Brighton are 'challenging establishment' - but how good can it get?

Almost 30 years ago Brighton were on the brink of oblivion.

Now, the club are on a different planet from that which survived a catastrophic relegation to the non-league on the final day in 1997.

Since promotion to the top flight in 2017, the Seagulls have become a Premier League staple and now, under Fabian Hurzeler, are showing there is no limit to their ambitions.

Saturday's 2-1 win at Bournemouth leaves them fifth in the Premier League and just a point behind second-placed Manchester City.

Hurzeler has already made no secret of his hunger to succeed, stating at his first news conference after his summer appointment that he wanted them to "challenge the establishment".

Brighton have already experienced European football, following the sixth-place finish achieved under Roberto de Zerbi in 2022/23, but can they now dream of being Champions League contenders?

Hurzeler said: "There is no surprise, there is a belief in the process and a belief in the potential the guys have.

"It is important to stay humble and grounded and important not to talk about expectations. We have a vision where we want to go but it is so important not to look too far forward."

Hurzeler was not a well-known name when Brighton chose him to succeed De Zerbi as manager.

He spent last season managing in Germany's second division, winning the title and guiding St Pauli back to the Bundesliga for the first time in 13 years.

Despite his success, there was still scepticism around the 31-year-old, who became the youngest ever full-time boss of a Premier League team.

"The appointment itself was incredibly brave," the New York Times' chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith said on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

Hurzeler has enjoyed a better start to a Premier League campaign than any of his predecessors.

The German manager is five points better off than De Zerbi was after his first 12 league games.

"He needed a good start. It would've been difficult for him if Brighton had got off to a rocky start and there would've been questions around the club about whether he was too inexperienced," Smith added.

"He wasn't like De Zerbi. De Zerbi had managed in the Champions League, he had Serie A experience. Hurzeler hadn't and was unusually young. But the way he's taken to it has been remarkable."

Brighton have been busy in the transfer market in recent years, but they were known for selling players - like Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister - for big money rather than splashing out the cash.

But the club chose to back their new manager in the summer transfer window and Brighton, surprisingly, had the highest net spend in the Premier League - £153.6m from an outlay of £195.7m.

They paid a club-record £39.9m for Leeds' Georginio Rutter, £29.9m for Newcastle's Yankuba Minteh, and more than £25m for each of Ferdi Kadioglu, Brajan Gruda, Mats Wieffer and Ibrahim Osman.

"[Brighton] and Manchester United spent more than any other team in Europe, which is a big commitment for Brighton," Smith said.

"Most of it spent on young talent from unusual places. Brighton have a courage in the way that they work, but also they have a certainty."

When Brighton signed Danny Welbeck on a free transfer in October 2020, it had the look of a panic signing.

But four years on, the former England striker, who turns 34 on 26 November, has made the best start to a season of his career, with six goals in the first nine matches.

He has already scored more goals than the five he managed in 29 league appearances last season, while one more will see him become the club's joint record goalscorer in the Premier League alongside Pascal Gross.

Brighton have also been boosted by the recent return of Joao Pedro.

The Brazilian has wasted no time in getting up to speed for the Seagulls, scoring twice and making two assists in his first two appearances since recovering from an ankle injury.

However, it isn't only Welbeck and Pedro that Brighton are relying on. The club have had 11 goalscorers this season - more than any other Premier League team.

The club's latest hidden gem is midfielder Carlos Baleba, who joined Brighton for £26m in the summer of 2023 aged 19.

The signing - just a fortnight after Caicedo's British record £115m Chelsea transfer - certainly raised a few eyebrows, having played just 21 times in Ligue 1 for Lille.

He has become a key man this season, despite Saturday's harsh red card, ranking fourth for possession won (7.2) and fifth for interceptions (2.1) per 90, for players who have played more than 10 Premier League matches this season,

BBC Sport's chief football news reporter Simon Stone:

When Fabian Hurzeler was announced as Brighton manager to succeed Roberto De Zerbi there was almost a nod of acceptance.

For if any Premier League club was brave enough to choose a promising, but untested at the highest level, 31-year-old to guide them into a new era, it was the men from the Amex.

Hurzeler is Brighton's third managerial appointment since Chris Hughton was sacked. Yet they have transitioned out of the Graham Potter and De Zerbi eras with barely a misstep.

Dan Ashworth is now on to his second technical director job since he quit, but with David Weir now in the role Brighton have kept moving on.

Their model is exceptional. They identified Moises Caicedo as a player of huge promise when no-one knew who he was.

In owner Tony Bloom and chief executive Paul Barber, Brighton have a small and nimble leadership.

Rivals may copy the model. But as long as that pair remain in charge, Brighton are likely to stay ahead of the game.

Brighton were dealt a difficult start to the season and they have already played the four teams above them in the Premier League.

Their next run of fixtures appears easier on paper, with four of their next five games against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Brighton's best Premier League finish was two seasons ago when they finished sixth to qualify for the Europa League, and Opta's expected points model predicts the club will end up in sixth again.

Opta's model suggests Brighton will miss out on the Champions League places, with a 14.1% chance of claiming a top-four finish.

But, with just five points separating the top five and a possible five places available in the Champions League next season, why not Brighton?

Former England striker Alan Shearer told BBC Match of the Day: "Pedro was superb on Saturday. The understanding of their forwards is outstanding.

"That could edge it for Brighton, the talent they have in forward positions makes them a real threat to the teams at the top of the league."