Hurzeler and De Zerbi face off for the first time. But whose Brighton side is better?

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The absence of a clear, consistent playing style has sometimes been a stick with which to beat the 33-year-old. To call him a pragmatist would be harsh, but to compare him with his Brighton predecessors, Hurzeler aligns much closer to the adaptable Graham Potter than footballing idealist Roberto De Zerbi. Hurzeler has now managed as many Premier League games as De Zerbi did for Brighton (70) and boasts a superior record. Hurzeler’s side are 10 points better, with more wins, more draws, fewer losses, a less devastating attack but stronger defence. The German head coach has made Brighton more consistent. While they hit fewer teams for big scores than in the De Zerbi era, they rarely capitulate anymore. This six-game run has featured as many clean sheets as goals conceded (three), including hosting Arsenal and Liverpool, plus away trips to Brentford and Sunderland, two strong home sides. Hurzeler’s team have crystallised tactical ideas. The base shape is 4-2-3-1, though he has moved away from the pacey two-winger setup of Yankuba Minteh and Kaoru Mitoma. It tends to be Minteh or Mitoma, with Diego Gomez effectively a wide ‘No 10’ — a playmaker drifting inside. He provides a box threat — he has scored 10 goals across all competitions this season — and offers the running power that Hurzeler loves for aggressive pressing. The out-of-possession base is strong. Hurzeler has cited compatriot Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool team as inspiration. In the Premier League this term, Brighton are tied with Arsenal for the most final-third regains (155). Hurzeler told reporters before last month’s 2-1 win against Liverpool that Brighton “put an emphasis on defending together”, with his striker needing to “have the mindset of (being) the first defender”. This is because, principally, they close down man-to-man. Pressing takes time to coach — it’s about triggers and multiple players coordinating — and Hurzeler is starting to see the results. Brighton stifled Villa in the late 1-0 defeat in mid-February, a side known for their quality in central progression and playing through teams. Centre-backs are required to follow opposition attacking midfielders upfield — see Lewis Dunk (No 5) tracking Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa’s No 27) in the grabs below — locking on to shut down passing options and force opponents long. Impressively, Brighton are much less open at the back when pressing. Under De Zerbi, they would man-mark early, at times with all players in the opposition half but without pressure on the goalkeeper in possession. Now, they start slightly deeper and make collective jumps. They have become a strong counter-pressing side, too. Against Fulham, Nottingham Forest and Burnley this year, they have scored from regains after losing the ball and quickly recovering it. When defending in a mid-block, Brighton shift into either a 4-4-2 or a 5-4-1. The latter is used when opponents have a long, settled possession, with a winger (often Minteh) becoming a temporary wing-back to help manage when opposition players push onto the last line. Brighton are satisfied if they have less of the ball than under De Zerbi, becoming one of the league’s top teams at creating from wide areas. Selling striker Joao Pedro to Chelsea last summer limited their quality in central spaces, a problem compounded by Georginio Rutter’s chequered form. Some of the press baiting from the De Zerbi era remains, especially against lower-table opposition when Brighton want to avoid facing a low block. This is why Bart Verbruggen has more touches than any other Premier League goalkeeper. Much of his passing is kept short, as illustrated below Mostly, though, the team is about combinations and triangles. Mats Wieffer has been repurposed from central midfielder to underlapping right-back. The two-footed Turkey international Ferdi Kadioglu plays a similar role on the left. Here is a moment from the first half of the Burnley win that typifies how Brighton build up. The centre-backs split wide to allow a midfielder to drop in — on this occasion, Pascal Gross. Kadioglu and Wieffer have taken up high, narrow positions. This ensures they pin Burnley’s wing-backs while keeping them close enough to connect with the wingers once they receive the ball. Often patient in their build-up, Brighton are not frequent crossers, but are the most accurate in the Premier League. They complete one in every four crosses (26.3 per cent), whereas the average team make one of five. A few tweaks in 2026 are behind this. First, the return of Gross from Borussia Dortmund. He was one of the league’s outstanding creators until he left two years ago, capable with either foot and blessed with a wicked set piece. The midfielder consistently makes angled runs between opposition centre-backs and full-backs, which is how Brighton created the opener for Wieffer at the back post away to Burnley. Gross has added quality and experience, helping enable Jack Hinshelwood to become a box-crashing midfielder, a role perfectly suited to the 21-year-old’s aggressive running. That showed at home to Liverpool with another Hurzeler tweak, as he switched left-footed Minteh from an inverted (right) winger to a traditional (left) one. His whipped cross found Hinshelwood, who squared it for Danny Welbeck to tap in. Welbeck has 12 league goals this season (including one penalty), already a personal best. The club record for most in one Premier League term, held by Glenn Murray from 2018-19 (13), is in Welbeck’s sights. Leaning into crosses as a chief method of chance creation has suited Welbeck, who is a strong one-touch finisher and has shown excellent striker instincts this term. His penalty-box poaching is illustrated in his shot map above. Hurzeler demands less of the deeper, back-to-goal involvement than De Zerbi’s style required, simplifying the game for Welbeck. What is most impressive is how Brighton, again, are peaking late in the season. They have routinely started Premier League seasons well, giving themselves a buffer and tending to drift later in campaigns. Thirteen points from the last five matches of 2024-25 pushed them from 10th to eighth and meant they broke the 60-point barrier for only the second time. This time, a mid-season slump of one win in 13 matches — which at other clubs may have not been forgiven — means bettering last season’s total this year is unlikely, but they are absolutely in contention for a top-eight finish and a return to European competition. Adaptability can, of course, be a style. Hurzeler’s approach will never have the same shock value or recognisable patterns seen under De Zerbi, but perhaps Brighton’s current style can be more sustainable. De Zerbi did not last two years at Marseille and has now taken charge of relegation-threatened Tottenham Hotspur. Brighton face them next for a first-ever meeting between Hurzeler and De Zerbi. It’s a chance for the German to show that he, too, can coach a team with style as well as substance. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Liam Tharme is one of The Athletic’s Football Tactics Writers (and sometimes athletics). He graduated from Chichester University with an MSc in Sports Performance Analysis in 2022, and was previously an academy performance analyst. He was one of MHP Group's award-winning 30 Journalists to Watch in 2025. Follow Liam on Twitter @LiamTharmeCoach