Guardian writers’ predicted position: 6th (NB: this is not necessarily Sophie Downey’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips) A first FA Cup final was a historic moment for Brighton. Despite losing to Manchester City at Wembley, it will have filled Dario Vidosic and his team with the belief that they are on the right track. It has been a summer of relative stability on the south coast.
While there are seven new faces, departures have been limited to four. The arrivals of Lia Wälti and Gabby George bring vast experience and increased defensive acumen to the ranks while the Republic of Ireland’s Emily Murphy and Poland’s Nadia Krezyman are young attacking talents who have started to make a name for themselves. Brighton’s inconsistency was their downfall last season.
They were seriously hampered by the lack of an out-and-out centre-forward after the anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered by the Arsenal loanee and England Euros hero Michelle Agyemang. Kiko Seike finished as their highest scorer in the league with eight and she was their only representative in the Women’s Super League’s top 20 for goals and assists. That problem remains unsolved and will surely be a focus for the remainder of the transfer window.
The conclusion of their season certainly gave Brighton something to build on over the summer. They secured an impressive league victory over City and a draw against Arsenal and will hope to outdo the latter when they host Renée Slegers’s side at Crawley in their opener on 6 September. That on paper is the toughest of Brighton’s opening four fixtures.
Pinterest has become the first solo sponsor of the women’s team with a four-year partnership. The deal pivots around the concept of ‘matchday style’, bringing to life the way fans show support for their team. Plans continue for the construction of Europe’s first purpose-built women’s football stadium.
Located next to the Amex Stadium, the hope is it will open for the start of the 2030-2031 campaign. Now entering his third season, Vidosic is the second-longest serving manager in the WSL, a period that has brought much-needed stability to the club and allowed the Croatian-born Australian time to fully implement his aggressive pressing and possession-based style. He has been on a journey, developing an out-of-possession style to help his team deal with some of the bigger clubs in the WSL The 39-year-old has never hidden from his desire to bring silverware to Brighton and last season’s FA Cup final will have given him a taste of the steps required to realise that ambition.
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