Sink Southampton and Brighton sail into the Europa League

Now we know where we stand. Brentford beating Spurs and Liverpool drawing against Aston Villa on Saturday means three points for Brighton against Southampton at the Amex will guarantee Europa League football for the first time in Albion history.

How do such occasions make you feel? Nervous? Worried? Sick? Excited? Do you recall moments like the 2004 playoff final when Brighton got the job done against Bristol City at the Millennium Stadium?

Or are you more likely to use the Championship playoffs against Crystal Palace as your reference point for a must-win game involving the Seagulls?

This is not must-win, of course. For all the emphasis now being placed on the visit of the Saints, three points from three matches will do it.

The Seagulls can lose to Southampton and as long as they then beat one of Manchester City or Aston Villa, all our passports will still be getting new stamps throughout the autumn – providing Villa do not overturn a goal difference of 14.

Brighton have been involved in their fair share of cock ups though the years, but surely that sort of gargantuan swing is beyond even the Albion.

City and Erling Haaland already being crowned champions ahead of their Wednesday night visit – when they will have one eye on upcoming FA Cup and Champions League finals – should help protect Brighton’s goals against column.

Goal difference will therefore not be a problem. But what of securing that one win from three attempts? On the subject of cock ups, one of the most spectacular the Albion have managed came when this exact scenario last played out, including a final fixture away at Villa Park.

Brighton needed three points from matches against Norwich City, Bristol City and Villa to secure the Championship title in 2016-17.

Cue two David Stockdale own goals in defeat against the Canaries. Relegation threatened Bristol City won 1-0 at the Amex.

And a last minute Jack Grealish shot squirmed though the legs of Stockdale as it finished 1-1 at Villa, handing Newcastle United the trophy.

In defence of Chris Hughton’s promotion winning squad, there were mitigating circumstances six years ago. Namely, the players went on an almighty piss up after beating Wigan Athletic and spent the next three weeks suffering the effects of one too many alcoholic beverages.

It seems unlikely that the Class of 2023 are going to rock up at the Amex for Brighton against Southampton still drunk from the night before.

Since the Premier League returned from the winter break, Roberto De Zerbi has had one focus – Europe. He has not been afraid to publicly state that a top seven finish was the Albion’s aim.

Everything has been building towards the moment. As Tony Blair once said: “Today is not a day for soundbites, but I feel the hand of history upon our shoulder.”

History. Three times already that word has been used. A little bit of uncomfortable history is that Brighton have only beaten Southampton twice at home in their previous 20 attempts stretching back 65 years to 1957.

Something happens to the Saints when they cross the Hampshire/Sussex border which makes them almost unbeatable. That is what De Zerbi and the Albion have to overcome.

Brighton though and their charismatic Italian head coach have become rather good at ending such hoodoos that this season.

A first win at home to Chelsea, a first win away at Chelsea, a first home league win over Liverpool in 60 years. The Albion care little about what their predecessors could or could not do. It is what makes this fearless, young group so exciting.

Brighton have not had a better chance to improve their barren record against Southampton than this Sunday afternoon at the Amex, either.

The Saints are already relegated and have rattled through three managers in the past 12 months. A fourth is reportedly on his way, with Sussex native Russell Martin ready to leave Swansea City and replace Ruben Selles to spearhead the Southampton’s challenge for an immediate return to the Premier League.

With nothing left to play for, Selles has said he may give several academy players the opportunity start at the Amex.

The names being most strongly linked with involvement are Dom Ballard, Kami Doyle and Sam Amo-Ameyaw. All are members of Southampton Under 18s squad who reached the semi finals of the FA Youth Cup and all have been training with the first team in recent weeks.

Brighton at full strength should be good enough to beat a first choice Saints side, let alone one possibly featuring three teenagers plus other rookies from Southampton’s Premier League 2 Division Two winning side.

And this will be Brighton at full strength, or as full strength as they can be with a lengthy injury list. Alexis Mac Allister, Julio Enciso and Evan Ferguson will all surely come in having been rested for Thursday night’s 4-1 thrashing at Newcastle.

De Zerbi took some criticism for his selection against the Saudi Sportswashers, just as he had when resting players in the even more chastening 5-1 home hammering to Everton.

Brighton bounced back from their sticky evening with the Toffees by putting one of the final nails in the title hopes of Arsenal via a glorious 3-0 success at the Emirates last Sunday. Suddenly, the Everton selection looked like a stroke of genius.

The same revisionism will be applied to De Zerbi’s weakened XI at St James’ Park if putting all his eggs in a beating Southampton basket pays off and Brighton overcome the Saints, securing European football in the process.

26 years ago, the end of the season saw Brighton homeless, broke and surviving relegation out of the Football League by drawing 1-1 at Hereford United.

22 years ago, the Albion beat Chesterfield 1-0 to become champions of the fourth tier playing in a rented athletics stadium with no roof.

14 years ago, it was a last day escape from relegation out of League One by overcoming Stockport County 1-0. The greatest of great escapes masterminded by Russell Slade.

12 years ago, Gus Poyet led Brighton to the League One title in the final campaign at Withdean. Victory at Walsall secured the silverware with four games still to play.

Promotion to the Premier League followed six years ago. Many thought the scenes of celebration at the Amex that greeted Brighton’s win over Wigan on Easter Monday 2017 would never be topped. But nobody back then would have seriously considered European football a realistic proposition.

Now it is. The final week of the 2022-23 campaign sees the Albion on the cusp of the Europa League. What a journey so far, with more history (that word again) 90 minutes away.