Sussex

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We asked for your views on our fan contributor Scott McCarthy's end of season scorecard (27 May, 12:42 BST).

Here are some of your comments:

Olly: With a young squad and manager in his first season in the Premier League, along with the injury list, it has been a successful season, although frustrating dropping points from winning positions and not doing well against sides that were relegated. The experience of this season bodes well for next.

Noddy: Albion's biggest obstacle was the many injuries we suffered all season. If everyone was fit there is no telling where they would be now. Most probably in the Champions League.

Adam: Many Brighton fans will be used to drama. There are not many seasons when we can say Brighton were average. However, there were times when we dropped crucial points in the latter stages of games when we were in complete control. So it's definitely a case of what could have been, rather than what it has been - and don't get me wrong, we are very grateful for our second-best finish. It just didn't quite hit the European bullseye we were all hoping for. Instead, we hit the middle of the board and bounced out again. Roll on next season!

Brian: Overall a good season - we failed to reach the European places due to inconsistency and in particular losing points at the Amex to relegation candidates. A good experience, though, for a young squad for whom I'm sure greater things await. However, time to say goodbye to a great servant of the club, Lewis Dunk.

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Former Brighton player Warren Aspinall believes head coach Fabian Hurzeler has ed his first Premier League season 'with flying colours'.

The 32-year-old is the league's youngest permanent manager and behind Chelsea, named on average the second youngest squad in the division.

"I think he's been a revelation, at the age he is to come to a different country and a different league," Aspinall told BBC Radio Sussex's 'Albion Unlimited' podcast.

"First time in the Premier League - he doesn't know the pace of the league but he soon found out. He's come to a different country with a different culture. Lots of things going on and he didn't have many background staff with him to start off with.

"We've had little dips and things and I think the big dip for me was losing in the FA Cup when we lost 4-3 on penalties [to Nottingham Forest in the quarter-final] and that deflated us quite a lot.

"So it was a tough season for him but he's come out with flying colours."

Listen to the full chat here

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The BBC's Ask Me Anything team have done all of the research ahead of the announcement detailing next season's Premier League matches.

The fixtures for the 2025-26 season will be released at 09:00 BST on Wednesday, 18 June 2025 and the release will include the weekly schedule of all 380 matches.

The season will begin with a single fixture played on Friday, 15 August 2025 and conclude on Sunday, 24 May 2026, when all matches will be played at 16:00 BST. There will be 33 weekend rounds of fixtures, plus five midweek rounds.

The exact date and time at which individual matches are played during each weekend will be determined at regular intervals throughout the season, based on TV selections made by broadcasters.

Read the full article here

We asked you to select your Brighton player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan contributor.

And with the poll now closed, we can reveal the winner is... Jan Paul van Hecke!

Here's what Scott McCarthy from We Are Brighton, external said about him:

Van Hecke has been the one constant at the heart of the defence this season. Rattled through more partners than Henry VIII had wives, yet nothing has fazed him. Will surely succeed Lewis Dunk as captain... presuming he breaks the curse of not leaving within months of winning the club's official player of the year award.

See the final poll breakdown

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Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Newcastle's Bruno Guimaraes covered the most ground this season, running 261 miles (St James' Park to Wembley is 271 miles).

He retains the award after racking up 263 miles in the competition last season.

Josko Gvardiol, Daniel Munoz, Bryan Mbeumo and Milos Kerkez complete the top five for most distance covered across the Premier League season.

Taking time on the pitch into (out of players that played over half the available minutes), Guimaraes was pipped by Newcastle team-mate in the list by team-mate Sandro Tonali who covered more ground per 90 minutes than the Brazilian…although Bruno still ran 7.2 miles per 90 minutes!

Tottenham's Dejan Kulusevski ran harder than any other player this season, covering 7.7 miles per 90 minutes on average.

West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek ran an average of 7.5 miles per 90 minutes, while Manchester City's Bernardo Silva (7.3) and Brighton's Yasin Ayari complete the top five.

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Japanese football journalist Masatoshi Mori believes Kaoru Mitoma should stay in the Premier League amid interest from Bayern Munich.

Mitoma, 28, has been heavily linked with a move to in the summer. This would offer him Champions League football, with Brighton missing out on European competition for next season.

However, Mori believes the standard in the Premier League compared with the Bundesliga is better for Mitoma.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast, he said: "If Brighton had got into Europe, I think Mitoma would definitely have stayed. He's such an ambitious player, but Brighton has the same kind of ambition.

"He has never spoke about a transfer, and I've asked him before about Champions League football being attractive. He just ed it off, laughing.

"I have to say that Mitoma believes Premier League football is really good for him. Going to the Bundesliga and playing for Bayern Munich is massive, but I don't know if that's the best choice for him.

"We will have to wait and see. I've always thought the Premier League is the hardest league for Japanese players, but Mitoma has changed that.

"In the final game against Tottenham, he looked like the best player on the pitch. I personally want him to play in the Premier League a little bit more."

Listen to the full chat here

Johnny Cantor
BBC Radio Sussex reporter

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Fabian Hurzeler deserves huge credit for securing the club's second-highest Premier League finish in his first season in charge.

A points tally of 61 was only one shy of the campaign that delivered Europa League football under Roberto de Zerbi with help from Graham Potter. The lack of European football next season will be a frustration, but it is not the only target for this club.

When the 32-year-old arrived, he stated he wanted to "challenge the establishment", and in of league position, he came very close. At times, the Seagulls bloodied a few noses with some stand-out performances, securing wins over both this season and last year's champions along the way. Hurzeler continues to strive for consistency, and that has been difficult to achieve for a host of reasons.

Astute business and big-name sales allowed huge investment last summer, but Hurzeler has been hampered hugely by injuries to new gs Matt O'Riley and Ferdi Kadioglu as well as dependable Solly March and the experienced James Milner.

Adding that to several shorter absences from regular key first-team players, he did not name the same starting XI in any Premier League game this season.

The style has evolved, but the high-intensity football is clear to see. Goals have not been a problem with three individuals making double figures for the first time.

Defensively, the team has looked slightly suspect at times, but the stats are skewed by that 7-0 defeat at Nottingham Forest. Ironically, that loss sparked a brilliant run, and that has been the story this season.

The good results have come in streaks, finishing the campaign with 13 points from a positive 15. Away from the league, the defeat in the quarter finals of the FA Cup also hurt, especially when arch rivals Crystal Palace, went on to lift the trophy.

As with the past five or so seasons, the next challenge is to deal with inevitable interest in the star performers. Joao Pedro, Kaoru Mitoma and Bart Verbruggen will all have their suitors but, as ever, the club will only sell at the right price and when it already has a replacement in-house or on the way in.

A season of transition has shown huge promise, and an ambitious head coach will be hoping to build on a decent platform next year.

The latest episode of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited has dropped!

Journalist Masatoshi Mori s the team to discuss Kaoru Mitoma, and whether he could be on the move this summer. while Brighton midfielder Jack Hinselwood reflects on just missing out on European qualification.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds