Saints kicks off gentle run of fixtures for Brighton… or does it?
When the 2024-25 Premier League fixtures were released, most Brighton fans winced at the start Fabian Hurzeler had been handed to life in England.
The opening 13 matches looked devilishly difficult. Manchester United, Spurs, Manchester City at the Amex. Arsenal, Chelsea, Newcastle United, Liverpool away.
A trip to Goodison Park where the Albion do not have the best record hardly screamed straightforward, nor a visit to Bournemouth. Two league wins in 30 years at the Vitality Stadium and all that.
Yet here we are, those 13 fixtures navigated. Brighton sit fifth in the table, two points off second spot and having lost only twice.
When people now refer to Hurzeler as The Youngest Permanent Manager in Premier League History, they do so out of admiration.
Rather than like in the summer, when it suggested Tony Bloom had lost his marbles by giving a 31-year-old the job.
Having come through that challenging set of fixtures, the rest of the world is now wondering where the Albion might sit in the standings after their next six matches.
Odds-on for a top six finish? Safely ensconced in the Champions League places? Liverpool’s nearest title challengers?
The Friday night visit of Southampton to the Amex starts a run of six games against clubs none of whom finished in the top eight last season.
Saints are currently rock bottom. Then comes a trip to ninth placed Fulham followed by relegation threatened Leicester City at the King Power.
Crystal Palace are having a hilariously bad campaign. They provide the fourth opposition of the run. West Ham United are next, enduring such a poor start that David Moyes is expecting a phone call any day now. Brentford round things off the day-after Boxing Day.
Me? I am absolutely terrified of the next six games. As I suspect most Brighton fans are. We all know the drill. The Albion beat the good teams but lose to the strugglers.
When this was put to followers of WAB on Twitter and Bluesky (come and say hello!), some responded “It will be different under Hurzeler.”
But will it? Already this season, the Albion have been held at home by Ipswich Town and Wolves. And to a slightly less disappointing extent given the season they are having so far, Nottingham Forest.
Brighton have not won a home game under Hurzeler you would expect them to. His three Premier League victories at the Amex have come against United, Spurs and City.
It makes the next six games a big test for Hurzeler and this Albion side. Arguably more so than those opening 13 matches.
Graham Potter never found a way to overcome opposition near the bottom of the table. Roberto De Zerbi won more of those types of matches than Glow Up but there were still all manner of disasters thrown in for good measure. Like losing 4-0 away at Luton Town.
If Hurzeler can do what his predecessors struggled with and lead Brighton to victories against teams towards the bottom, then it really might be time to get excited.
Beating City, United and Spurs is one thing. Combine those expected unexpected successes with points from the likes of Southampton, Leicester and – hehe – Palace, and the sky is the limit for the The Youngest Permanent Manager in Premier League History.
