What tactical tweaks have we seen from Albion so far this season?

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Albion have made a terrific start to the new Premier League campaign.

Liam Tharme

Albion Analytics

2026-10-06T06:00+01:00

Fabian Hurzeler won the September Manager of the Month award after his team claimed wins over Coventry and Arsenal, as well as a point against Leeds. 📸 by Paul Hazlewood.

Albion Analytics have reviewed the tactical tweaks that we've seen from Fabian Hurzeler's team after the opening five games of the new Premier League season.

A statement victory over defending Premier League champions Arsenal, with Albion 3-0 winners at the Amex, made it five wins from eight matches across all competitions for Brighton.

It’s the third straight campaign in which they have beaten the previous seasons champions at home, including wins by a 2-1 scoreline over Liverpool in March and Manchester City in November 2024, and reaffirms Brighton’s credentials at taking points off the league’s best sides.

A return of ten points (three wins, one draw, one loss) is Albion’s most at this stage of a Premier League season since they won the opening four matches in 2023/24, meanwhile the 16 goals Hurzeler’s side have netted is the most by any team after five rounds for four years — going all the way back to Manchester City scoring 19 times before matchday five in 2022/23, a season that ended with them completing the treble.

There are positive underlying numbers, beyond Brighton’s goal output, which reflect impressive performances. They are averaging the highest possession (64.3%) and have the most big chances (22, scoring nine) in addition to the best expected goals tally (11.48) in the division. Those numbers mean that Brighton’s attack has shown a level of clinical finishing that may be hard to sustain, though they are creating the highest quality opportunities.

Nine different players have netted for Hurzeler this year, six of whom are under the age of 24, both being the highest numbers in the league.

Chema Andres marked his full Premier League debut with our third goal against Arsenal. 📸 by Paul Hazlewood.

There is also the positive trend of the set-piece output. Last season Brighton bagged nine Premier League goals from corners, an improvement from six in Hurzeler’s debut year, and they are already on three in 2026/27, the most so far of any team — summer signings Chema Andres and Luka Vuskovic have both headed in back-post inswingers from Pascal Gross.

Perhaps more impressive than the attacking output is what Brighton have kept out at the other end.

In the win over Arsenal they became just the seventh team since August 2024 to keep a Premier League clean sheet against Mikel Arteta’s men, with that the fifth shutout for Brighton in eight matches this term — it took them twice as many games to reach that same threshold a year ago.

Intensity levels: 💯 against Arsenal! 💪 pic.twitter.com/uM8Gsh4qJF
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@BHAFC) September 22, 2026

There is an intensity to their pressing and out-of-possession play which has been building over Hurzeler’s two full seasons. Brighton lead the Premier League for final-third regains (36, with Bournemouth second on 28) and made nine of those in the Arsenal win, the highest number anyone has recorded against them since Liverpool in late 2023 (also nine).

Hurzeler often talks about the “foundation” and “roots” of this team being in its intensity and effectiveness at keeping teams out, with Brighton putting up the third-best defence numbers last season.

There is work to be done in being more watertight. Brighton staged a remarkable comeback at Old Trafford, becoming the first team to win there from 2-0 down for 42 years, though conceding twice inside the first 10 minutes is something the coaching staff will not want to repeat.

Their capacity to recover from losing positions is strong, with 39 points earned in matches in which Brighton have gone behind under Hurzeler, ranking as the second-most in the division, behind Aston Villa’s 41, over the same period. That was demonstrated when they fought back from 3-0 down on 32 minutes away to Chelsea at the end of August, eventually losing the match 4-3.

All of this has been achieved as Hurzeler and his staff deal with injuries across the pitch to first-choice players: Pascal Struijk replaced injured club captain Lewis Dunk for the Arsenal win, with the Dutchman and Vuskovic winning 12 of 20 duels combined, in addition to ten clearances and ten recoveries.

Luka Vuskovic and Pascal Struijk were imperious in the air against the Gunners. 📸 by BHAFC.

Likewise, Maxim de Cupyer has adjusted quickly from being a full-back to left-winger in the place of Japan international Kaoru Mitoma. The Belgium international’s pace is an important tool to make the high pressing style work. He and fellow wide man Diego Gomez are the top two Brighton players for tackles (eight and 13 respectively), while Gomez has engaged in 71 duels, the fourth-highest in the entire league.

There should also be a mention for Pascal Gross, who is tied with Joao Pedro for the most Premier League goals plus assists (6) and tops the charts for chances created (15). The Germany international covered more distance than anyone in the victory over Arsenal, showcasing the blend of physical quality and technical capability that defines Brighton right now.