Lewis Dunk sends emotional message to Chris Hughton – ‘what a man’
Brighton’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the Premier League season had a bittersweet result.
The Seagulls finished an inconsistent first season under Fabian Hurzeler in red-hot form, with four wins from their final five matches after a previous run of five without victory which saw them drop to tenth.
Since a 7-0 loss at Nottingham Forest on 1 Feburary, Brighton lost just three of their remaining 14 games to embark on a strong run of form which saw them finish just three points behind Forest in eighth place.
The last of their eight victories in this run came on Sunday (25 May), as they thumped Tottenham 4-1 away from home with a Jack Hinshelwood brace before late strikes from Matt O’Riley and Diego Gomez.
A dominant win over the Europa League victors wasn’t enough for Brighton to reach Europe themselves though, as Chelsea’s win over Forest means they finish in the top four and prevent the eighth-placed team from qualifying for the UEFA Conference League.
Lewis Dunk reunities with Brighton hero v Tottenham
Injuries and the emergence of Jan Paul van Hecke has seen their long-time captain Dunk play a reduced role at the Amex Stadium this term, but the 33-year-old remains a key cog in Hurzeler’s dressing room.
Dunk was left on the bench against Tottenham as Van Hecke and Adam Webster saw out Brighton’s final match of the season, but that didn’t prevent him from seeking out a legend of both clubs at full-time.
The Brighton captain met his former coach and ex-Tottenham player Chris Hughton – who began the Seagulls’ Premier League journey back in 2017 – and posted on his Instagram story (27 May) afterwards.
In his post, Dunk said: “What a manager and man.”
Brighton to rebuild after Conference League snub
Brighton were desperate for Forest to do them a favour on the final day by beating Chelsea to book a Champions League spot, and therefore open up a Conference League place for the eighth-placed team.
Forest’s 1-0 defeat by Chelsea saw both them and the Seagulls miss out on the European competition they had their eye on, but they have the consolation of a Conference League spot at Brighton’s expense.
The Seagulls will get no such consolation this summer with elite sides keen on their top talent, and after Brighton’s sixth-placed finish in 2023, a second straight season outside Europe could see the likes of Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro sold to pastures new.