Kashima Antlers 1-5 Brighton: 6 things learnt from Japan opener

Konnichiwa! Kashima Antlers 1-5 Brighton saw the Albion get their Kaoru Mitoma Tribute Tour of Japan off to the perfect start in hot and humid conditions at the National Stadium.

Now obviously, you should never get carried away by a pre-season friendly win against pretty poor J-League opponents. But Brighton under Fabian Hurzeler are clearly going to win the Premier League this season.

The Albion played fast, fluid football. Hurzeler made wholesale changes at half time, underlining the strength in depth the Seagulls have built with their transfer work so far this summer.

There was even a goal from a set piece. I know. I nearly fell off my chair when that happened too. We really are entering a brave new era.

Here are six things we learnt from Kashima Antlers 1-5 Brighton.

Brighton look electric down the flanks

The five Albion goals came from Yankubu Minteh, Jeremy Sarmiento, Yasin Ayari and a Amario Cozier-Duberry – all wide players other than Ayari.

That offers some indication as to Hurzeler’s approach. Width looks likely to be more important than ever before, presuming the new head coach sticks with a 3-4-3 featuring two wing backs and two wide forwards.

What should frighten the rest of the Premier League is the Albion players who were not on the scoresheet in Kashima Antlers 1-5 Brighton.

Kaoru Mitoma. Simon Adingra. Solly March. Ibrahim Osman. All wingers who also possess a goal threat. Throw in Pervis Estupinan and the ridiculously exciting Valentin Barco as attack-minded full backs and Brighton look electric down the flanks.

Yakubu Minteh is the real deal

If we shouldn’t be hailing Brighton as 2024-25 Premier League champions after a win against a Japanese outfit, then we certainly shouldn’t be predicting Minteh to win the Ballon d’Or in 2025 because he had a good game against the same opponents.

But Minteh is definitely going to win the Ballon d’Or in 2025. His goal was a thing of beauty, cutting in from the right flank beyond a series of startled Antlers before firing home.

It was easy to see why he was so highly rated at Newcastle United. And it was easy to see why the Albion were willing to break their transfer record to sign him.

The Saudi Sportswashers are going to regret sailing so close to the PSR-wind that they were forced to sell Minteh to balance the books.

Hurzeler’s holding midfielder in back three trick

One aspect of HurzelerBall which has caused fascination in terms of how it might work at Brighton is the use of a holding midfielder in the back three.

Many assumed Mats Wieffer has been bought for the role. With Wieffer not featuring against the Antlers, Hurzeler opted to give Carlos Baleba an opportunity.

There were times last season when Baleba would drop between Roberto De Zerbi’s two centre backs to become the deepest Brighton player. So he is not exactly unaccustomed to playing the part.

Could he fulfil it week in, week out in the Premier League? That remains to be seen. It was though an encouraging showing from a player just waiting to have his frightening amount of potential unlocked.

Look out for longer balls this season

When Hurzeler took the job, he spoke about admiring the way De Zerbi played but of stamping his own style on the Albion. One difference very noticeable in Kashima Antlers 1-5 Brighton was the number of long balls the Albion hit.

There was no so much “fannying about at the back” as one irate chap in the West Upper would eloquently put it during every Amex game under De Zerbi.

Brighton were instead content to move the ball much quicker. Particularly when going more direct through the middle.

During the first half, that meant Danny Welbeck dropping deep to receive possession. An Antlers defender would track Welbeck.

Dat Guy then laid the ball back into a midfielder, who would spray a pass into a wide area behind the Antlers defence for a winger to latch onto.

Minteh’s first goal came from such a passage of play. The Antlers had no answer to it.

Set piece party gets going… eventually

There had been an outpouring of joy over set piece coach Nick Stanley leaving the Albion for Norwich City 24 hours before Kashami Antlers 1-5 Brighton.

Supporters everywhere wondered if we might now see the Seagulls do something as radical as score from a corner in 2024-25.

The early signs were, however, not good. James Milner took the first corner of the game. He crashed it into the first man. Milner took the second corner of the game. He crashed it into the first man again.

At which point, asking Stanley to turn his car around from Norfolk and head back to Sussex looked a good option. A reverse Alex Pritchard, if you like.

But then Barco was entrusted with corner taking duties in the second half. Not only did he manage to beat the first man, but he didn’t just float it harmlessly towards the back post either – the other staple of the Stanley Era.

Five minutes after the interval and the result was a dangerous Barco delivery causing enough issues for Sarmiento to crash home a volley.

It had taken just 50 minutes of the first game Brighton played without Stanley for a goal to come from a set piece. Makes you think, as Matt Le Tissier says.

Just don’t let Milner take a corner ever again. Please.

Expect transfer outgoings before the window shuts

Not only did Hurzeler almost field two different XIs per half, but you could make a pretty tasty team out of those who did not feature at all.

Bart Verbruggen. Lewis Dunk. Igor. Billy Gilmour. Pascal Gross. Julio Enciso. Evan Ferguson. Deniz Undav. Wieffer. Estupinan. March.

Those February days when you wondered if you should take your boots to the Amex as you might get a game due to the threadbare squad seem a long way away now.

With only 25 senior professionals able to be named in a Premier League squad, expect Brighton to do some serious trimming between now and the summer transfer window slamming shut.