What should Brighton fans look out for in the next match?

It’s a good time to be a Brighton & Hove Albion fan as the club continues their push for European football in the Premier League.

Many questions were asked of the Seagulls following the departure of the hugely popular manager Roberto De Zerbi in the summer of 2024, but now, under the leadership of Fabian Hürzeler, life is anything but blue at Sussex by the sea.

With a 2-1 win over 4-in-a-row Premier League champions Manchester City still causing a sensation, what can Brighton fans expect from their next match following the international break?

Hürzeler’s tactical approach

Over the past few years, Brighton fans have become no stranger to the swashbuckling, possession-based football brought to the club by Roberto De Zerbi, but Fabian Hürzeler looks to be taking it to the next level.

Brighton have become one of the most exciting sides to watch in the Premier League – but what will Hürzeler have up his sleeve when the team take on Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth?

Possession and high press – After 11 games of the 2024/25 season, Brighton sits sixth in the table for possession, proving Hürzeler’s side is more than capable of keeping the ball when required.

With almost three-quarters of the team’s passes in the final third finding their man, the Seagulls are a potent threat when going forward.

Danny Welbeck has led the line well this season for Brighton, but the work of Dutch centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke – who has carried the ball almost as much as big hitters such as Dias and Kovačić at City – can’t be overlooked as Hürzeler looks to turn defence into attack in a heartbeat.

Positioning and fluidity – Something else that has Brighton fans drooling is the team’s fluid attacking style.

That doesn’t mean it’s a hell-for-leather attacking overload at the Amex, but rather that Hürzeler has his team well drilled at where exactly they need to be on the pitch.

The result is a formation that shifts effortlessly from a 4-2-4 to a 4-3-3 to a 4-1-4-1, depending on the opposition and state of the match.

It’s this relentless pursuit of tactical perfection and well-rehearsed operation that has seen Brighton defeat Man United, Newcastle and Man City while also taking points off Arsenal.

The impact of new signings

Jan Paul van Hecke is not a new face at the Amex but his step up to the first team is not before time. As already mentioned, his carrying skills from the back are up there with the best that the Premier League has to offer and he’s not alone in giving the Seagulls the edge this season.

All eyes were on Georginio Rutter and Yankuba Minteh when they arrived at Brighton in the summer, thanks to the hefty transfer fees involved.

While they’ve held their own in some respects, these are clearly two signings for the future as the club looks to create another revolution on the south coast.

One signing that is very much for the present is Matt O’Riley, who joined the club from Celtic in the summer of 2024.

A nasty injury that required ankle surgery kept O’Riley out of action until he made his Premier League debut against the champions, scoring the winning goal to condemn them to their fourth defeat in a row.

O’Riley set the heather on fire in Scotland, and many believe now that he’s back to full fitness, the Danish international will be taking the English Premier League by storm as well.

Set pieces and defensive organisation

Brighton have only conceded two goals from set pieces this season but face a team in Bournemouth who are creating a slightly increased xG compared to the Seagulls when it comes to set pieces.

Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson have scored over half of Bournemouth’s league goals between them, so they will need to be the focus of attention from Hürzeler’s back line.

Evanilson, in particular, is finally proving to be a worthy replacement for Dominic Solanke, as he has now notched three goals in three games for The Cherries.

A win for Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium would move them a point behind Brighton and throw them into a very congested top half that sees seven teams separated by just one point.

How fans are engaging with the match

On the pitch, things might have settled into a successful rhythm for Albion, but the evolution of football continues at pace for fans.

For many supporters, nothing can beat getting down to the Amex to take in the game live, and an away fixture at Bournemouth provides fans with one of the shortest away days of the season.

The modern game also means modern traditions. Many supporters follow the comings and goings of Brighton and the Premier League as a whole through streaming services and social media, while a lot of fans add to the fun of matchday by checking out betting sites before kick-off.

While a small wager on the outcome or on who’ll score first enhances the day for many fans these days, that fun should never take away from the enjoyment of the match.

Those looking for more varied entertainment after the end of 90 minutes might try some of the top 20 slots UK, where the fast-paced fun, reminiscent of watching Mitoma dancing down the wing, is available at fan’s fingertips – that is if they’re not chewing their fingernails off as another VAR decision goes awry or injury time heads into double digits again.

For many younger fans, TikTok has become the platform of choice as opinions are shared, rivals are put in their place and the debate on the day’s action carries on long after the referee has called time on the match.

What to expect from Bournemouth?

Bournemouth’s rise to Premier League success has mirrored Brighton’s in many ways as the south coast comes into its own as a place for serious football.

Andoni Iraola has clearly stamped his identity onto The Cherries, and it’s his philosophy that put Arsenal to the sword and put an end to Man City’s unbeaten 32-game Premier League streak earlier this season.

Inconsistency has blighted Bournemouth’s season, as the win over City was followed by a loss to Brentford where The Cherries conceded three times.

Iraola’s side have only lost once at home this season – via a late goal to Chelsea in September – and the small, compact nature of the Vitality means Brighton will have to be at their best to leave Dorset with three points.

While Bournemouth are next on the horizon, that match kicks off a run of games against teams below Albion in the league.

Another all-south coast affair sees Southampton visit the Amex live on Sky on Friday, 29 November, before Albion contends with Fulham and Leicester away.

Then comes the visit of Crystal Palace, who are toiling in the relegation places, having won just one game all season.

A trip to London for West Ham awaits before The Seagulls round out 2024 with games against Brentford and Aston Villa. 24 points out of 24 would be a nice way to take Albion to the halfway point of the season.