Two wins and a draw in April left Brighton in sixth place heading into the final month of the 2025-26 season – and with Europa League qualification at the very least in their own hands.
None of the three matches the Albion gathered seven points from were easy, either. The first came away at Burnley following a three week break in action for the March internationals and the FA Cup quarter finals.
Brighton under Fabian Hurzeler have a poor record returning to action after an extended period off. Combine that with the Seagulls’ long-standing and proud tradition of being pretty awful whenever playing opposition in the relegation zone and the trip to Turf Moor looked like a major banana skin.
Wieffer double sinks the Clarets
Thank goodness then for Mats Wieffer. Brighton were nowhere near their best against the Clarets. But Wieffer popping up with two goals combined with inspired goalkeeping from Bart Verbruggen and some controversial officiating in favour of the Albion saw Brighton to a 2-0 victory.
A success which felt massive at the time because playing 19th placed Burnley away from after three weeks off is precisely the sort of game the Albion make a pig’s ear out of.
Wieffer opened the scoring with two minutes of the first half remaining. Yankuba Minteh released Pascal Gross down the left and Der Kaiser swept a low cross into the box guided into the bottom corner by the curly haired Dutchman.
The second Wieffer goal came right at the death. Substitute Kaoru Mitoma harried to win possession off James Ward-Prowse. Mitoma worked the ball towards Wieffer arriving on the edge of the box to sidefoot a powerful strike into the far corner.
Burnley felt Mitoma had shoved Ward-Prowse to the ground and the goal should therefore have been disallowed for a foul. Not for the first time on the day, the officials sided with Brighton.
Scott Parker embarks on amazing rant about robots
The Clarets had two goals disallowed for the tightest of offside decisions. Sparking a quite sensational rant from the Burnley manager about robots and the world of AI.
“I have seen them back. Certainly the second one to the eye, when I am looking at it, it does not look offside. But we are in a world now of technology now. We are in a world of AI,” said Parker.
“We are in a world where if computer technology or a robot says what it is, as humans we just accept it. Because that is what we have become accustomed to.”
“To me, it does not look offside. But, of course, I say that. I have become accustomed to saying, well, if a robot says it is or he says this, then that must be true. And that’s just the way it is.”
Point apiece from reunion with Roberto De Zerbi
From one opposition manager losing their mind to facing a very familiar face in the dugout, Brighton headed to Spurs in their second game of April to take on a Tottenham side under their third head coach of the 2025-26 season – a certain Roberto De Zerbi.
A dramatic script for a sunny Saturday afternoon in north London was already in place before kick off. De Zerbi was taking charge of Spurs for the first time at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
It was also the first time he had faced the Albion since leaving the Amex after a history-making 18 months in charge. And his new club desperately needed points to avoid a potentially embarrassing relegation to the Championship.
The football then added even more drama via Mitoma scoring the best Brighton goal of the season before Georginio Rutter found a 95th minute equaliser to salvage a 2-2 draw for the Albion and break Tottenham hearts.
Gomez injury blow leaves Brighton and Paraguay sweating
Not that the first half provided much entertainment. A scrappy game saw 13 fouls conceded in the opening 25 minutes. Brighton were dealt a blow when Diego Gomez was forced off injured; although not as a victim of one of those many fouls.
Gomez landed nastily after challenging for a header, appearing to do serious damage to his knee. As he left the pitch in tears, it looked like his season was definitely over and potentially his World Cup too.
Fair play then to Gomez, who battled back to fitness within one month to live the dream of representing Paraguay in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Spurs took a 39th minute lead when Bart Verbruggen tried to claim a cross from Xavi Simons but got nowhere near it. Pedro Porro nipped in to head home.
Mitoma magic and Rutter to the rescue
Nine minutes later and Mitoma levelled in first half injury time. Pascal Gross whipped over a cross from the right flank and the Japanese winger met it with a first time volley brilliantly rifled into the top corner. Marco van Basten at Euro 88 style.
An ironic twist saw Spurs retake the lead in the second half thanks to Brighton getting in a right mess trying some DeZerbiBall playing out from the back.
Jan Paul van Hecke was dispossessed as Brighton went short from a goal kick. Tottenham quickly worked the ball to Simons. He drove towards goal, threw in a bit of nifty footwork and then fired off a shot giving Verbruggen no chance.
The Albion now had 13 minutes to try and find an equaliser. Credit to Brighton, because their response to falling behind was impressive. It was all Albion in the time remaining.
That pressure eventually told in the fifth of eight added minutes. Hurzeler took a leaf from the Mark McGhee playbook and threw Van Hecke up front for the closing stages.
A decision rewarded when Van Hecke teed up the equaliser to make up for his earlier role in Spurs scoring their second.
The Dutch defender robbed Kevin Danso of possession as he attempted to deal with a low Minteh cross. From there, Van Hecke swept a pass towards the edge of the box. It found the feet of Rutter, who unleashed a powerful shot into the top corer to make it Spurs 2-2 Brighton.
Cue total bedlam in the away corner whilst Spurs supporters were left to contemplate remaining in the bottom three with just five games left to play.
Sorry, Mister De Zerbi.
Brighton end April by crushing Chelsea for 2025-26 double
The last-gasp point earned at Tottenham meant Brighton knew a second victory of the 2025-26 season over Chelsea & Hove Albion would see them end the month sixth by leapfrogging the Blues in the table.
And that victory was secured in brutal finish. Brighton crushed Chelsea 3-0. The away end emptied long before the final whistle.
Those Blues fans who stayed until the bitter end turned on BlueCo and Liam Rosenior, who 24 hours later found himself sacked 24 just three months into a six-and-a-half-year contract. Chelsea – the gift that never stops giving.
“Liam Rosenior, he’s one of our own
Salt was rubbed into the wounds by the Amex crowd, who responded to Blues fans condemnation of their head coach with a rousing reply of “Liam Rosenior, he’s one of our own.”
A reminder that the only plan Todd Boehly and Co seem to have for Chelsea is to pay an obscene amount of money for anyone and anything in the football world with Brighton connections.
The Albion needed just three minutes to take the lead. Gross delivered a corner and Ferdi Kadioglu drilled a low shot past Robert Sanchez.
Former Brighton goalkeeper Sanchez was arguably the only visiting player to come out of the night with any credit. Without an impressive string of saves from Sanchez, the Albion could have racked up seven or eight.
Jack Hinshelwood doubled the advantage 11 minutes into the second half. Minteh launched a quick counter attack, Rutter passed to Hinshelwood and the academy product provided the finish.
Welbeck completes humiliation with SIUUU celebration
Danny Welbeck completed the humiliation in injury time. Substitute Maxim De Cuyper charged down the left and his cross was on a plate for Day Guy to sweep home without needing to break stride.
Welbeck sprinted over to the touchline after the ball hit the back of the net and pulled off the Cristiano Ronaldo SIUUU celebration.
As if he were a celebrity scoring in a charity game at Wembley rather than a 35-year-old netting his 14th goal of the season.
Ironic, seeing as a team of celebrities would have given Brighton a tougher examination than Chelsea managed. Joel Dommett in goal and Alan Carr up front would not have cost a billion pounds to sign, either.
April 2026 record: P3 W2 D1 L0 F2 A5
Results: 2-0 v Burnley (A), 2-2 v Spurs (A), 3-0 v Chelsea (H)
League position at the end of the month: 6th
WeAreBrighton.com Player of the Month: Ferdi Kadioglu
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