Why Brighton's defensive setup is difficult to break down
Fabian Hurzeler's Brighton beat Manchester City 1-0 at City's home the Saturday after being knocked out of the Carabao Cup by the same opponents, a game that ended City's run of scoring in home matches at 23. "We have a great chance on Saturday to take revenge," were Fabian Hurzeler's words as Brighton exited the Carabao Cup at the hands of Manchester City.
Hurzeler, who got St Pauli promoted to the Bundesliga before leaving for Brighton in June 2024, has overseen a side that combines attacking intent with organised defensive work. The team have scored 24 goals in nine games and are the league's top scorers, yet their defensive record has also been strong: they have conceded just seven goals this season, with only Arsenal conceding fewer. Brighton have beaten both Manchester City and Arsenal this season.
From opposition goal-kicks Brighton press high in a largely man-to-man manner, using intensity across the pitch to try to make the tactic effective. A recurrent solution to the extra player available in the build-up is for one of Brighton's attackers to abandon the centre-back they began marking and curve their run towards the keeper, aiming to cut off the pass back while team-mates maintain individual pressure. Charalampos Kostoulas first presses Gabriel Magalhaes before curving his run to press David Raya; this cuts off the pass back to Gabriel and Kostoulas' pressure on Raya forces him to kick the ball out of play early in the game.
Brighton deliberately leave an opponent unmarked at times, usually on the far side, accepting that a distant full-back or winger is harder to find from the ball and that crowding nearer the ball increases turnover chances. Maxim de Cuyper curves his run as he presses Gianluigi Donnarumma, making it difficult for the keeper to pass to Abdukodir Khusanov; with that angle closed, Brighton leave Matheus Nunes unmarked and press man-to-man down City's left.
Unlike most teams that press from goal-kicks and then revert to zonal defensive blocks, Brighton continue to apply man-oriented principles when defending deeper, while prioritising two aims: keeping a plus-one (+1) in defence and blocking the centre of the pitch. When opponents commit four forwards high, Brighton will defend with five; in one sequence Martin Odegaard drifts deeper and Chema Andres, who started marking him, withdraws into midfield to provide central cover, allowing Brighton to remain centrally compact while retaining man-to-man references and a spare defender such as Luka Vuskovic.
Those man-oriented ideas are visible in transitional moments. As Odegaard moved into space and then passed to Declan Rice, Yasin Ayari pressed Rice; Rice's pass to Kai Havertz invited Havertz's marker to step out from centre-back, forcing Havertz to play back to Ezri Konsa and illustrating how Brighton seek to constrain passing options by matching opponents closely while protecting the middle of the pitch.
The approach also shaped Brighton's match against City in other ways. In possession Enzo Maresca asked right-back Matheus Nunes to push up and move infield into a right-sided striker position, and Hurzeler deployed Maxim de Cuyper as a left winger despite the Belgian having spent the majority of his career at left-back; De Cuyper tracked Nunes into that higher position, defended at left centre-back to create a back five, and returned to the wing when Brighton had possession.
That pattern of keeping a defensive +1 often leaves an opposition centre-back with time on the ball but also surrounded by marked options; Brighton shift to seize moments to press that player and then lock into a full man-to-man sequence. Ayari turns to notice Bruno Guimaraes, De Cuyper looks at Jurrien Timber, Pascal Gross presses Rice while Ayari blocks the pass into Guimaraes, a pass back to Konsa triggers Ayari to step up as Gross pressures Konsa, and Chema steps up from holding midfield to press Guimaraes — ending with Brighton man-to-man around the ball. Abdukodir Khusanov's powerful ball-carrying from a wider position provided perhaps the clearest route for City, but the combination of blocking the centre and selective individual marking makes Brighton a difficult tactical puzzle.
Brighton now sit in third place, only behind City and Premier League leaders Arsenal, both teams they have beaten this season.