Fabian Hurzeler arrived at Brighton with a stated aim: challenge the Premier League establishment. Two years and two consecutive eighth-place finishes later, the 33-year-old believes his side are only partway through a bigger journey — one that now includes European football for just the second time in the club's history.

"Last season we did it, maybe not through the whole season, but definitely we had a lot of great achievements," Hurzeler told Sky Sports. Those achievements included wins over Manchester City, Chelsea, and Liverpool, as well as a series of headline-grabbing moments — public criticism of Arsenal and Mikel Arteta's style, clashes with Pep Guardiola, and a string of touchline bans that underlined his intensity on the sideline.

Turning progress into silverware

Brighton enter the Conference League next month, offering Hurzeler his clearest shot yet at a trophy. The backdrop is pointed: rivals Crystal Palace lifted the same trophy in May. But the Brighton head coach frames the challenge in terms of growth rather than rivalry.

"We have high expectations of ourselves. We want to play a season the fans will always remember," he said. "We have to show now that we are capable of being successful and achieving things without losing our style and intensity."

A younger, remodelled squad

Eleven players arrived at the club over the summer, making Brighton's the fourth-youngest squad in the Premier League. Established names — Carlos Baleba, Jan Paul van Hecke, Danny Welbeck, and James Milner — departed, while centre-back Luka Vuskovic arrived from Tottenham for £50 million, already drawing strong early reviews.

Hurzeler, who is 33 himself, believes his age helps him connect with a young dressing room. "I speak their language and I understand their thoughts, because it wasn't that long ago when I played," he said. "I understand their feelings, their doubts, their fears — what every player has."

Accountability and consistency

Brighton have won one, drawn one, and lost one of their opening three Premier League matches this season. Underlying numbers are encouraging — they have created more big chances (15) and recorded a higher xG (7.4) than any other side, while only Arsenal (24) and Manchester City (26) have faced fewer shots (33).

The focus on process mirrors how Hurzeler navigated a brutal mid-season run last term, when Brighton won just once in 13 league games. He refused to deflect blame. "If we lose, it's my responsibility," he said. "I reflect on my decisions, I reflect on the training week, so I really try to get better after every game."

Brighton eventually steadied themselves by concentrating on what they could control rather than chasing results — a lesson Hurzeler identified as essential for any club targeting the top of English football. "In the Premier League you need to have reliability," he said. "You need to be really good in the small matches."

Committed to the journey

Hurzeler signed a new three-year contract in May, a decision rooted as much in loyalty as in ambition. "When I started here, it felt like I got integrated into a family," he explained. "You don't leave your family — you want to achieve something with them, you want to make the next step."

He is clear that Brighton have not yet reached their ceiling. "I still feel that the journey is not over, I still feel we are in the middle of a journey and we can achieve great things," he said. "I have this belief and now we have to show it."