Brighton book Europa ticket five seasons after EPL promotion
Brighton & Hove Albion have earned the chance to play in the UEFA Champions League for the fifth time in their five seasons in the English Premier League (EPL).
The Seagulls conceded a first-half goal to Phil Foden in the 25th minute of their 2022-2023 EPL Round 37 home match against Manchester City at the Palmer Stadium in Brighton, England, on Friday, but Julio Enciso equalized in the 38th minute to draw 1-1.
The draw leaves Brighton with 18 wins, eight draws and 11 losses and 62 points, four points clear of seventh-place Aston Villa (17 wins, seven draws and 13 losses, 58 points). With both Brighton and Aston Villa having a game in hand, the Seagulls clinched sixth place this season and a ticket to next season’s UEFA Europa League.
Just 13 years ago, Brighton were in League One (third tier). They won the League One title in the 2010-2011 season, earning a ticket to the League Championship (second tier). In the 2014-2015 season, they finished 20th in the League Championship and faced relegation, but they turned things around the following season, finishing third in the 2015-2016 season.
Eventually, Brighton finished runners-up in the League Championship in the 2016-2017 season under Glenn Murray, who had been with the club since their League One days, and earned promotion to the EPL for the first time in the club’s history.
Brighton’s EPL challenge was not without its challenges. Starting with a 15th-place finish in their first season in 2017-2018, they were always in a relegation battle, finishing 17th, 15th, and 16th. Until the 2020-2021 season, Brighton hadn’t had a single double-digit win total.
However, head coach Graham Potter managed to get the Seagulls into the top 10 in the 2021-2022 season. After staying in the top nine through round 15, the Seagulls faltered with three straight losses from rounds 16 through 18 and five straight from rounds 26 through 30, but finished the season in ninth place with five wins and three draws in eight games from rounds 31 through 38.
Brighton suffered the loss of Porter to Chelsea, but quickly turned things around with the appointment of Roberto De Jervi. Alexis Sanchez has been the mainstay of the team, with Alexis Sanchez leading the way. The Seagulls were solid all season, never dropping below the top 10 and eventually finishing sixth in the EPL.
메이저놀이터 The next challenge for Brighton is, of course, how well they can perform in the Europa League. The likes of McAllister, Pascal Gross, and Kaoru Mitoma are holding up, but the UEFA Cup is a different ballgame. Although McAllister is tied to Brighton until 2025, he could be courted by big clubs in the summer transfer window.
Meanwhile, with the Seagulls clinching their last Europa League ticket, the race for a Europa Conference spot has been narrowed down to a two-way battle between Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur. Aston Villa is currently one point ahead of Tottenham.