Brighton’s fastest ever goal helps revive ambitions for next season

On Thursday night, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace guaranteed that, for the first time ever, one league would have a club in every single European final. 

Earlier that day, Brighton announced that Fabian Hurzeler had signed a new three-year deal with the club. It has been a mixed couple of months for him, who at one point saw his team win only one Premier League game in 13. But improved form means that his side are still duking it out for European qualification with two more games to play. That is testament to both the topsy-turvy nature of the Premier League season as well as the sheer number of places available. 

For the second year in a row, it is feasible that nine clubs could participate in continental football with six possible Champions League spots, two Europa League ones and a Conference League place. 

It is becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy for the Premier League. The financial heft of the league means that teams are at a strong advantage, with the large number of them participating further insulating them against the vagaries of knockout football. That keeps the coefficient boosted with further spots possible as teams reach finals.

Anyone trying to understand the permutations that could decide who exactly ends up in what competition would be well-minded to just check who gets what at the end of the season. But for teams like Brighton, as well as fellow brain trust members Brentford and Bournemouth, the promise of Europe is tantalisingly close. 

Brighton wasted no time against Wolves with Jack Hinshelwood scoring their earliest ever Premier League goal after 35 seconds. Not wanting to be outdone, Lewis Dunk made it 2-0 four minutes later. That was another record, as Brighton had never scored twice in the first five minutes before.

Dunk’s goal highlighted one of the underrated aspects of the Brighton project. At 34 years old, he was one of three Brighton players who started the game who are in their mid-30s, as well as Danny Welbeck and Pascal Gross, who rejoined the club in January. 34 year old Joel Veltman also got on the pitch as 40 year-old James Milner watched on. This is where Brighton differ from a side like Chelsea who have embraced the youth with none of the experience. The Sussex side’s less mature talents are put in an environment where there is no shortage of opportunity to learn from those around them.

The game drifted after that with Wolves hitting the post twice but Brighton never looked seriously troubled. Yankuba Minteh added a goal-difference boosting third to put a ribbon on the result as Hurzeler equalled Roberto de Zerbi’s number of wins as Brighton manager.

Photograph by Sportimage Ltd/Alamy