Hurzeler named Premier League Manager of the Month
More history has been made by Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who becomes the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history to win a Manager of the Month award.
The 31-year-old beat Arne Slot of Liverpool, Manchester City’s Pep Guardiola and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta to the award.
Which is sure to go down well with those Gunners fans still crying into their pillows every night about the Albion taking a point at the Emirates Stadium two weeks ago.
Brighton 1-1 Arsenal was one of three seriously impressive results Hurzeler gathered as he went unbeaten through his first month in charge.
The Albion started the campaign with a commanding 3-0 victory at Everton, making a mockery of Stone Cold Sean Dyche’s formidable record against Brighton.
Goals from Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck and Simon Adingra secured the Seagulls only their third ever win at Goodison Park.
Next came the visit of Manchester United to the Amex. The youngest youngest permanent manager in Premier League history oversaw a 2-1 victory against the FA Cup holders courtesy of a 95th minute Joao Pedro goal.
Welbeck scoring via a slide tackle gave Brighton a first half lead. United came on strong after the break, equalising through Alejandro Garnacho.
But after weathering the storm, 31-year-old Hurzeler’s subs won the game for Brighton. Yasin Ayari, Julio Enciso and Simon Adingra were all involved in teeing up Pedro for that dramatic last-gap winner.
Although beating Crawley Rugby does not count towards Premier League Manager of the Month, the youngest permanent manager in Premier League League Cup history deserves credit for the way his Albion side scrummaged down against the Red Devils to win 2-0.
It was then onto Arsenal, where Brighton became the first side to score and take a point off the Gunners this season.
Declan Rice was a very silly boy in picking up a second yellow card just after half time. The Albion then played the perfect game against shorthanded opponents, levelling through Pedro to take a deserved point.
The last Brighton head coach to be named Premier League Manager of the Month was Chris Hughton back in February 2018.
Random fact – Hughton was 59 at the time, making him 28 years older than Hurzeler is now. Or to put it another way, old enough to be Hurzeler’s father.
There is of course a downside which comes with the 31-year-old being named Premier League Manager of the Month. Namely, the curse.
Everyone knows that as soon as a head coach wins the award, their team start losing. The announcement that Hughton was February 2018 Premier League Manager of the Month came on March 9th, five days after the Albion defeated Arsenal 2-1 at the Amex.
Brighton subsequently went on an eight game winless run. The Albion lost to Everton, Manchester United in the FA Cup, Leicester and Crystal Palace.
They drew with Huddersfield, Spurs and Burnley before ending the barren sequence with victory over United at the Amex.
Ipswich Town are currently a best priced 15/2 to win against Brighton this weekend. More realistic is the draw or Ipswich double chance at 2/1.
It appears a licence to print money. Unless Hurzeler can become the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history to avoid the Manager of the Month curse.
In which case the 31-year-old will be on the way to greatness. And aged only 31.
