Brighton are having a great season. They are third in the Premier League table. Their latest win was a big 5-0 result against their rivals Crystal Palace.

Brighton’s great start

Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace FC - Premier League 2026/27

Coach Fabian Hurzeler’s team is fun to watch. They are the top scorers in the league.


  • They have scored 23 goals in only seven games.
  • They have won 5-0 two times and 4-0 one time.
  • They have only conceded five goals. This is the best defence in the league, equal with Arsenal.

This form should worry big clubs like Arsenal, Manchester City and Chelsea. If Brighton keep playing like this, they could be sure of a Champions League place.

The “polo mint” tactic

Hurzeler made a special plan that many teams find hard to stop. People call it the “polo mint” tactic.

When Brighton cannot send all their players forward, they drop into a 4-5-1 shape. They also leave the middle of the pitch empty. This makes a hole in the centre, like the hole in a polo mint.

A wide-angle broadcast view of a football match featuring a highlighted tactical area on the pitch.

This gives the other team a hard choice:


  • If they move forward, a five-against-five fight can open up.
  • If they stay back, Brighton find it easier to defend the attack.

Hurzeler’s style looks like a mix of Pep Guardiola and Johan Cruyff.

Four blue arrows point toward a cluster of players in the center circle during a football match.

The plan gives Brighton players the freedom to disturb the other team. Some teams try to stop it by sitting in a mid-block. When this happens, Hurzeler changes his plan. He asks midfielders like Pascal Gross and Diego Gomez to move to the centre and play as a box midfield. This gives the wide player more space to receive the ball.

Lewis Dunk is in control

A football match analysis showing the player named Dunk on the field, with a shaded trapezoid highlighting a specific tactical area.

Captain Lewis Dunk has been at Brighton since 2003. He has played six times for England. Hurzeler trusts him a lot, both in defence and in attack.

Infographic showing Lewis Dunk's 77 successful passes and 7 unsuccessful passes in Brighton's 5-0 win against Crystal Palace.

The centre-back sets the speed of the game when he has the ball. He also helps the team decide when to press. He keeps the pressing strong for 90 minutes, so his team-mates must know when to push forward and when to rest. This lets them choose their moments instead of pressing all the time.

Pascal Gross, the “rogue trader”

Pascal Gross player statistics including games played, minutes played, average minutes per game, passes per 90 minutes, passing accuracy, chances created, possession won, goals, assists, and win rate.

Pascal Gross is one of the most underrated players in the Premier League. He has played for Brighton in two different spells. He is the team’s tactical lieutenant. He is called the “rogue trader” because he has freedom to move all over the pitch.



  • 7 games played
  • 19 chances created
  • Won the ball back high up the pitch 14 times
  • 3 goals and 4 assists

A television broadcast frame of a football match with superimposed tactical graphics highlighting player positions, with the name Gross displayed over one player.

Other teams have not found a way to stop Gross, and Brighton are gaining from it