Brighton’s three clean sheets: what is behind their 10-goal winning run?

Brighton’s three clean sheets have come alongside ten goals, nine points and three very different examinations of Fabian Hürzeler’s side.

Coventry were beaten 5–0, champions Arsenal lost 3–0 at the Amex, and Sunderland were defeated 2–0 despite Brighton playing more than half an hour with ten men.

That sequence has taken Albion to 13 points from six Premier League matches. Their victory at the Stadium of Light also completed their first run of three successive league wins without conceding since October 2018.

The results invite excitement. The performances offer a more useful explanation of why Brighton are winning — and where they still need to improve.

Across those three games, they have shown they can punish mistakes, disrupt an opponent’s passing and protect an advantage when circumstances turn against them. That variety is the most encouraging part of their start.

Brighton’s three clean sheets tell different stories

The Coventry scoreline suggests an afternoon of complete control. The match itself was more complicated.

Brighton started strongly, but Coventry then enjoyed a spell of pressure. Bart Verbruggen made important saves before Charalampos Kostoulas gave the visitors the lead.

Malick Yalcouyé doubled the advantage early in the second half, with Taiwo Awoniyi’s subsequent dismissal making Coventry’s task considerably harder. Three more goals followed.

As Sky Sports’ Coventry match report records, the hosts had ten first-half shots. Brighton needed their goalkeeper before they could turn a competitive game into a convincing victory.

That distinction matters when assessing the clean sheets. A team can defend its penalty area well, receive excellent goalkeeping and still allow uncomfortable moments.

Coventry demonstrated Brighton’s ability to survive those moments and take control afterwards. Sunderland would eventually demand a different kind of resistance.

Against Arsenal, pressure created opportunities

The win over Arsenal provided the clearest evidence of Brighton’s ability to disrupt a strong opponent.

According to Opta’s analysis of the match, Albion regained possession in the final third nine times. No Premier League side had managed more against Arsenal since Liverpool recorded nine in December 2023.

Those recoveries helped prevent Arsenal from settling into their passing rhythm. They also gave Brighton opportunities to attack before the visitors could organise themselves.

There is a qualification, however. Groß and Kostoulas both scored from distance, and Opta recorded Brighton’s expected goals at 1.33 against Arsenal’s 1.58. The quality of their finishing helped produce a much wider margin than those figures suggested.

The pressing is a stronger foundation for future optimism than an expectation that long-range shots will keep finding the corners. Repeatedly forcing mistakes offers something a coach can work to reproduce. Exceptional finishing is harder to guarantee.

Groß gives Brighton a reliable creative presence

Pascal Groß connects much of Brighton’s best attacking work.

At Sunderland, he supplied the pass for Maxim De Cuyper’s opening goal. It was his third successive Premier League appearance with an assist, extending his influence across the winning run.

The move followed a long throw that Sunderland failed to clear effectively. Groß found De Cuyper in space, and the Belgian finished low past Robin Roefs.

It was an important example of decision-making once an opportunity appeared. Brighton still needed someone to recognise the available pass and deliver it accurately.

The wider numbers support Groß’s importance. Before Saturday, Brighton’s official match preview recorded 54 Premier League chances created by him during 2026, behind only Bruno Fernandes and Dominik Szoboszlai.

That provides context beyond three productive matches. Brighton have a midfielder whose creativity has been sustained over a longer period, giving their other attackers a dependable source of opportunities.

Sunderland tested Hürzeler’s response

De Cuyper scored in the 53rd minute. Four minutes later, Pascal Struijk was sent off.

Hürzeler responded by introducing Lewis Dunk for Kostoulas in the 60th minute, restoring a central defender at the expense of his starting striker.

Further changes followed, with Costinha and Yalcouyé replacing Olivier Boscagli and De Cuyper. Brighton had to manage their resources while Sunderland chased the equaliser.

The final figures help explain why the visitors remained competitive. Sunderland had 62% possession, but Brighton finished with more shots, 13 to 12, and more shots on target, four to three. Brighton were also credited with five big chances against Sunderland’s one.

Those are whole-match figures, so they cannot describe the period after the dismissal on their own. They do show why possession alone gives an incomplete account of the contest.

Our Sunderland vs Brighton player ratings reflected contributions across the side, with Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Luka Vušković, Groß and Diego Gómez all receiving 7.5.

The bench helped finish the job

Brighton’s final substitutions provided the decisive attacking contribution.

Jaouen Hadjam and Georginio Rutter entered in the 88th minute. In stoppage time, Rutter assisted Hadjam for the goal that secured the points.

Introducing players capable of carrying an attacking threat gave Brighton a way to make Sunderland defend again. The second goal was the clearest reward for that approach.

There is an important practical benefit here. A side defending a narrow lead needs ways to move the game away from its own penalty area. Fresh attackers can provide an outlet as well as a scoring opportunity.

On Saturday, Brighton’s replacements did both at the decisive moment. Their impact offers encouragement as Hürzeler manages a squad that will need contributions beyond its regular starters.

Why the defensive questions have not disappeared

Three clean sheets should not end the examination of Brighton’s defending.

Before Sunderland, the club’s official statistical preview listed Albion as having conceded the highest expected-goals total from set pieces, excluding penalties, in the division: 4.31.

That figure covered their opening five matches. It is a warning about the quality of chances allowed from those situations, even when the eventual scorelines look reassuring.

Brighton also needed Verbruggen during Coventry’s stronger spell. Keeping opponents out has involved several parts working together, including the goalkeeper’s interventions.

For Hürzeler, the next step is to reduce the occasions when those interventions become necessary.

A promising run with a clear next test

In his reaction to the Sunderland victory, Hürzeler kept the emphasis on performances and improvement.

That is a sensible position after six league games. Brighton have produced impressive evidence of their strengths, while the sample remains too small to settle questions about where they will finish.

The immediate challenge is consistency: maintaining their pressure on opponents, giving Groß passing options and keeping their defensive organisation when the game changes.

Their last three victories offer different reasons for confidence. Brighton have found goals through several players, adjusted to adversity and received decisive contributions from the bench.

If those qualities endure beyond this winning run, their strong start will have a substantial foundation.