Take a deep breath – things could get even better for Brighton in October

Time to take a deep breath. Go on – in, out, and relax. It is needed. The last three Brighton & Hove Albion games have been tense, frenetic, thrilling.

A lead against FA Cup holders Leicester City preserved with a little help from VAR. A last gasp goal (on the bounce) from a rejuvenated Neal Maupay at Selhurst Park as it finished Crystal Palace 1-1 Brighton.

Outclassing the multibillion pound Arsenal side, who were lucky to leave the Amex with a point rather than their tail between their legs.

I remember July when, digging deep into my very limited reserves of optimism, I put us somewhere around 12th as a final position, 10th if things went really well. And, with a long, long way to go till the season ends, we may well finish up there.

Barring an unprecedented collapse in form or spate of injuries beyond that we have already overcome, we will not be scrapping with the rest of the bottom five to avoid the drop. We have already secured five more points than we need to at this point in the season to be on schedule to survive.

I keep looking at that table in near disbelief. In the European qualifying positions in sixth, on the same points as the Manchester clubs City and United.

One point behind Jurgen Klopp’s all-conquering Liverpool. Two points off the top of the table. And this not from a couple of easy early season fixtures, but seven games and three months into the campaign.

Had we scored a winner from any one of our 21 chances against Arsenal, we would be second. Brighton & Hove Albion second in the Premier League. What is going on?

If we can beat strugglers Norwich City – and boost our goal difference at the same time with a healthy margin of victory – then we go into two of the hardest games of the season on at least equal terms with City and Liverpool.

With hopefully a fully-recovered squad featuring Yves Bissouma, Danny Welbeck, Tariq Lamptey, Adam Webster and Enock Mwepu as options alongside those that played so well against the Gunners, we ought to claim at least a point, possibly four, from those games.

After that, we should be in the top four having taken between five and and seven points from October’s fixtures. Included in that run will have been three of the ‘Big Six’.

It would then no longer be a question of a “good start to the season” or a “good run” when pundits analyse our position. Brighton would be firmly established as challengers for the top six places this season.

Teams like Brighton would be as thoroughly redundant a phrase as “you can trust Boris’s promises”. And if the table were to remain as tight as it is now into the spring, all bets would be off.

I am beginning to hyperventilate again. Pass me that paper bag. Breathe in, breathe out…