Brighton & Hove Albion

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport senior journalist

Brighton & Hove Albion's first win in seven games last weekend, at the expense of Brentford, has given them a seven-point cushion over relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest. Albion last won consecutive games in November, when they beat Brentford and then Forest in the reverse fixtures.

Experience pays off

Those back-to-back victories three months ago put Brighton fifth in the table, just three points shy of Manchester City in second. They earned only their second win in 14 attempts since then with a surprise but deserved win at in-form Brentford, doing so with their oldest starting XI since September 2023.

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler, who turned 33 on Thursday, seemingly put faith in the adage 'with age comes wisdom' in a bid to end Albion's slump. Four players aged 34 or older formed the spine of a team with an average age of 28 years and 356 days, and Hurzeler admitted: "The only difference today was… we managed the key moments better. We had a lot of experienced players on the pitch who know how to do that."

It's a significant shift in approach from Hurzeler. The average age of the team across 2025-26 has been considerably lower at 26 years and four days, while last season's average of 25 years and 100 days was the second youngest in the division, behind Chelsea.

Welbeck nears career milestone

One of Brighton's most experienced players, Danny Welbeck, scored his first league goal of 2026 to double the team's lead at Brentford.

The 35-year-old now has nine Premier League goals this campaign, one short of his career-best tally from last season. Little wonder both Hurzeler and the club want to keep Welbeck beyond the expiry of his contract this summer.

Forest misfiring

Nottingham Forest have lost back-to-back games under Vitor Pereira, their fourth head coach of the season, though Thursday's Europa League play-off defeat by Fenerbahce didn't cost them victory in the two-legged tie on aggregate.

Pereira said he was "angry with football" after his side undeservedly lost to a 97th-minute goal by Liverpool last Sunday. Forest's first-half display in particular was excellent as they became the first side to have as many as 12 shots in the opening half of a league game against Liverpool since May 2015.

Scoring goals has been Nottingham Forest's issue all season, with a mere 7.1% of their shots finding the back of the net. Only bottom side Wolves have fared worse. The East Midlands side have scored 6.7 goals fewer than expected from the quality of chances they've had, the third biggest underperformance in the Premier League this season. Conversely, last season's overperformance of 11.5 was the highest in the division.

Over the previous two rounds of Premier League fixtures, Forest have created the most chances, had the most shots, the joint-second highest total of shots on target, third most touches in the opposition penalty area and accumulated an expected goals tally of 3.74 – but failed to score.

Brighton captain Lewis Dunk says his team aren't focusing on where they will finish the season, as they see out the campaign "game-by-game".

Brighton earned their first win of the month in their 2-0 victory over Brentford last week, and Dunk believes the team will be happy if they can keep that hunger going.

"I just want to see what we've seen in the last game," he told BBC Radio Sussex.

"The fight in us, the clean sheet, the way we defended, the hunger in us. I think if we've got that in us, then I think we'll be more than happy where we finish.

"People talk about targets and where we want to finish and Europe and this and that, and yes you can say it, but I don't get why we would. When really, we have to go game-by-game and that's how I look at football.

"Everyone would love to finish in Europe, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, but it's the Premier League and the Premier League is not easy. I'm not going to sit here and say we want to be in Europe again, we'll just see where we end up."

You can listen to Dunk discuss the Seagulls and darts by hitting play above or listen here on BBC Sounds

Listen to full match commentary on Sunday of Brighton v Nottingham Forest on BBC Radio 5 Live from 13:55 GMT

Newcastle United are looking at Brighton's Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen and Manchester City's English stopper James Trafford, both 23, as they target finding a long-term successor for England international Nick Pope, 33. (The i Newspaper - subscription required), external

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Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Nottingham Forest at American Express Stadium (kick-off 14:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• There are "no new injury concerns which is quite positive going into the end of the season and final run".

• Yasin Ayari will return to first-team training today and if "everything goes well then he might be an option for the weekend".

• James Milner "needs a bit more recovery time" post-match than other players, but "he looked sharp again in the last two days on the training pitch" so is "definitely" an option for the Forest game.

• He said their squad depth is "crucial" for them and it's healthy because "there's competition to get into the squad and the starting 11".

• On the Brentford victory and what it means for their morale: "Wins create an energy and positive atmosphere. It puts the belief back into our quality, although we never lost it. It's an easier enjoyment when you come from a win, though."

• He said he has "spoken a lot about togetherness in recent weeks," but he felt that on Saturday among the players and fans. He added: "It felt great to have the support of the fans and then for us to give them what they deserve."

• On some of the negative reaction towards him: "I will never hide from criticism as it's my responsibility, but I am quite convinced it will be a great atmosphere [on Sunday] and a great opportunity for us."

• He said "it's up to us how we start this game" against Forest and "body language" plays a big role in overall confidence. Hurzeler added: "Good body has an impact to everyone. If we have good body language on the pitch and positivity then I am convinced it will transform into the stands and we can all take this opportunity to win this game."

• On Solly March and his road to recovery: "I've said we need to be patient with him. He needs game time to get back to his level but it's also about timing and not forcing it. He's getting closer and closer to the squad."

Listen to live commentary of Brighton vs Nottingham Forest on Radio 5 Sports Extra 2 from 14:00 GMT on Sunday.

Listen to Hurzeler on BBC Sounds

Eintracht Frankfurt's 22-year-old Germany defender Nnamdi Collins is the subject of interest from Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle, Brighton and Brentford. (Teamtalk), external

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Former Brighton defender Warren Aspinall says fans were "astonished" by Fabian Hurzeler's team selection in Saturday's win over Brentford, but the players he picked "performed really well".

"The manager put his head on the block with the team he picked," Aspinall told the Albion Unlimited podcast.

"He knew if it backfired he would take the blame and the fans were ready to pounce on him.

"Even the fans on our phone-in said they were astonished when they heard the team news so he was under pressure straight away. But, he put out lads that he could trust and they performed really well.

"The people on the bench are on there for a reason. He played a left back at right wing and kept two players who can play right wing and cost £80m combined on the bench. Is that a wake up call about the two lads in [Yankuba] Minteh and [Georginio] Rutter?

"I asked for a bit of bite and a bit more running, working a bit harder, and I got that. As a fan that's all you can ask for.

"If we're going to beat teams we have to run more and if we can do that and outrun them by 10% it's like we're playing with an extra player.

"We controlled the game in the first-half especially. Playing [James] Milner and [Pascal] Gross, two aging midfielders, worked. [Karou] Mitoma showed a bit more bite and did well defensively.

"Week in and week out [Lewis] Dunk and [Jean Paul] Van Hecke perform to the highest level and kept Igor Thiago quiet."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

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Former Brighton defender Guy Butters says Jack Hinshelwood is being afforded the opportunity to "play with more freedom" in his new attacking role under Fabian Hurzeler.

Having played in a predominantly defensive midfield role for the majority of the season, and deputising at right back on occasion, the 20-year-old played further forward in Saturday's 2-0 win at Brentford.

He came close with two fine efforts and saw his cross lead to the Seagulls' second goal.

"He's grown up around the football environment with his family," Butters told the Albion Unlimited podcast.

"His dad, uncles and granddad will have had a huge impact on him.

"He's come into the game naturally. It's not a surprise being around football players and around football stadiums.

"He's got a mature head on his shoulders. He's played very well this season.

"He can play in a number of positions, it's just trying to find out where he is best.

"He's played in central midfield and filled in at right back.

"For now, he is relishing playing in the number 10 role and having that leash off him to play with more freedom and go forward. "

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Brighton excelled at Brentford and Jack Hinshelwood has his say.

That's just part of the Albion Unlimited podcast this week as former Seagull Warren Aspinall and BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor consider all the latest goings on at the club.

Listen below or on BBC Sounds here - and don't forget to subscribe to get each episode into your My Sounds feed.

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Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up

Image source, GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS

As well as a Champions League title, three Premier League titles, two FA Cups and two Community Shields to James Milner's name, he now has three Guinness World Record titles.

After Milner overtook Gareth Barry's record of 653 Premier League appearances in Brighton's 2-0 victory over Brentford, Milner's overall top-flight appearances now sits at 654.

The 40-year-old has also set two other records, which now means he holds the longest gap between his first and last Premier League goals (22 years 248 days) and for the most consecutive Premier League seasons played (24).

Milner said: "When I was younger, I used to get the Guinness World Records book for Christmas every year. So this is pretty amazing."

Scott McCarthy
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

An excellent social media post did the rounds on Saturday night after Brighton finally won a Premier League game of football.

Some bright spark clipped the post-match interview of Fabian Hurzeler so that when he was asked what the Albion did differently against Brentford, his response was simply "We scored goals."

And that did indeed happen at the Gtech Stadium. Two goals in fact. Ending a scoreless streak which had lasted the whole of February and preventing the superb prospect of Brighton having to cancel their goal of the month award because of there being zero contenders.

Goals though were not the only thing the Albion did differently. Hurzeler made several noticeable tactical adjustments. And given all the criticism he has come in for during a disappointing December, January and February, he deserves credit for that.

Brighton were much more direct than normal, getting balls forward quicker. This was vital given Hurzeler named his oldest starting XI of the season with so little pace that you could have dropped a 90-year-old great grandmother into the team and it would have increased the average speed.

The Albion also showed a greater willingness to shoot from distance rather than trying to pass the ball in. The benefits of such an approach were seen in the opening goal when Ferdi Kadioglu rattled the bar from 25 yards and Diego Gomez picked up the pieces.

Pundits and fans alike have accused Brighton under Hurzeler as having a lack of clear identity or style this season. Was this win the first sign of that changing?

Only time will tell. One swallow does not a summer make and all that. But based on what we saw at Brentford, these new tactics suit this squad and can ensure the Albion do not get sucked into the relegation battle.

More of the same against Nottingham Forest on Sunday, please.

Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton, external

James Milner is "the ultimate Premier League figure", says journalist Rory Smith.

The 40-year-old now holds the record for the most appearances in the competition, surpassing Gareth Barry to reach 654 appearances.

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton paid tribute to the "mental strength" Milner must possess.

"I think most fans respect James Milner," said Smith, the Observer's football correspondent. "He is pretty universally admired and extraordinarily well liked by the standards of football."

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Brighton hope to get a deal for Cologne's 19-year-old German winger Said El Mala over the line by also signing his older brother, 20-year-old striker Malek. (Times - subscription required), external

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Mark Scott
Final Score reporter

Image source, PA Media

Of course Fabian Hurzeler desperately needed that result against Brentford, but the fact it was a very good performance away to a very good team is also a welcome relief for the Brighton boss. Especially given the negativity he had faced from some sections of the fanbase.

One of the gripes has been that the Seagulls lack identity on the pitch, but that was far from the case on Saturday, as they looked sharp from the word go with a clearly defined plan of attack.

One of their standout performers was record-breaker James Milner, so Hurzeler also deserves credit for deciding to start him in a call that surprised a few in the press room.

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Brentford and Brighton.

Here are some of your comments:

Brentford fans

Sam: Classic Brentford, that's all I can say. Beat Aston Villa away with 10 men, beat Newcastle brilliantly, draw deservedly against the league leaders Arsenal, then produce a hopeless, tame and tired performance to deservedly get beaten by a Brighton side that hadn't won in six beforehand. A game to forget and move on from, and I hope for a reaction against Burnley next week.

Ian: Worst Brentford of the season. Poor all round, individual errors, lack of a plan B. Brighton had a clear plan and played their hearts out.

Rob: A very disappointing display from Bees. We were second best to Brighton at everything and they deserved their win. I wish the Bees would send on Romelle Donovan much earlier and also Kaye Furo when the forward line is not clicking. Congratulations to James Milner - a great pro.

Tim: Lacklustre from the off, allowing Brighton to dictate the game and emerge worthy winners. Tactics were plainly wrong; ignoring the midfield in favour of aimless wing play and Nathan Collins' error just put the cherry on the cake. At least Yehor Yarmolyuk and Mikkel Damsgaard added a bit of industry and invention but this was a poor, poor showing.

Brighton fans

ArrJay: This was a much better display by the Seagulls than we've seen for ages. Can the manager sustain it? He hasn't been able to in the past but we can live in hope that the club has turned a corner that has been oh so elusive.

Mick: A competent, composed and mature display. We looked balanced with a plan, which has been missing over the past weeks. All the players knew their role. More performances like this and Europe is not beyond us.

Pedro: Before the match, I feared a loss, expected a draw and hoped for a win. We should be celebrating three points, but in reality, we're just relieved to halt the decline.

Darren: As a lifelong Brighton fan, it's been a tough few months. However, what a performance - very proud of the boys and the whole team. Let's hope a bit of confidence will push the team on to a great end to the season.

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Chelsea 1-1 Burnley

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• West Ham 1-1 Bournemouth

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

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Only Burnley and Wolves had picked up fewer points than Brighton in their last 13 league games prior to this weekend, with the Seagulls' only league win in that period coming against the Clarets on 3 January.

However, for a team that has appeared increasingly goal-shy in recent weeks, Fabian Hurzeler's side did not appear to be lacking confidence in the final third against Brentford – far from it.

With the game still goalless, Jack Hinshelwood had a venomous shot unconvincingly parried wide by goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who then did well to deny Kaoru Mitoma in a one-v-one as Brighton dominated the early stages.

Ferdi Kadioglu almost broke the deadlock with a magnificent long-range strike but it was Diego Gomez who ended up opening the scoring from the rebound, showing great composure to steer the ball into the bottom corner.

The visitors' second goal – which came after Nathan Collins attempted to clear Hinshelwood's cross towards Danny Welbeck with an elaborate flick – may have been a gift, but the 2-0 half-time scoreline was an accurate reflection of the visitors' superiority.

Hurzeler's team had less of the ball after the restart but were rarely troubled by an uncharacteristically toothless Brentford, whose only effort on target after half-time came from Mikkel Damsgaard's attempted lob in the 87th minute.

On a memorable afternoon for Brighton, 40-year-old midfielder James Milner made his 654th Premier League outing in west London to break Gareth Barry's long-standing top-flight appearance record.

Milner's afternoon was ended by an apparent injury near the end of the game, but the former England international received a rapturous ovation from the away supporters as he made his way off the pitch.

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, speaking to Sky Sports: "It is a better feeling. I'm proud of the team, very happy for the supporters. They waited for the win so I am happy for them. In the second half we had to defend a lot but overall we deserved this win."

On what changed today: "We scored goals and were there in the right moments. The key detail was we scored and defended the key moments in the right way."

On if it was hard to stay positive: "They always had positivity, they always stick together. Just have to put these kind of energy on the pitch. I always know what we are capable of. It was not a big issue for me, I am a positive guy and try to give positivity to the group."

On why he started James Milner: "He was the leader, he communicated, he has a good understanding of the game, he knows his game, he is reliable. He waited long for this moment and we are happy for him. Not only experience but also quality. He was one of the best in training and I keep saying if you train well and keep pushing you will get the chance.

"He always puts the team first, always puts the club first. He is not only a role model on the pitch but beside the pitch. On the pitch he gives everything, I can never remember a day he didn't give 100% effort. He is a role model."

Brighton midfielder James Milner on reaching 654 Premier League appearances: "It's the drive and hunger, you want to be the best every day whether it's game or training. I'm surrounded by a lot of young lads, I want to contribute to their careers, push them and help them get to the highest level as quick as possible.

"That's what I'm here to do. I feel like I can still contribute minutes. I've been a bit frustrated this year, maybe not getting the minutes, but it's a fine balance because of course we have to develop players as well and we want to win.

"Hopefully I've proved the last few games that I can still contribute on the pitch. I'm delighted to be part of it and the dressing room, it's full of incredible characters and very good players, and a good up and coming manager."

How much longer will you continue playing?

"Who knows, things change quickly in football. When you get older things can change quickly. With the injury I had last season I couldn't lift my foot for six months. I'll keep pushing, let's see where that takes us."

Did you know?

• James Milner has faced 43 different sides in the Premier League remaining unbeaten against seven teams, with one of those being Brentford, ending on the winning side in all four of his appearances against the Bees.

You can listen to James Milner and Pascal Gross speaking after the game on BBC Sounds

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Brentford's performance

What did you make of Brighton's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Image source, PA Media

Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to BBC Match of the Day before kick-off at Brentford about his decision to start top-flight appearances record-breaker James Milner: "James Milner showed a really good performance against [Aston] Villa when he came on the pitch. He has a lot of experience. He is a role model for everyone on the pitch. He can communicate with everyone on the pitch and I think it's very important for today."

On Milner breaking the record for most appearances in the league today: "I think it's difficult to sum him up with one word or a sentence. He's a role model on the pitch and beside the pitch.

"There's no surprise why he's there where he is at the moment because he has such a great discipline. He has such a great effort every day and he is never satisfied. He keeps going and it's a great opportunity for him.

"It's a great day for him to show us again why he is the record-holder regarding the Premier League games. Therefore, we are all looking forward to seeing him playing today."

Image source, BBC Sport

Brentford manager Keith Andrews makes two changes to the Bees side that started the 1-1 Premier League draw with Arsenal nine days ago.

Aaron Hickey and Jordan Henderson come into the side. Yehor Yarmoliuk drops to the bench, while Michael Kayode misses out altogether.

Brentford XI: Kelleher, Hickey, Ajer, Van den Berg, Henry, Henderson, Yanelt, Ouattara, Jensen, Lewis-Potter, Thiago

Subs: Valdimarson, Pinnock, Schade, Nelson, Yarmoliuk, Collins, Damsgaard, Donovan, Furo

James Milner makes his 654th Premier League appearance as Brighton make two alterations to the team that started the 1-0 defeat at Aston Villa in their last league game.

Milner is joined in the starting XI by Mats Wieffer, with Carlos Baleba and Joel Veltman named on the bench.

Brighton XI: Verbruggen, Wieffer, Van Hecke, Dunk, Kadioglu, Gross, Milner, Hinshelwood, Gomez, Welbeck, Mitoma

Subs: Steele, Rutter, Minteh, Baleba, Kastoulas, Boscagli, De Buyper, Veltman, Howell

Image source, BBC Sport