With the Premier League Summer Series starting on Saturday 22 July in the USA, Adrian Clarke assesses the six clubs involved, highlighting the key questions that could be answered during the tournament.
Team analysis: Brighton & Hove Albion
Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton are sure to be a big draw for US fans after their success last season.
The Seagulls provided wonderful entertainment under the Italian last season, storming to a sixth-place finish with a style of play which was admired throughout the world as they qualified for Europe for the first time.
Brighton are a well-rounded side as they are incredibly confident in possession, ferocious in their appetite to regain the ball and always tactically adventurous.
The way De Zerbi’s players move the ball around the pitch is a joy to watch.
Champions Manchester City were the only Premier league team to pass more accurately than the Seagulls, who ranked exceptionally high for all possession-related data.
Brighton's passing stats 22/23
| Statistic | Total | PL rank |
|---|---|---|
| Passing accuracy | 85.9% | 2nd |
| Succ. passes | 18,273 | 3rd |
| 10+ pass sequences | 593 | 3rd |
| Build-up attacks | 140 | 3rd |
Brighton choose to adopt a high-risk strategy when playing out from the back, and very few teams in Europe are technically better at controlling the ball or moving it through the thirds.
You are likely to be reminded of their quality in this department when they face Chelsea in the Summer Series opener in Philadelphia.
Pressing with purpose
It is unusual to see teams press with major aggression in pre-season but do not be surprised if Brighton buck that trend across their three matches.
Brighton's Summer Series fixtures
| Date | Opp. | Venue | Time (Eastern Time Zone) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 22 July | Chelsea | Philadelphia | 19:00 |
| 26 July | Brentford | Atlanta | 17:30 |
| 28 July | Newcastle | Harrison | 19:30 |
It is key for De Zerbi’s strategy that his team close down rival teams high up and with tremendous levels of organisation, so his players will need to put in some practice.
These stats below from last season prove how good the Seagulls are at pressing.
Brighton's pressing stats 22/23
| Statistic | Total | PL rank |
|---|---|---|
| Shot-ending high turnovers | 67 | 1st |
| Passes per defensive action | 10.2 | 2nd |
Brighton’s productivity in open play was fantastic last season.
They fired off the second-highest number of shots and scored a very respectable 56 goals outside of dead-ball situations.
Only two teams, Man City (69) and Arsenal (66) netted more.
De Zerbi will however be aware that Brighton's goal tally should have been boosted by a greater number of set-piece goals.
The Seagulls managed just six strikes from corners or wide free-kicks, with only Manchester United faring worse, with five.
This summer the Italian is likely to experiment with a series of new routines, so they will be worth looking out for in the Summer Series.
Teenage growth
It will be exciting to see how teenagers Evan Ferguson, Julio Enciso and Facundo Buonanotte develop their fabulous potential in the coming weeks and months.
All three attackers made an outstanding impression last season, contributing 11 goals and five assists between them.
In particular, Enciso and Ferguson look ready to become regular starters.
The pair's performances in the Summer Series will certainly be of great interest to Fantasy Premier League managers, with midfielder Enciso being priced at just £5.5m and Ferguson only costing a little more at £6.0m.
During their breakthrough 2022/23 campaign they delivered direct goal contributions at a better rate than most senior players within the Seagulls squad.
Brighton goal & assists per 90
| Player | Goals & assists/90 |
|---|---|
| Evan Ferguson | 0.76 |
| Deniz Undav | 0.73 |
| Julio Enciso | 0.67 |
Working with De Zerbi across a full pre-season for the first time, and hungry to prove their worth, the youngsters are well worth keeping a close eye on during the Summer Series.
See: Why Brighton are a club to target in FPL
Also in this series
Part 1: How will Torres improve Emery's defence?
Part 2: Can Schade seize a spot in Brentford's attack?
Part 4: Will young Chelsea defenders make their mark?
Part 5: Willian deal allows Silva to now focus on defence
Part 6: Why Howe is targeting Barnes
