it up.