In the build-up to hosting Manchester City, Fabian Hurzeler spoke about the biggest lessons he had learnt from his first ten Premier League games as Brighton & Hove Albion’s head coach.
The 31-year-old German told The Athletic: “Being ruthless and using the momentum you have in a game is so important, because if you don’t use the momentum the opponents will use it and you will get punished.”
Hurzeler added: “You need to be demanding of yourself and have the courage to win games. Winning games in the Premier League is tough, especially this year. The league is so competitive, the coaches are very good, the other teams have quality, so it’s a big challenge.”
Hurzeler and his players rose to the biggest challenge of all by coming from behind to beat the side that has finished on top of the pile for four seasons in succession.
Momentum and courage were pivotal in inflicting the first league defeat suffered by Pep Guardiola’s team after leading at half-time since May 2021. The last? That was also against Brighton at the Amex Stadium, but the 2-1 statement victory on Saturday night was in altogether different circumstances to the 3-2 win for Graham Potter’s version of Brighton back then — apart from also trailing 1-0 at the interval.
On that occasion, City were winding down. They had already clinched the title and they had been reduced from the tenth minute to ten men by a red card for Joao Cancelo. This time Brighton were confronted by a full line-up (albeit affected by injuries) with a point to prove to doubters in the early stages of the campaign off the back of an unfamiliar run of three straight losses in three competitions — the league, Champions League and Carabao Cup.
City were duly sharpened and, of course, Erling Haaland got back on the scoresheet midway through the first half. The visitors were dominant, Hurzeler’s team were meek until they did to City what Liverpool had done to them a week earlier.
They were scintillating in the first half at Anfield, but crucially they did not maximise their momentum. They went into the break 1-0 up when it should have been two or three and ended up paying the price with a 2-1 defeat.
Hurzeler and his players have learnt quickly about what it takes to, as he puts it, “compete with the establishment”. He did not dwell in forcing the issue, making four substitutions within the first 21 minutes of the second half, three of which materially affected the outcome.
Carlos Baleba, an unused substitute at Anfield due to a knee issue, was still not regarded as fit to start. Brought on at half-time for Swedish prospect Yasin Ayari, 21, his power shifted the midfield balance away from Mateo Kovacic, who had been running the game for City.
When Jack Hinshelwood was forced off by a knee injury, Hurzeler could have opted for Mats Wieffer or Jakub Moder to partner Baleba. Instead he turned to summer signing Matt O’Riley, from Celtic, who had been absent with ankle ligament damage sustained just nine minutes into his debut against Crawley in the Carabao Cup in August.
Joao Pedro was another long-term casualty, missing since September, when a nasty tackle by Morgan Gibbs-White resulted in an ankle injury for the free-scoring Brazilian forward and a red card for the Nottingham Forest midfielder in a 2-2 draw at the Amex. Hurzeler took off record signing Georginio Rutter to reintroduce Joao Pedro.
Hurzeler’s team had the momentum in the second half. This time they exploited it. Joao Pedro swivelled to level from close range when City players got in the way of each other as they tried to block out Danny Welbeck.
Five minutes later, Baleba pinged a pass into Welbeck. A first-time lay-off and space-making run allowed Joao Pedro to slip O’Riley through for a calm finish past the advancing Ederson on his first Premier League appearance. Storybook stuff.
Hurzeler said afterwards: “We didn’t have the momentum in the first half, because we were passive, we didn’t play with intensity. Then, in the second half, we talk in general a lot about tactical things, but in the end the small things can make a difference.
“How you go in personal duels, how much is your self-belief, how much is your courage to play in possession. These small things can make a difference and the subs can make a difference.
“It’s always hard to change momentum, but we did that and when he had it we used it. That was the difference in comparison to last week at Liverpool.
“We also had a lot of momentum there, but we weren’t able to use it. We only received compliments after the game for our performance, but in the end this business is also about getting results. The team gets for the performance and for using the momentum the result. I am happy for that.”
Hurzeler’s half-time message to his players included a call for courage. “It was to play more patiently, to have more self-belief, more courage was part of it,” he said. “In general, it was more about how the players react in the second half, how they have the self conviction to turn this game and the self-belief that they can beat everyone. I think they showed it.”
This was a second instructive comeback by Brighton under Hurzeler. In October at the Amex they came from 2-0 down at half-time against Tottenham to prevail 3-2. They were winless in the previous 23 matches in which they trailed at the break (five draws and 18 losses).
It has been an impressive body of work in his first 11 matches in charge — wins also at home to Manchester United and away to Newcastle, plus a draw at Arsenal. If they keep on using the momentum and showing courage in the way they did against City, there is no telling how far Hurzeler can take them.
(Top photo: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
