Graphic showing top six table when conceding first: Pos Team P GD PTS 1 Brighton 17 -11 20 2 Liverpool 13 6 19 3 Man City 14 -4 19 4 Newcastle 20 -15 19 5 Fulham 16 -5 18 6 Aston Villa 14 -12 18

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

"We never do it the easy way."

Something muttered by many a football fan as they watch their side go 1-0 down again.

As frustrating as it can be watching from the stands or on the TV, it is a position some teams thrive in.

Luring the opposition into a false sense of security, it is almost as though they do not get going until they have given the other team a chance.

And if the league was measured on how well a team bounces back after conceding the first goal, then this season would have seen Brighton coming away with a Premier League title.

There were 17 occasions in 2024-25 when the Seagulls conceded the first goal, but from those they came back to win five and draw five - rescuing 20 points in the process.

It will not have made for comfortable watching for the fans, but it does show the tenacity of Fabian Hurzeler's side to turn a match around.

The sign of champions is to win when you are not at your best and that is what Liverpool did this campaign. They may not have have conceded first as often as Brighton, but they still came back to win four times and draw seven.

It will not have always helped the cause of those chasing European spots, but Newcastle, Fulham and Aston Villa all showed the resilience that they could go one-goal down and still get much-needed points from a game.

At the other end of the scale, while some teams thrive in this situation, others flounder.

Nottingham Forest surprised many onlookers going from relegation candidates to battling for a Champions League spot in less than 12 months.

But key to that was their defence. There were not many occasions where they went 1-0 down - however, when they did, their ability to turn it around was in relegation territory.

The silver-lining for Reds fans, though, is that they really did make it difficult for the opposition to get in front and this is a strength they will hope to build on going forwards.

Graphic showing bottom six table when conceding first: Pos Team P GD PTS 15 Wolves 23 -27 11 16 Leicester City 30 -49 11 17 West Ham 21 -30 6 18 Nottingham Forest 12 -17 5 19 Ipswich Town 22 -44 3 20 Southampton 25 -51 2

  • Knoop and Stern to exit as part of backroom reshuffle

    Marco Knoop and Jack Stern

    Goalkeeper coaches Marco Knoop and Jack Stern will leave Brighton this summer as head coach Fabian Hurzeler shakes up his backroom team.

    The club have also confirmed the Seagulls boss will appoint a replacement goalkeeping coach and recruit a new set-piece specialist, with Knoop also responsible for defensive set-pieces in his one season at the Amex.

    Stern ed the club in 2022 and had signed a new deal last summer.

    "On behalf of everyone at the club, I take this opportunity to thank Marco and Jack for their efforts here," said Hurzeler.

    "Marco is returning to and goes with our thanks and best wishes. He made a lot of sacrifices to me in England, and I will always be grateful to him for that.

    "Jack and Marco have helped us to achieve a successful season in my first campaign at Brighton and I wish both well for the future."

    Technical director David Weir added: "It's never an easy decision when people leave the club and I echo Fabian's sentiments.

    "Jack has been part of a very successful period for club, working under Graham Potter, Roberto de Zerbi and Fabian.

    "We thank both for their service, professionalism and hard work and wish them well for the future."

  • 'Two big-money sales the maximum Albion should consider'

    Scott McCarthy
    Fan writer

    Brighton fan's voice banner
    Karou Mitoma and Fabian HurzelerGetty Images

    The past two summers have been one of considerable change at the Amex.

    In 2024, Brighton signed nine players for £193m and appointed a new head coach. Yet 12 months earlier it was outgoings that dominated the Albion news cycle.

    The midfield pairing which had taken Brighton into the Europa League were sold, Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister bringing in a cool £150m combined.

    Everyone knows the Albion have a model. Buy young players. Develop them into stars. Sell if a buying club offers more than Brighton value said player at.

    The model means any of Kaoru Mitoma, Joao Pedro, Carlos Baleba, Bart Verbruggen and Jan Paul van Hecke could depart this summer, depending on who or what you believe.

    But there is a growing feeling among some Seagulls ers that the model might need to change slightly. And much of it comes from decision-makers at the club publicly describing 2024-25 as a transitional season.

    The implication is that a young squad and young manager will be better in 2025-26 for the experience gained in the campaign just finished.

    But if Brighton were then to sell off the family silver this summer, the risk is that 2025-26 becomes a transitional season again.

    Young and inexperienced replacements take over from Verbruggen in goal, Van Hecke in defence, Baleba in midfield and Mitoma out wide.

    Meanwhile, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea or whoever else benefit from the work the Albion put into developing those players in that transitional 2024-25 campaign.

    Mitoma seems most likely to go. He is 28 years old and deserves to achieve his long-stated dream of playing Champions League football. Pedro's off-field issues may also ease the way for his exit.

    Two big-money sales is arguably the maximum the Albion should consider.

    What cannot happen is selling in one summer the entire spine of a team who have shown they have the potential to challenge for the top five. No matter how good the money might look on a balance sheet.

    Otherwise, when does the transitional season end?

    Find more from Scott McCarthy at We Are Brighton