Not only are Brighton scoring more than everyone else in the Premier League, they are netting better goals too. Centre-half Lewis Dunk won the Premier League goal of the month for September with a 35-yard stunner against Coventry. Now, five weeks later, that has already been eclipsed.
Step forward Seagulls team-mate Diego Gomez, who shot from the halfway line having seen Crystal Palace goalkeeper Walter Benitez off his line during Brighton's emphatic 5-0 win over their rivals on Sunday. Benitez made a rapid dash back to his goal and produced a desperate dive but could not stop the ball going in just under the crossbar. "As soon as he struck it, I knew it was in.
He's taken the club goal of the season off me," joked Brighton skipper Dunk. "That's the goal of the season so far, what a hit," added former Premier League striker Efan Ekoku, part of the commentary team for BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra. "[It was] superbly struck and right over the head of the keeper from the centre-circle." Gomez's seventh-minute goal at the Amex put Brighton 2-0 up and was from 51 metres, the furthest long-range Premier League goal since Wayne Rooney scored from 58m for Everton in their 4-0 win over West Ham in November 2017.
"When I scored, I didn't know where to run, or what to do," admitted 23-year-old Paraguay midfielder Gomez. "When I got the ball, I knew the goalkeeper was a little bit ahead. I was very happy with the goal." Former Newcastle goalkeeper and Match of the Day pundit Shay Given said the goal was "reminiscent of David Beckham [for Manchester United versus Wimbledon in 1996]" and added: "I don't even blame Benitez the goalkeeper.
"We're always talking about sweeper goalkeepers and you've got to be high up for the through ball and the defence playing a high line. I think his position was fine. "You've just got to take your hat off to Gomez.
That is just a brilliant, brilliant goal." Brighton have never finished higher than sixth in English football's top flight, but now have 16 points from seven matches, with fan hopes rising that they could make a real push for Champions League qualification, or even a title challenge. Their tally of 23 top-flight goals is four more than league leaders Manchester City, and more than double the 11 of reigning champions Arsenal. Since the top flight was rebranded as the Premier League in 1992, only three sides have scored more goals across their first seven games of a season - Arsenal in 2009-10 (24), Manchester United in 2011-12 (24), and Manchester City in 2019-20 (27).
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