Brighton’s win against Manchester United on Friday night was only their ninth in 36 matches this season but nonetheless enough to preserve their place in the Premier League. It came just in the nick of time.
The last time Chris Hughton’s team had won a game was two months ago when they beat Arsenal – becoming one of the many teams to inflict an away defeat on the Gunners in 2018.
The United win then put an end to a run of six league games without any kind of win.
A few months back it appeared Brighton might escape the scrap at the bottom of the table but defeats to Everton, Leicester and Huddersfield – combined with three draws elsewhere – saw them slide towards trouble.
Hughton would be cursed to go into his final three fixtures – against United, champions Manchester City and Champions League finalists Liverpool – needing something.
Next Match
When the fixtures appeared ahead of Brighton’s first top-flight campaign since 1983 Hughton must have been hoping that all his team’s hard work would be done by the time those final three games rolled around.
It didn’t work out like that and a win last week for Southampton just hinted at uncertain times for those teams clustered ahead of the Saints in the table.
And, realistically, any rational pundit might well have put Brighton down for zero points from their last three games given the calibre of opposition. But Hughton and these players have made it their season’s work to defy expectations.
Their first league win against Manchester United for more than 30 years was guaranteed with a second-half Pascal Gross goal and Brighton live to fight another day.
Getty Images
Although promoted automatically, many had written Hughton’s side off before a ball was kicked. The squad was chock-full of solid Championship performers but there were doubts externally over whether or not they could step up in class to Premier League level.
Hughton and his team made some shrewd additions with the likes of Gross, Mathew Ryan, Davy Propper, Jose Izquierdo and Ezequiel Schelotto coming in.
“I think we recruited really well in the summer,” Hughton told Goal at the recent Best of Africa Awards where he was given the Outstanding Management accolade.
“We not only brought in what I regarded as good players, we brought in good individuals as well. I think that gave us a platform to build on.”
But the nucleus of the usual starting XI all starred in the promotion campaign.
The back four stayed entirely intact with Bruno, Gaetan Bong, Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk all acquitting themselves well in the Premier League.
Dale Stephens and attackers Glenn Murray and Anthony Knockaert have also been impressive.
There is no big tactical secret that Hughton is keeping from anyone in order to oversee this success. Brighton’s place in the division owes plenty to good, old-fashioned hard work.
Getty
Their win against United was a case in point. It came with regimented defensive solidity from everyone, with even star winger Knockaert popping up in his own box to clear balls.
Through the invention and pace of the Frenchman however – and the vision and delivery of Gross – Brighton have plenty of attacking weapons at their disposal when they do break out of their defensive shape.
Hughton’s work was also recognised earlier this season when he won the February Manager of the Month award. In doing so, he became the first black manager to receive that prize.
That month Brighton put together victories against West Ham and Swansea; those six points proving very useful in the finishing stretch.
The award was richly merited by a diligent coach who has put in the hard yards. Now 59, Hughton spent close to 15 years as coach and then assistant at Tottenham, for whom he won two FA Cups and a Uefa Cup in the 1980s.
He finally broke out on his own at Newcastle as caretaker – steering them to promotion in 2010 and being dismissed in bitter circumstances with the club mid-table in the Premier League – before spells at Birmingham and Norwich.
Hughton is aware that those kinds of first-team opportunities are not always available to black and ethnic minority coaches and he is comfortable in his position as standard-bearer for coaches from those backgrounds.
“What we do have in our game in England is an imbalance,” he said. “There is a high percentage of black and ethnic players playing but a huge imbalance of those going into management.
“What we have seen certainly in recent years are great developments at grassroots level and academy level and under 23 level.
“But that step up into senior football, first-team football and jobs in other aspects of our game has been far more difficult.
“So in any way that I can help persuade, encourage or be any type of role model for somebody that wants to get into management then it’s something I’m very proud and honoured to do.”
Getty Images
When he took over Brighton in December 2014 they were one place above the Championship relegation places having won one of 18 games under Sami Hyypia.
“When I went into the club I was very definite about the way that I wanted to play and what I wanted from the team,” he said.
“But at that time what we had to do was we had to recruit well. When I first went in the priority was to just to make sure that we stayed in the league.”
He guided them to safety and the following season missed out on promotion to Middlesbrough by a margin of just two goals. It was the making of them.
“Probably the biggest plus for the group of players that we had was we missed out on promotion in my first full season and sometimes that can knock a squad,” he said. “I think it made them stronger and the way they’ve adapted to the Premier League has been outstanding.”
Brighton and Hughton regrouped and made a big assault on the top of what one of the toughest divisions in world football last time out. Hughton has exceeded expectations with Brighton every step of the way.
He now looks to the template further north at Burnley under Sean Dyche as a path to follow. Having been promoted – and surviving thereafter – Burnley are now among the best Premier League teams outside the top six.
“You’ve seen where they started and the confidence they now have and that is because of the stability that they’ve got there,” says Hughton.
“They’re comfortable in the division and they are winning games and players are playing at a better level than they have done. I think we’ve managed to do something like that at Brighton.”