Fabian Hurzeler thinks Brighton fans can make the difference during taxing run-in

Brighton & Hove Albion’s final weeks of the season read like a European contender’s nightmare, yet the Seagulls themselves are only 12th in the Premier League. Three of their last four home fixtures pit Fabian Hurzeler’s side against clubs currently in the scramble for Champions League places, beginning with Liverpool’s visit on Saturday and ending with Manchester United on May 24. Sandwiched between are Chelsea, whose league date of April 26 could yet shift to midweek if they progress past Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals, and a May 9 meeting with already-doomed Wolves.

The Amex has become an unlikely king-maker. Liverpool have lost three of their last five trips to Sussex; Chelsea have won once in their last four league visits; United have lost seven of the last ten encounters with Brighton under four different caretakers or managers. Hurzeler, whose team have drawn six times at home this term, believes the decisive edge can come from the stands rather than the tactics board.

“I felt against Arsenal that we created a really good atmosphere,” the 31-year-old head coach said, referencing the 1-0 loss to the league leaders in which he publicly called out the visitors’ time-wasting. “The fans were behind it immediately. That gave us so much energy. If we stick together, we can be a club that no one wants to play against.”

The call for unity marks a sharp pivot from early February, when sections of the stadium chanted for Hurzeler’s dismissal after a 1-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace extended a winless league run to one victory in 12. A 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest on the first weekend of March, followed by the hard-fought loss to Arsenal, has restored a more buoyant mood around the Amex.

Hurzeler insists the volatility is welcome. “Everyone is allowed to share their emotions in our stadium because we want fans that are passionate. If I do bad things, I’m responsible and the fans can criticise me.”

Off the pitch, the club is working to keep supporters engaged beyond the glamour ties. Season-ticket renewal hit 90% last week, and from 2026-27 season-ticket holders will be able to share seats at no extra cost with club members, or with non-members for a small uplift. The initiative is part of a broader effort to combat what officials privately term “Premier League fatigue”: traffic bottlenecks around the Amex, limited parking after the loss of 400 spaces in 2021, and long post-match queues at Falmer station.

The Terrace fan zone, opened last year, has proved popular but keeps fans on site longer, extending the congestion. Even so, the club’s 125th anniversary next season—only 14 of which have been spent in the top flight—reminds supporters that the current stretch remains a historic outlier.

Brighton’s role as spoiler could yet shape the Champions League picture. A positive result against Liverpool on Saturday would tighten the race for fourth, while anything taken off Chelsea and United in the final fortnight could prove decisive for European qualification. Hurzeler’s message is simple: the 12th man may be the club’s most influential player over the next six weeks.

“We all together should create an environment where no one wants to come into our stadium,” he said. “That’s something we have to see as a long-term goal at this club—together with the fans.”

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