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Graham Potter's appointment at Brighton indicated a change in the club's culture. Potter is known for his attractive style of play which differed from previous manager Chris Hughton who, according to Steve Sidwell (former Brighton player), was sacked because of his style of play.
As expected, so far this season Brighton have averaged 52.3% possession which is the 8th highest number in the Premier League. This statistic is not necessarily a success, but it helps to identify Brighton's style of play.
Attempting to play on the front foot in possession with a team like Brighton is brave but also risky. For this reason, Potter has adapted to his players and built a system that will get the most out of what he has in hand.
There are two ways Brighton build their attacks. Both of them are quick, structured breaks through the opposition and are set up in a way that will not leave them vulnerable to a counter attack.
In a 3-4-1-2:
- Two attack minded wingbacks, provide maximum width to stretch the field as much as possible which is why the front three are all in the center.
- Brighton's DM doesn't contribute much in possession and has a greater purpose of stopping counterattack quickly.
- Two attack minded wingbacks, provide maximum width to stretch the field as much as possible which is why the front three are all in the center.
- Brighton's DM doesn't contribute much in possession and has a greater purpose of stopping counterattack quickly.
By stretching the opponents, Brighton create space in the middle, which they then exploit using line breaking passes from a CB to a forward. Maupay's ability to play between the lines is very similar to Lacazette. Unfortunately, the 2 have more in common than just that.
This is a stat from last season but it's still a good representation of Brighton's playing style and how effective the line breaking passes from the back are.
Any of the front three, and sometimes the advanced midfielder, receive the ball before laying it off into the path of a wingback or a midfielder and this is Brighton's standard pattern of play.
In the example below you can see Maupay receiving the ball and dragging Chelsea CB (Zouma) out of position. He can now lay it off to Bissouma (DM) who would play a through ball to Lallana (#14) making a run into the space left by the Chelsea CB.
Wingbacks Solly March and Lamptey can also be 3rd man runners where they make a run down the wing before crossing it to the 2 strikers in the box. Brighton's best creator this season have been Solly March with 25 shot creating actions (SCA).
Matt Ryan, with his ability on the ball can play as an extra CB. White and Webster, the outer CBs, become full backs as the wingbacks push high up the pitch again. Ryan's poor form in goal has ended up with young keeper Sanchez, who isn't proven on the ball, taking his place.
The second method Brighton use to attack is short combinations through the middle. This is when the wingbacks need to play deeper and the center backs start to move. All Brighton CBs are capable of walking into midfield with the ball. You can see this with Adam Webster below:
Here's a video from @AlbionAnalytics that showcases Webster's ability to carry the ball into midfield and even some of his deep passes. https://twitter.com/albionanalytics/status/1250393332553076741?s=21
I will not go into depth on Brighton's pressing system but statistically it's the most effective press in the league according to fbref with a 34.3% success rate.
Brighton's verticality can also be seen in this stat that shows how little time they spend in midfield compared to other teams.
Despite sitting at 16th place in the Premier League, analytics show that Brighton have been pretty unlucky. Currently they are 8.8 points below their expected tally which would have taken them up to 8th.
In the past few games Brighton have had more shortcomings than just luck. Their build up has become very robotic and wasteful with the CBs attempting long balls whenever possible. It looks very disorganized
and not part of the plan because they fail to win the 2nd balls as well.
and not part of the plan because they fail to win the 2nd balls as well.
According to @fbref, every game between gameweeks 9-12, Brighton attempted the least amount of passes all season. And besides the game vs Leicester, recently they've attempted more and more high passes.
It seems like Graham Potter is here to stay with Brighton spending big on technical players who fit his style. Lamptey, Maupay, Webster, Veltman, Trossard and 2 Polish youngsters Moder, Karbownik who are out on loan.
Next I will present my personal suggestions of realistic signings who would fit Graham Potter's playing style. None of these players are mainstream talents and would cost 20 million or less.
1. Fedor Chalov: A striker who thrives between the lines with his ability to link up well while also providing a presence in the penalty box. Chalov would possibly score Brighton's goalscoring problems. He's 22 and plays for CSKA Moscow.
2. Salvatore Esposito: The 20 year old defensive midfielder likes to dictate the game and has great passing range. Salvatore would immensely improve Brighton in possession and provide a new way for them to start attacks as they lack a controller in midfield.
3. Mykola Matviyenko: Not only a perfect replacement stylistically to Dan Burn but an upgrade as well. Matviyenko can play on the left and center of the backline. His ball carrying ability and passing between the lines makes him a perfect fit for Potter
Thank you for reading if you made it this far. Feel free to share your own thoughts if you have any and share this thread too
