The new Premier League season gets underway at the Amex Stadium on Saturday when Brighton & Hove Albion host Fulham. Fabian Hurzeler begins his second year in charge of Brighton after guiding them to eighth place in 2024/25, the club’s second-best top-flight finish. The German’s debut season included statement wins over Liverpool, Manchester City and Chelsea, though also the occasional collapse, such as a 7-0 loss to Nottingham Forest.
Brighton’s home record last term read W8-D8-L3, returning 32 points, with underlying data showing a mid-table xPTS return of 29.00. They averaged 1.50 xG and 1.32 xGA at home, with a positive shots-in-the-box ratio of 53.6%. The summer has seen key departures, with Joao Pedro joining Chelsea in a £60m deal and Simon Adingra moving to Sunderland. That income has funded arrivals including Maxim De Cuyper, Tom Watson, Charalampos Kostoulas and Diego Coppola, adding both youth and defensive depth.
Fulham head into the campaign after finishing 11th, falling just short of the European picture. Marco Silva’s side impressed on the road, collecting 28 points away with a top six level xPTS of 28.69. They averaged 1.30 xG and 1.15 xGA per away match, with a positive shots-in-the-box differential of +1.00. The back line, led by Calvin Bassey and Joachim Andersen, is one of the most stable units in the league, while Bernd Leno remains a key figure in goal. The midfield options are settled, with Sander Berge, Alex Iwobi and Andreas Pereira all retained, but more attacking firepower is required, with Raul Jimenez again leading the line after hitting 12 league goals last term.
With both sides blending stability and attacking quality, and having added selectively in the transfer window, this opener offers a good early-season test for two clubs aiming to edge closer to the European places.
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