Danny Welbeck, who will turn 34 next week, has experienced a rejuvenation under Fabian Huerzeler, scoring six league goals so far this season, matching his best tally in a Brighton shirt. —Reuters
When Fabian Huerzeler joined Brighton & Hove Albion for his first season in a European top-flight league, the manager aimed to 'challenge the establishment'. His words have proven true as several Premier League giants have fallen to his Seagulls. Currently, Brighton stands sixth in the league, well-positioned to qualify for Europe again, and is level on points with third-placed Chelsea under Huerzeler, the youngest permanent head coach in Premier League history.
Brighton achieved their best-ever season in 2022-23 under Roberto De Zerbi, finishing sixth and qualifying for Europe for the first time. Huerzeler, who led St Pauli back to the German top-flight after a 13-year absence, has seamlessly transitioned to the Premier League. He started the season by winning the Premier League Manager of the Month award in August, guiding his team to unbeaten runs and notable victories over Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, and even champions Manchester City.
Despite a historic win over Manchester City, Huerzeler remained modest, emphasizing that the victory only earned three points. He encouraged the club to take confidence from this result, believing they can compete with any team. Brighton's recruitment has been spot-on, and Huerzeler has effectively built upon the foundations laid by previous managers Graham Potter and De Zerbi. Experienced players like Danny Welbeck and James Milner have embraced Huerzeler's philosophy, with Milner comparing it to Juergen Klopp's style at Liverpool.
Welbeck, turning 34 next week, has found new vigor under Huerzeler, scoring six league goals to match his best season tally in a Brighton shirt. Twelve players have scored so far, a league-high. Brazilian forward Joao Pedro has shown potential with three goals in three starts, while 20-year-old Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba has stepped up after Moises Caicedo's departure to Chelsea.
Huerzeler has been supported by the Brighton board, who invested around £194 million to sign players like Georginio Rutter, Yankuba Minteh, Mats Wieffer, Ferdi Kadioglu, and Matt O'Riley. After navigating a challenging set of fixtures, Brighton now has the chance to climb higher in the table with six of their next seven games against bottom-half teams.
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