Brighton enjoyed a successful return to the Premier League as they defied pre-season predictions of being relegated. They ended the campaign in a fairly comfortable fashion, finishing seven points above the relegation zone despite a dip in form in the final weeks.
After a shaky start to the season, Brighton quickly hit their stride and were in and out of the top half of the table for majority of the campaign. Coach Chris Hughton deployed a well drilled side that was rarely outplayed by their opposition, with only Liverpool and Chelsea managing to score more than two goals against them until April.
Despite the club spending a sizeable amount in boosting their firepower upfront, it was an old head that played a key role in guiding them to safety. Glenn Murray chipped in with crucial goals at regular intervals and had Brighton been more clinical in front of goal, especially against teams sitting around them in the league table, Hughton could very well have guided the Seagulls into a top half finish.
There are areas that need improvement if Brighton are to enjoy another successful campaign next season with the Seagulls especially poor on the road where they were shut out on 12 occasions, managing to score just 10 goals over the course of the season.
Brighton will also need to improve on their finishing ability, with the club scoring just 34 goals over the season, representing the second worst attack amongst the teams that survived the drop.
