Chris Hughton’s side managed to steer clear of the drop zone last season and they will face another fight to retain their status in 2018-19
Brighton avoided relegation from the Premier League last term and they are now embarking on a second successive campaign in England’s top division.
Chris Hughton masterminded crucial victories over the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal as the East Sussex outfit tallied 40 points in all to steer clear of the drop zone.
Players such as Pascal Gross and Glenn Murray shone for the club last season, but they will need to take things to a higher level again in 2018-19 if they wish to preserve their status.
Goal brings you everything you need to know about the Seagulls’ season ahead, including squad numbers, transfer business and their complete Premier League schedule.
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| Squad No. | Position | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | GK | Mathew Ryan |
| 2 | DF | Bruno Saltor |
| 3 | DF | Gaetan Bong |
| 4 | DF | Shane Duffy |
| 5 | DF | Lewis Dunk |
| 6 | MF | Dale Stephens |
| 7 | MF | Beram Kayal |
| 8 | MF | Yves Bissouma |
| 9 | FW | Jurgen Locadia |
| 10 | FW | Florin Andone |
| 11 | MF | Anthony Knockaert |
| 13 | MF | Pascal Gross |
| 14 | DF | Leon Balogun |
| 16 | MF | Alireza Jahanbakhsh |
| 17 | FW | Glenn Murray |
| 19 | MF | Jose Izquierdo |
| 20 | MF | Solly March |
| 21 | DF | Ezequiel Schelotto |
| 22 | DF | Martin Montoya |
| 23 | GK | Jason Steele |
| 24 | MF | Davy Propper |
| 25 | FW | Tomer Hemed |
| 26 | FW | Percy Tau |
| 27 | GK | David Button |
| 29 | DF | Markus Suttner |
| 30 | DF | Bernardo |
The task which lies ahead of Brighton in 2018-19 is arguably greater than last season and they understandably sought to add reinforcements to their squad during the transfer window.
Club records were smashed to sign the likes of Yves Bissouma from Lille and Alireza Jahanbakhsh from AZ, while Leon Balogun and Bernardo have joined from Bundesliga sides Mainz and RB Leipzig respectively.
A host of club stalwarts have moved on too, with Steve Sidwell being released and Liam Rosenior retiring, while deadline-day deals included the addition of former Barcelona defender Martin Montoya.
Transfer activity in
| Player | Transferred from | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florin Andone | Deportivo La Coruna | £5m | July 1 |
| Leon Balogun | Mainz | Free | July 1 |
| Jason Steele | Sunderland | Free | July 1 |
| Bernardo | RB Leipzig | £9m | July 5 |
| David Button | Fulham | Undisc. | July 16 |
| Yves Bissouma | Lille | £17m | July 17 |
| Percy Tau | Mamelodi Sundowns | Undisc. | July 20 |
| Alireza Jahanbakhsh | AZ | £17m | July 25 |
| Dan Burn | Wigan Athletic | £3m | August 9 |
| Martin Montoya | Valencia | £6m | August 9 |
Transfer activity out
| Player | Transferred to | Fee | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Connor Goldson | Rangers | £3m | July 1 |
| Uwe Hunemeier | Paderborn | Free | July 1 |
| Tim Krul | Norwich City | Free | July 1 |
| Nick Maenpaa | Bristol City | Free | July 1 |
| Jamie Murphy | Rangers | £1m | July 1 |
| Liam Rosenior | Retired | N/A | July 1 |
| Steve Sidwell | Released | Free | July 1 |
| Sam Baldock | Reading | £3.5m | July 30 |
| Jiri Skalak | Millwall | Undisc. | August 2 |
| Dan Burn | Wigan Athletic | Loan | August 9 |
Brighton kicked off the 2018-19 Premier League season away from home against Watford but they struggled to make an impact in a 2-0 defeat.
Things don’t get much easier for the Seagulls, with games against Manchester United, Liverpool, Fulham and Southampton completing their opening five matches.
The first M23 Derby of the season is set to take place December, when Crystal Palace visit the Amex Stadium and the return fixture will happen in March next year.
December will be a particularly testing month, with games Chelsea, Arsenal and Everton also scheduled.
Depending on how results pan out during the season, the final run-in could be seriously hazardous, with Newcastle United, then Arsenal at home and away trip to Man City to top it all off.
You can see the full list of Brighton’s Premier League fixtures for 2018-19 below.
| Date | Time (UK) | Match |
|---|---|---|
| 11/08/18 | 3pm | Watford vs Brighton |
| 19/08/18 | 4pm | Brighton vs Man Utd |
| 25/08/18 | 5:30pm | Liverpool vs Brighton |
| 01/09/18 | 3pm | Brighton vs Fulham |
| 17/09/18 | 8pm | Southampton vs Brighton |
| 22/09/18 | 5:30pm | Brighton vs Tottenham |
| 29/09/18 | 3pm | Man City vs Brighton |
| 05/10/18 | 8pm | Brighton vs West Ham |
| 20/10/18 | 3pm | Newcastle United vs Brighton |
| 27/10/18 | 3pm | Brighton vs Wolves |
| 03/11/18 | 3pm | Everton vs Brighton |
| 10/11/18 | 12:30pm | Cardiff City vs Brighton |
| 24/11/18 | 3pm | Brighton vs Leicester City |
| 01/12/18 | 3pm | Huddersfield Town vs Brighton |
| 04/12/18 | 7:45pm | Brighton vs Crystal Palace |
| 08/12/18 | 3pm | Burnley vs Brighton |
| 15/12/18 | 3pm | Brighton vs Chelsea |
| 22/12/18 | 3pm | Bournemouth vs Brighton |
| 26/12/18 | 3pm | Brighton vs Arsenal |
| 29/12/18 | 3pm | Brighton vs Everton |
| 01/01/19 | 3pm | West Ham vs Brighton |
| 12/01/19 | 3pm | Brighton vs Liverpool |
| 19/01/19 | 3pm | Man Utd vs Brighton |
| 29/01/19 | 7:45 | Fulham vs Brighton |
| 02/02/19 | 3pm | Brighton vs Watford |
| 09/02/19 | 3pm | Brighton vs Burnley |
| 23/02/19 | 3pm | Chelsea vs Brighton |
| 26/02/19 | 7:45pm | Leicester City vs Brighton |
| 02/03/19 | 3pm | Brighton vs Huddersfield Town |
| 09/03/19 | 3pm | Crystal Palace vs Brighton |
| 16/03/19 | 3pm | Brighton vs Cardiff City |
| 30/03/19 | 3pm | Brighton vs Southampton |
| 06/04/19 | 3pm | Tottenham vs Brighton |
| 13/04/19 | 3pm | Brighton vs Bournemouth |
| 20/04/19 | 3pm | Wolves vs Brighton |
| 27/04/19 | 3pm | Brighton vs Newcastle United |
| 04/05/19 | 3pm | Arsenal vs Brighton |
| 12/05/19 | 3pm | Brighton vs Man City |