Brighton rise to third as Huerzeler’s faith is rewarded against Palace

Eight months after some Brighton & Hove Albion supporters called for Fabian Huerzeler to be dismissed following a home defeat by Crystal Palace, the 33-year-old has guided the Seagulls to third in the Premier League after a 5-0 victory over the same opponents.

The result completed a remarkable turnaround for the youngest manager in the English top flight. Brighton dismantled their south-coast rivals on Sunday, with Diego Gomez’s spectacular strike from the halfway line providing a memorable finish as the home crowd celebrated.

The emphatic win was in stark contrast to February’s 1-0 loss in the “M23 Derby”. That defeat left Brighton 14th in the table and prompted some fans to chant: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.”

The club resisted calls for a change, keeping faith with Huerzeler, who subsequently led Brighton to an eighth-place finish. Chair Tony Bloom then rewarded the German with a contract extension until 2029.

Brighton are now five points behind leaders Manchester City, having scored a league-high 23 goals in seven games. They have also kept five clean sheets and boast a goal difference of plus 18, which is six better than City’s.

“A few months ago [after losing to Palace] we were in a different place and I said I’d keep pushing to get another opportunity to beat them, so I’m happy we did it today,” Huerzeler told Sky Sports.

“It’s not a one-man show, so I credit my players and my staff. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it.”

Whereas Erling Haaland has scored eight of Manchester City’s goals to lead the Golden Boot race, Brighton have had 11 different scorers this season.

“If you look, they’re shared around a lot which is a massive help. We’ve got everyone chipping in and helping out the team,” Brighton defender Lewis Dunk told BBC Radio.

“If you look at our clean sheets, I think it’s the most we’ve ever had at this part of the season, so we’re buzzing with that as well.”

Brighton’s form has been built on intense pressing, which was also central to last month’s 3-0 win over champions Arsenal. That defeat was Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta’s first of the season and left him searching for answers.

The return of Pascal Gross has added further strength. The 35-year-old spent seven seasons at Brighton before rejoining the club earlier this year in search of regular first-team football.

Gross is Brighton’s joint-leading scorer with three goals and tops their assist chart with four. His free-kick led to an own goal after four minutes against Palace, opening the way for the hosts’ dominant performance.

Dunk rejected suggestions Brighton should already be considered title contenders, while Huerzeler said the squad must keep its expectations under control.

“For me, the most important thing is the things we can improve. It’s good to celebrate the win, but understand there is still space for improvement, especially for individual players,” he said.

“We have to keep going. We can’t be satisfied. We have to keep pushing, stay humble and understand why we are successful at the moment to keep pushing at that level.”