Brighton & Hove Albion experienced one of the best seasons in their 122-year history as they secured their highest-ever Premier League finish and qualified for Europe for the first time in the 2022-23 campaign.
Despite a managerial change early in the season, the Seagulls went from strength to strength under the tutelage of Roberto De Zerbi whilst adopting an attractive brand of football lauded by the club's supporters and neutrals across the country.
The South Coast club triumphed on several occasions against clubs within the so-called Big Six this term, and they can now look forward to testing their mettle against some of the big boys on the European stage as they plan to compete in four competitions next season.
Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look back at Brighton & Hove Albion's memorable 2022-23 campaign.
SEASON OVERVIEW
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Final league position: 6th
EFL Cup: Fourth round
FA Cup: Semi-finals
Top scorer: Alexis Mac Allister (12)
Most assists: Pascal Gross (9)
Brighton were resigned to parting ways with two key players in the summer transfer window, with the early departure of Yves Bissouma to Tottenham Hotspur followed by the club-record £62m sale of Marc Cucurella, who eventually joined Chelsea after a drawn-out transfer battle with Manchester City; Neal Maupay was also allowed to seek pastures new and join Everton.
However, the Seagulls responded by recruiting left-back Pervis Estupinan, teenage forward Julio Enciso and midfielder Billy Gilmour, while defender Levi Colwill joined on a season-long loan deal from Chelsea.
Entering their fourth season under the management of Graham Potter, Brighton kick-started their campaign with an impressive 2-1 victory against Manchester United at Old Trafford, before picking up seven points from their next four games and comfortably beating Forest Green Rovers in the second round of the EFL Cup.
Brighton scored five goals in a Premier League game for the very first time when they smashed Leicester City 5-2 on home soil in early September, although that proved to be Potter's 134th and final match in charge of the Seagulls as he decided to end his successful spell at the Amex and take the reins of big spenders Chelsea, where he was eventually sacked after just seven months at Stamford Bridge.
Potter will be remembered for moulding a youthful Brighton squad into one of the most exciting teams in English football during his three-and-a-half year spell at the club. The man chosen to fill his shoes was former Sassuolo and Shakhtar Donetsk boss Roberto De Zerbi, a highly-rated, innovative coach who was owner Tony Bloom's number one choice to take the baton from Potter.
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De Zerbi initially struggled to hit the ground running as he failed to win any of his opening five fixtures in charge – his first match being a thrilling 3-3 draw at Liverpool in which Leandro Trossard scored a memorable hat-trick – but the Italian managed to get off the mark against none other than Potter's Chelsea courtesy of a thumping 4-1 home triumph at the end of October.
One player who has notably benefited from the arrival of De Zerbi is Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma, who scored his first Brighton goal in a 3-2 win at Wolves on November 5 before getting his name on the scoresheet again just four days later in an impressive 3-1 away victory over Arsenal in the EFL Cup third round. However, the Seagulls were eliminated in the fourth round to League One opposition in their first game after the World Cup break, losing on penalties to Charlton Athletic.
Brighton ended 2022 with a 4-2 home defeat against Arsenal on New Year's Eve and subsequently slipped to eighth in the Premier League table, but they managed to bounce back in emphatic fashion with four wins and one draw in five fixtures in January, scoring 16 goals in the process. Indeed, the Seagulls began the New Year with a 4-1 win at Everton before thrashing Middlesbrough 5-1 in the FA Cup third round, with substitute Alexis Mac Allister scoring a second-half brace on his return to first-team action after helping Argentina win the World Cup in Qatar.
Either side of Trossard's sour January exit to Arsenal, the Seagulls put Liverpool to the sword twice on home soil in two different competitions, with two-goal Solly March the star of the show in a comprehensive 3-0 Premier League victory, before Mitoma netted a dramatic 92nd-minute winner to help De Zerbi and co come from behind to beat the Reds 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round.
Amidst accumulating 11 points during a six-game Premier League run and maintaining their push for Europe, Brighton continued their journey in the FA Cup with wins over lower-league sides Stoke City and Grimsby Town, with a 5-0 thrashing of the latter booking their place at Wembley for a semi-final showdown with Man United.
Brighton's eight-game unbeaten away run in all competitions was brought to an end in controversial circumstances by Tottenham Hotspur in April, with VAR called into question after an unfortunate 2-1 defeat in North London, in which De Zerbi and Cristian Stellini were both sent off following a heated touchline bust-up.
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Thirteen days after Potter's dismissal by Chelsea, the Seagulls returned to winning ways with a 2-1 success over the West Londoners at Stamford Bridge, but De Zerbi's side were unable to come out on top in the FA Cup semi-finals as they suffered a heartbreaking exit on penalties against Man United, with Solly March missing the crucial spot kick in a 7-6 shootout defeat.
A much-rotated Brighton side thrashed Wolves 6-0 in their final Premier League game of April, before De Zerbi's empire managed to strike back against FA Cup villains Man United with a slender 1-0 top-flight victory on May 4, with the force certainly with Mac Allister as he directed a 99th-minute penalty into the top corner to help the Seagulls claim maximum points and climb into the top six.
For some time, Brighton had at least a couple of games in hand on their rivals challenging for the European places, and May proved to be a rollercoaster month for De Zerbi's side as their fortunes fluctuated in remarkable fashion, with a dominant 3-0 away triumph over title hopefuls Arsenal taking place in between heavy 5-1 and 4-1 losses to Everton and Newcastle United respectively.
Nevertheless, the Seagulls entered their penultimate home fixture of the season knowing that a victory over basement club Southampton would secure European football for the first time in the club's history, and despite a few shaky moments against the Saints, they recorded a 3-1 victory to guarantee a top-seven finish.
Brighton's 2-1 final-day defeat at Aston Villa proved inconsequential as they basked in the glory of consolidating sixth spot and booking their place in next season's Europa League after playing out a 1-1 home draw with Premier League champions Man City four days earlier, in which Julio Enciso scored a special long-range equaliser on a historic night in front of a jubilant Amex crowd.
PREMIER LEAGUE STATS
Wins: 18 (=6th)
Draws: 8 (=9th)
Losses: 12 (14th)
Goals scored: 72 (4th)
Goals conceded: 53 (=10th)
Yellow cards: 59 (=14th)
Red cards: 0 (=15th)
Passes: 21,271 (3rd)
Shots: 613 (1st)
Big chances missed: 69 (=3rd)
Saves: 85 (18th)
Tackles: 616 (=13th)
Own goals: 6 (1st)
Hit woodwork: 16 (=6th)
Clearances: 411 (19th)
HOW DID IT COMPARE TO LAST SEASON?
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Following four successive years of finishing mid-table, Brighton finally broke into the top half of the Premier League for the first time in 2021-22, finishing ninth, and they have now bettered that by securing sixth place this season – their highest-ever top-flight position.
The Seagulls have accumulated 11 points more this term (62) than they managed last year (51), while they have also made notable improvements at the Amex Stadium, winning twice as many home games (10) and picking up 12 points more compared with last season, although they claimed one point fewer on the road this time around.
Brighton had developed a reputation as a team who created numerous chances but ultimately lacked an end product in the final third. However, the arrival of De Zerbi has certainly changed that as they scored a mega 72 goals – the fourth most in the division – compared with just 42 netted last season. Although the Seagulls conceded 11 league goals more this term, they managed to keep 12 clean sheets compared with 11 shutouts in 2021-22.
After losing on penalties to Leicester City in the fourth round of the 2021-22 EFL Cup, Brighton were also condemned to a shootout defeat at the same stage in 2022-23, this time against Charlton Athletic. However, they fared much better in the FA Cup as they followed up last season's fourth-round elimination by progressing to the semi-finals at Wembley this term, albeit losing in heartbreaking fashion on penalties, again, against Man United after a goalless draw in 120 minutes.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON: MOISES CAICEDO
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There are plenty of contenders to be considered as Brighton's standout player this season, with the likes of Mac Allister, March, Mitoma, Gross and captain Lewis Dunk all elevating their games to new heights under De Zerbi.
However, one man whose contribution cannot go unnoticed is that of Moises Caicedo, one of two Seagulls stars along with Mac Allister to be nominated for the Premier League Young Player of the Season award.
While World Cup winner Mac Allister may be the club's top scorer this term, fellow midfielder Caicedo has been a key cog in De Zerbi's machine and has quickly developed into one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League, boasting all the attributes to thrive in that role.
At the age of just 21, Caicedo has an expert awareness of the game, and the energetic, combative midfielder is able to use his pace and strength to full effect when regaining possession in the middle of the pitch before picking out a teammate.
Caicedo made the second-most tackles (100) in the Premier League this season, while no Brighton player made more blocks (43) or more interceptions (64) than the Ecuador international, who played for a total of 3,140 minutes; only bettered at the Seagulls by Gross (3,245) and Dunk (3,239).
Brighton's No.25 has also shown his versatility towards the backend of this season, filling in a right-back on a number of occasions, with standout performances in 1-0 and 3-0 wins over Man United and Arsenal respectively earlier this month worth mentioning.
Caicedo has understandably caught the eye of a number of top European clubs, most notably Arsenal in January, and the Seagulls may have a tough task on their hands in keeping hold of their midfield lynchpin this summer.
STANDOUT RESULT: ARSENAL 0-3 BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION
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Brighton have done the double over Man United and Chelsea this season and have also beaten both Liverpool and Arsenal twice across two competitions, but the 3-0 Premier League away victory over the latter on May 14 is a result that stands out above the rest as one that typifies how far Brighton have come this season.
Arguably Brighton's best performance of the campaign took place at the Emirates Stadium as the Seagulls outclassed the Gunners in all departments to boost their European dreams and all but end the hosts' title hopes in the process.
Arsenal had lost only one of their previous 17 Premier League home games prior to the visit of Brighton, who followed up their 3-1 EFL Cup away win over the Gunners in November with another triumph in North London courtesy of strikes from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan.
One would have assumed that Brighton were the side challenging for the title with their dominant display at the Emirates, particularly in the second half as Enciso opened the scoring with a close-range header six minutes after the break.
Brighton turned the screw on the Gunners and added a second when they capitalised on a defensive mishap from none other than former Seagulls star Trossard, whose attempted flick from an Aaron Ramsdale goal kick was intercepted by Pascal Gross, before the German set up compatriot Undav to delicately lob Arsenal's No.1, sparking pandemonium in the away end.
De Zerbi was then sliding on his knees in celebration when Estupinan applied the coup de grace with a 96th-minute volley – his first goal for Brighton to wrap up a thoroughly deserved victory.
> Click here for a full list of Brighton & Hove Albion's results from the 2022-23 season
BEST MOMENT
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Kaoru Mitoma's stoppage time winner to knock out FA Cup holders Liverpool in the fourth round and Alexis Mac Allister's 99th-minute winning penalty against Man United in the Premier League were just two special moments among many Brighton celebrated this season.
However, the moment the Seagulls secured European qualification tops the lot considering few would have envisaged the South Coast club breaking into the top six and finishing above the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham at the start of the campaign.
A first-half brace from rising star Evan Ferguson and a second-half strike from Pascal Gross helped Brighton beat basement club Southampton 3-1 on May 21 to guarantee a top-seven finish in front of a party atmosphere at the Amex Stadium.
The Europa League anthem was then ringing out on the South Coast just three days later when the Seagulls secured the solitary point they needed in a 1-1 draw with champions Man City to secure sixth spot, courtesy of a stunning 25-yard strike from Julio Enciso that cancelled out an earlier opener from Phil Foden.
TOP PRIORITY FOR SUMMER
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Despite securing Europa League football for next season, Brighton are set to embark on an important summer transfer window in which their priority will be to try and keep hold of as many star players as possible, and that is easier said than done when Champions League clubs come knocking.
The Seagulls will only allow players to leave on their terms, though, and have proven in recent windows that they will not be bullied by the big boys into selling below their valuation of a particular star.
Both Caicedo and Mac Allister have been strongly linked with moves away from the Amex, with the midfield duo allegedly valued in excess of £70m each, while Robert Sanchez may decide to seek pastures new having fallen out of favour under De Zerbi. The long-term futures of Joel Veltman - out of contract this summer - Danny Welbeck and Adam Lallana are also uncertain, and potential exits for both Mitoma and Ferguson have been mooted, although appear less likely this summer.
With regards to possible incomings, De Zerbi has insisted that he is keen to build a squad capable of competing in four competitions next season, so bolstering a group that has suffered with injuries, particularly in the latter stages of this season, is a must for the Seagulls who have already agreed a deal to sign forward Joao Pedro from Watford for a club-record fee.
Keeping Chelsea loanee Levi Colwill, who has impressed in his first-ever top-flight campaign, is high on De Zerbi's agenda, but that will depend on whether he fits into the plans of Mauricio Pochettino, the incoming manager at Stamford Bridge.
Recruiting a new goalkeeper to compete with Jason Steele is sure to be on De Zerbi's shopping list should Sanchez depart the Amex, while the addition of a new left-back to provide competition for Estupinan, the club's only natural option in that position, could also be on the cards.
FINAL VERDICT
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Some would argue that Brighton's campaign had the potential to derail following the loss of Potter, but they ultimately enjoyed a stupendous season down on the South Coast, with the astute addition of De Zerbi a key factor behind their success.
The Italian deserves all the plaudits that come his way for implementing his philosophy so quickly and improving players individually, providing the platform for the likes of Mitoma and Ferguson to thrive in their breakthrough season, as well as admirably managing the situations around Trossard's exit and Caicedo's decision to stay midway through the campaign.
The future is bright for Brighton and it will be intriguing to see whether they can build on such a successful season and keep hold of key players as they endeavour to manage domestic duties with their European ventures for the first time in 2023-24.
Oliver Thomas
