Sussex

Scott McCarthy
Fan writer

Image source, PA Media

Cast your mind back 12 months to the March 2025 international break. Brighton sat one point off fifth and with a winnable home FA Cup quarter-final against Nottingham Forest to play. Tony Bloom was interviewed at the Cheltenham Festival and said April and May represented potentially the biggest two months in Albion history.

Brighton lost on penalties to Forest in their first game back in action. The next four Premier League matches resulted in three defeats and a solitary draw against soon-to-be relegated Leicester City, rescued only by two Joao Pedro penalties.

That run of form returning from a two-week break dashed European dreams and hopes of Wembley. And it is not the only time it has happened under Fabian Hurzeler.

There was a three-match winless run in the Premier League in September 2024. Two months later, Brighton beat Bournemouth after the November break but then went eight games without another victory, including six draws.

This season, two successive wins after the November break were followed by a run of one league win in 13.

For whatever reason, Hurzeler and the Albion sometimes struggle to put together results when they have lost the momentum which comes through competitive football.

Which is somewhat of a concern given Brighton last kicked a ball three weeks ago thanks to the latest round of March internationals and no Premier League matches taking place on this season's FA Cup quarter-final weekend.

Four wins from five matches, with the only defeat in that sequence being a controversial reversal to champions elect Arsenal, has turned the Seagulls' campaign around from when Hurzeler was told by the home crowd he was getting sacked in the morning after the shambolic 1-0 loss to Crystal Palace.

A turnaround good enough to have sparked talk of Europe. But a top-eight finish will only happen if Hurzeler can stop Brighton turning to jelly after three weeks' inaction. The Albion can ill afford one victory from their remaining matches if Hurzeler is to secure an unlikely return to continental competition.

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Dale Johnson
Football issues correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The Premier League will have at least five teams in the Champions League next season after securing a European Performance Spot for the second straight year.

The extra place was confirmed on Tuesday as Arsenal beat Sporting 1-0 in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie.

Uefa awards an additional place to the two leagues with the best overall performance across the three European competitions.

The race for fifth place in the Premier League, currently held by Liverpool on 49 points, is exceptionally tight.

Just seven points separate Arne Slot's side from 13th-placed Bournemouth.

Chelsea (48) sit in sixth followed by Brentford (46), Everton (46), Fulham (44), Brighton (43), Sunderland (43), Newcastle (42) and Bournemouth (42).

If Aston Villa, who are fourth on 54 points, win the Europa League and finish outside the top four, the Premier League would have six teams in the Champions League.

The same logic applies to Liverpool, who face Paris St-Germain in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday.

If either win a European trophy and finish fifth, then sixth would qualify for the Champions League via the EPS place.

If both win European trophies and finish fifth and sixth, that would put seventh into the Champions League.

Nottingham Forest are in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. They could emulate Tottenham by winning the competition and finishing in the bottom half of the table.

Just like last season, that would create a sixth team in the Champions League for the Premier League too.

Image source, PA Media

On the latest episode of Albion Unlimited from BBC Radio Sussex, the panel discussed Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma's season so far.

Mitoma has been a vital figure in Brighton's success over previous seasons but has netted only twice for the Seagulls in the Premier League this term.

He did, however, score Japan's winner against England in the recent friendly at Wembley.

Johnny Cantor said: "I think in the past couple of games he's looked really fresh and I think that's partly because of the form of Yankuba Minteh, who has been playing in his position on the left. Maybe a bit of competition for places has given him a little bit of edge because he wants to get back into the side.

"He's coming to a bit of a crossroads. He's 29 in May so where does he go from here? Two goals and one assist in the Premier League is not what you want from a player who is so key in the way Brighton play.

"The way he started that goal [against England], he robbed possession initially in the build-up and was there to finish it, and we haven't seen enough of that.

"He is good defensively and he does do his defensive work, but I think there's more to come."

Cantor added: "Ferdi Kadioglu has been great, probably the most consistent Albion player this season, but he's different to Pervis Estupinan [at left-back] and maybe starting a new partnership has been a factor.

"Now that's coming to fruition and maybe in the final seven games he can go from strength to strength and recapture that form of last season."

Former Seagulls player Warren Aspinall added: "First of all the left-back situation before Christmas, he had so many different players with him. Then he got injured and he's not recovered fully, I don't think.

"Now he's got that understanding with Kadioglu, who is a natural left-back.

"It does take time to get over your injuries and that's testament to Brighton, they haven't just thrown him back in. Two more weeks off, a couple of half-games for Japan as well and he'll be champing at the bit for Saturday [at Burnley]."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

A new episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast is now available on BBC Sounds.

Robin Grey, Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall discuss Brighton's trip to Burnley, Jan Paul van Hecke's future at the club and Kaoru Mitoma's season so far.

Listen below by hitting the play button or head to BBC Sounds - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

Explore all Brighton content on BBC Sounds

Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up