Brighton climb to third after five-goal win over Palace

Brighton & Hove Albion climbed to third in the Premier League with a 5-0 home win over Crystal Palace on Sunday, underlining how far they have come since some fans called for manager Fabian Huerzeler to be sacked after a defeat to the same opponents in February.

The victory left Brighton five points behind leaders Manchester City after seven games. Diego Gomez capped the rout with a strike from the halfway line, while a Pascal Gross free kick had forced a fourth-minute own goal to put the hosts ahead.

A sharp change from February

February’s 1-0 home defeat to Palace left Brighton in 14th place, with some supporters chanting, “You’re getting sacked in the morning.” The club kept faith with Huerzeler, who guided them to an eighth-placed finish and was subsequently given a contract extension until 2029 by chairman Tony Bloom.

“A few months ago (after losing to Palace) we were in a different place and I said I’d keep pushing to get another opportunity to beat them, so I’m happy we did it today,” Huerzeler told Sky Sports. “It’s not a one-man show, so I credit my players and my staff. Hopefully everyone enjoyed it.”

The 33-year-old is the youngest manager in the Premier League. His side have scored a league-leading 23 goals this season, with 11 different players finding the net, and have recorded five clean sheets and a goal difference of plus 18.

Goals spread across the side

Brighton defender Lewis Dunk pointed to the range of scorers as a strength. “If you look, they’re shared around a lot which is a massive help. We’ve got everyone chipping in and helping out the team,” he told BBC Radio.

Gross has also made an impact since returning to Brighton earlier this year after previously spending seven seasons at the club. He is the team’s joint-top scorer with three goals and leads Brighton with four assists.

Relentless pressing has been central to Brighton’s start to the campaign. It was also a feature of their 3-0 win over champions Arsenal last month, which handed Mikel Arteta’s side their first defeat of the season.

Focus stays on improvement

Despite Brighton’s position, Dunk declined to discuss a title challenge so early in the season. Huerzeler likewise urged the team to focus on areas they can improve.

“We have to keep going. We can’t be satisfied. We have to keep pushing, stay humble and understand why we are successful at the moment to keep pushing at that level,” he said.