Brighton staggered to the Conference League qualification finish line last season, but will they enjoy the fruits of their labour? Brighton 2026-27 season preview

['Owen Wilkinson', 'Tom Wiggins', 'Kedar Bayley', 'Layer Van-Ds .Vds-Author Font-Size Var --Text-Base', 'Font-Size Var --Vds-Author-Font-Size', 'Var --Text-Base', 'Line-Height Var --Text-Base--Line-Height', 'Line-Height Var --Vds-Author-Line-Height', 'Var --Text-Base--Line-Height', 'Letter-Spacing Var --Tracking-Normal'] Latest from FourFourTwo 2026-08-03 13:30:00

The Seagulls will be considered among the favourites to win the 2026-27 UEFA Conference League, such is the mammoth financial advantage enjoyed by Premier League sides in that competition. Losing their final two games left them needing other results to decide whether they would be in the Europa League, the Conference League, or neither. (Image credit: Getty Images)Still, for Albion's size, four Premier League top-half finishes in five years is impressive. (Image credit: Getty Images)Key PlayerThe average age of Brighton's squad will fall significantly this summer, so leadership in the dressing room matters. (Image credit: Getty Images)Least Likely To...Bring in Sean Dyche as director of football and label data-based scouting as “woke nonsense”.