Is the top half a realistic aim for Brighton?
The start of the new Premier League season has been very kind to Brighton and, as of October 21, they find themselves in the top four positions.
Of course, no one realistically expects them to stay there, but being above Manchester United, Tottenham, Arsenal and Leicester, shows just how impressive their start has been.
“BHAFC v DRFC npower Championship 6/8/11” (CC BY 2.0) by jamesboyes
But where do things stand with a long term objective? Somewhere to aim for at the end of the season. Sights should be a little lower than where the club currently stands, but is a top half finish a realistic aim for this football club?
At the start of the season, although Brighton weren’t amongst the favourites for relegation, they were expected to finish in the bottom half.
Those odds have flipped, as of October 21, those betting on football can get odds of 4/6 for Brighton to finish inside the top 10. They still have plenty to prove, but if the club continues to go in the same direction, those odds are only going to shorten further.
The Ability to Pick Up Points
One real positive we have seen so far from Brighton is their ability to pick up points. From their first eight Premier League games, the club have taken points in seven of them, with just one defeat, a home loss to Everton.
This is a real testament to how well they have played, grinding out draws from games they were not able to win, but most of all, making sure they left with something.
Four wins and three draws have come in this time, with the draws coming in two away games and at home to Arsenal. In times gone by, those games would not have all resulted in draws; there would have been at least one of them that ended in defeat for Brighton.
The best of the action from tonight's draw against Brighton#BHAARS | Match highlights pic.twitter.com/rEAzGBoE1T
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 2, 2021
Teams who get relegated from the Premier League are those who fail to pick up points on a regular basis. Brighton aren’t near the relegation zone, but their ability to do the opposite and pick up points, is helping them maintain a strong league position.
Defensive Strength
Another big positive from Brighton so far this season has been their ability to keep goals out of the net. In their opening eight games, they have conceded just five goals, and kept four clean sheets in the process.
Only one team has scored twice past Brighton so far, which was when the team lost 2-0 against Everton, their only defeat.
Again, this is the type of form and showing that will ensure this team remains in a strong position, providing their defensive play stays this way. Brighton are not free scoring, and haven’t been for some years, but they don’t need to be if they continue to defend like this.
The club have score just eight goals, which averages out at one per game, but that has still been enough for them to get into the top four, a sign of how strong their defensive play has been.
