Brighton have become one of the Premier League’s most difficult teams to contain, with Fabian Hürzeler developing an aggressive system built around pressing, constant movement and committing numbers forward.
That evolution is particularly striking given the talent Brighton have lost. Carlos Baleba, Jan Paul van Hecke, Danny Welbeck, João Pedro and Simon Adingra have all departed across the last two summers, yet the club have continued finding replacements.
Teenage striker Charalampos Kostoulas and returning midfielder Malick Yalcouyé are among those now benefiting from Brighton’s recruitment and development model, but their success is also being driven by a distinctive tactical approach.
Brighton press with remarkable commitment
The foundation is Brighton’s high press.
Hürzeler is prepared to send his midfield and attacking units forward together, restricting opponents attempting to build from defence and forcing them towards riskier passes.
Manchester United experienced that intensity in the Carabao Cup, while Arsenal encountered similar problems when attempting to escape Brighton’s pressure.
Rather than simply protecting specific areas, Brighton aggressively follow opponents. When Kai Havertz dropped away from Arsenal’s attack, for example, a centre-back was prepared to follow him and prevent an easy passing option.
It is demanding, but it can suffocate teams accustomed to having time during their build-up.
Movement makes Brighton difficult to track
Brighton become equally unpredictable when they have possession.
Pascal Groß operates with considerable freedom, appearing deep in build-up, centrally and around the final third. Ferdi Kadioglu can move into the attacking line, while Kostoulas is comfortable dropping deeper.
Those rotations force defenders into constant decisions over whether to follow their opponent or protect their position.
Against Arsenal, that movement created the space for Groß to score. Kostoulas dragged Ezri Konsa away, Yasin Ayari occupied Riccardo Calafiori and Groß exploited the space created by those movements.
Brighton are similarly aggressive against deeper defensive blocks. Their full-backs push forward to help form a front five, stretching the opposition across the pitch while still providing multiple runners into the penalty area.
That combination explains why Hürzeler’s side can trouble both possession-heavy opponents and teams prepared to defend deeper.
The long-term question is whether such an intense approach can survive a demanding schedule. For now, Brighton’s pressing and relentless movement are making them an unusually uncomfortable Premier League opponent.
Key points
- Brighton continue performing despite losing several important players over the last two summers.
- Hürzeler uses an aggressive high press involving midfielders and attackers.
- Brighton frequently follow opponents rather than simply protecting defensive zones.
- Groß’s freedom and constant positional rotations make their attacks difficult to track.
- Full-backs push high against deeper opponents, allowing Brighton to attack with five players across the frontline.
What’s next?
The major test will be sustaining this intensity as Brighton balance Premier League and European commitments.
Opponents will also increasingly study ways to bypass their press, meaning Hürzeler will need to keep evolving a system that has already caused serious problems for Manchester United and Arsenal.
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