If Brighton and Hove Albion win their games in hand over Tottenham Hotspur, they go into fourth place.
It should be noted that Newcastle United would go ahead of both teams should they win their games in hand but would still only go as high as two points clear of Brighton. Either way, this represents serious progress for the Seagulls.
Is it time to dream for Brighton?
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Overcoming Midseason Adversity
Brighton was in fourth place when Graham Potter left for Chelsea six games in. Roberto Di Zerbi was appointed as his successor after spells with Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk. This led to many feeling that Brighton’s form may take a nosedive as a result.
After all, Di Zerbi’s CV was not exactly one to excite the fanbase. However, since he arrived, it has been a brilliant spell for the club.
After having already beaten Manchester United away from home in the opening game under Potter, they earned a draw against Liverpool at Anfield in Di Zerbi’s first game in charge. A 4-1 win against Chelsea on Potter’s return to the Amex Stadium and a 3-0 home win over Liverpool are just some of the highlights of Di Zerbi’s reign, and they are likely to make the FA Cup semi-final and take the trip to Wembley.
In a run that saw them knock out holders Liverpool 2-1, they face non-league Grimsby in the quarter-final this weekend, who have been the surprise of this year’s edition of the tournament. This is as favourable as it gets for a Premier League team, especially one as in form as Brighton. One of the other quarter-finals sees two Championship clubs Sheffield United and Blackburn Rovers. Should they draw the winner of this game in the semi-final, reaching their first cup final since 1983 is a distinct possibility.
With Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham out of the competition, the bookies have placed Brighton as the third favourite for the tournament, behind both Manchester clubs. They will not have many better chances to reach a final, provided they avoid City and United.
Their achievements so far this season have all come despite a midseason managerial change. To add to this, midfielder Enock Mwepu was forced to retire aged 24 for medical reasons and the club had to deal with the sale of Marc Cucurella in the summer and Leandro Trossard in January. As well as this, Moises Caicedo openly expressed his desire to leave before signing a new long-term deal. De Zerbi and his players deserve huge credit for the way they overcome so many challenges in one season.
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Once Again Finding Gems
Brighton has a brilliant knack to keep finding players when no one else does. Alexis Mac Allister was an unknown quantity when he arrived at the club and has got better each season. His nine goals in all competitions represent his best-ever season total. Local lad Solly March has also achieved his best goal tally for a season, with five.
The performances from Kaoru Mitoma have been a welcomed addition. He was signed in the summer of 2021 but was loaned out to Union Saint-Gilloise for the 2021/22 campaign.
He made his Brighton debut in August 2022 and has not looked back, with goals against league leaders Arsenal in the Premier League and Liverpool in the FA Cup. He has been on fire since his first goal on November 5th.
It has been a dream season for Brighton, arguably the best in the club’s history. Not only could they have their highest-ever Premier League finish, but the club also face the realistic prospect of playing a season in Europe. Whether it is Champions League, Europa League or Europa Conference League football, the fans will be queuing up in numbers to get tickets.
