Brighton & Hove Albion continued their best-ever start to a top-flight season with a 2–0 victory over 10-man Brentford at the Amex Stadium on Sunday. Goals from Diego Gómez and Pascal Gross secured a seventh Premier League win in 10 matches, lifting Fabian Hürzeler’s side into second place on 22 points—five behind defending champions Arsenal and one ahead of Manchester City, who remain third.
Gómez opened the scoring in the 15th minute with an outstanding left-footed strike. Reacting to a defensive clearance at the edge of the penalty area, the midfielder turned and drove the ball into the top corner, giving Brighton the advantage before Brentford’s afternoon deteriorated further.
The visitors were reduced to 10 men in the 23rd minute when Igor Thiago was dismissed for violent conduct following a VAR review. The striker caught Brighton’s Chema in the face with his arm, leaving the defender with a split lip and Brentford facing more than an hour with a numerical disadvantage.
Brighton doubled their lead in the 42nd minute after Keane Lewis-Potter pulled Luka Vuskovic’s shirt inside the penalty area. Gross dispatched the resulting spot-kick high into the net, establishing a cushion that the hosts protected throughout the second half. Brentford finished the match without registering a shot on target.
A Record Start, Not a Guaranteed Title Challenge
The victory followed Brighton’s first league win at Manchester City the previous weekend and a midweek European success away to Getafe. Returning to the Amex after five consecutive away matches across all competitions, Hürzeler’s team maintained their momentum with a controlled performance and another clean sheet.
Their seven wins, one draw and two defeats represent the strongest opening 10 matches of any top-flight campaign in the club’s history. Brighton have also scored 40 goals in 17 matches across all competitions this season, jointly the most among Premier League clubs alongside Manchester City—a distinction that should not be confused with a league-only scoring total.
Despite their position, Gross urged perspective when asked about a possible title challenge. “No. We are not in a title race,” he told Sky Sports. “But we have started the season really well. It’s the beginning of the season.” He stressed the Premier League’s fine margins and the importance of avoiding complacency.
Brighton enter the international break as Arsenal’s closest challengers, but their rise has not removed City from the top-four picture or established an inevitable title bid. What it has delivered is a club-record start, a one-point advantage over City and a strong platform for the next stage of the campaign.
