Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Yasin Ayari reflects on the defeat at Fulham, there's the latest on the transfer window and the BBC's chief football writer Phil McNulty discusses Albion's DNA.
Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up
Igor returns to Seagullspublished at 19:34 GMT 27 January
19:34 GMT 27 January
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton defender Igor Julio has returned to the Seagulls after a loan spell at West Ham.
The 27-year-old, who joined Brighton in 2023, played just four times for the Hammers having joined on loan in September.
Albion's sporting director Jason Ayto said: "We're very pleased to welcome Igor back to the club. He will now be part of the squad going forward, and his return gives us added competition and cover in defence for the remainder of the season."
Milner's Brighton appearances not contract-drivenpublished at 15:45 GMT 27 January
15:45 GMT 27 January
Karan Vinod BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Speculation around James Milner's involvement at Brighton has gathered pace in recent weeks, particularly after his introduction from the bench against Fulham prompted confusion and frustration among some supporters.
The 40-year-old midfielder is closing in on Gareth Barry's all-time Premier League appearance record of 653, leading to suggestions that Milner's contract may include clauses linked to reaching the landmark.
However, BBC Sport understands there is no such provision in Milner's Brighton deal.
Any implication that the former England international is being selected or used specifically to edge him closer to Barry's record is widely off the mark, according to sources close to the situation.
Milner, who joined Brighton in 2023, has been used sparingly this season by Fabian Hurzeler, with numerous appearances from the bench and his last start coming in December against West Ham - one of just two Premier League starts all season.
The former England international currently sits second on the Premier League's all-time appearance list with 651, two behind former Aston Villa and Manchester City midfielder Barry. While the milestone remains within reach, there is no obligation - written or otherwise - dictating how or when Milner is deployed.
'Milner is being gifted appearances'published at 11:46 GMT 27 January
11:46 GMT 27 January
Scott McCarthy Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
When did Brighton & Hove Albion turn into a charity for Premier League appearances? That was one of the many questions Seagulls supporters were asking coming away from defeat at Fulham on Saturday.
Not for the first time this season, Fabian Hurzeler made a substitution involving James Milner which made little sense. Adding to the feeling, Milner is being gifted appearances so he can break the Premier League record.
Hurzeler bringing on Milner at Anfield back in December, for example, was clearly done for another tick in the box and a nice reception from the home crowd. The token substitution did not go down well at the time.
Milner made matters worse afterwards with a social media post thanking Liverpool fans, but no mention of the 3,000 Albion supporters making a 540-mile round trip two weeks before Christmas.
As annoying as it was seeing a 39-year-old come on when Brighton had young players on the bench who could have benefited from the experience, at least the Albion were 2-0 down. It had no bearing on the outcome.
Which was not the case against Fulham. Carlos Baleba had run the midfield with his best performance of the season. If Baleba was tiring, Hurzeler had Jack Hinshelwood on the bench to bring similar energy and drive.
Instead, Hurzeler introduced Milner with 81 minutes played. 11 minutes later and Fulham scored their winner from a free kick conceded in the exact area of the pitch Baleba had defended well all afternoon.
So baffling and frustrating has this become that some Brighton fans are now buying into the conspiracy that the contract Milner signed in the summer contained a clause saying the Albion had to help him pass Gareth Barry's 653 top-flight games.
It is a conspiracy and no more.
What is certain is Milner is now within two of that number. He could reach the milestone against Crystal Palace in a fortnight and surpass it at Aston Villa the following Wednesday.
Good for him. And hopefully good for Brighton if it means Hurzeler stops making decisions which appear to be for the benefit of Milner rather than Brighton.
Robert: Certainly not a good performance from fulham, but the substitutions paid off for us.
Gilo: Strange game. Half the time we were being mauled by Brighton and I was thinking this could be 0-3 as they walked through our midfield time and time again. But we hung in and it was much better in the second half. Harry Wilson scored a wonder goal, though their goalkeeper looked at fault. All-in-all a weird game.
Rob: Rode our luck. Could have been game over before the substitutions. Kevin and Antonee Robinson not good enough. How does he start in front of Ryan Sessegnon? It was a lot better in the last 30 minutes, but the squad needs new recruits now if there is any chance of European qualification.
Ash: We got away with a robbery. We were very poor in the middle of the pitch and struggled at times to string simple passes together. We got lucky because of two bits of quality. We will take it and move on but the performance wasn't great.
Brighton fans
Steve: We played some lovely football and were the better team yet we squandered some great chances again. We were denied a goal by VAR and made a couple of late errors. The most frustrating result of the season.
Karina: Brighton really should have put the game to bed in the first half when they were clearly the better team. We needed earlier substitutions and a bit more strength when in the 50-50 situations.
David: Once again defeat from the jaws of victory with the usual claims from the head coach that Brighton were the better team. The better teams score more goals than the other side and cement that claim. Surely Tony Bloom is looking at a change of head coach before too long as the current playing system clearly does not work?
Jane: Shocking substitutions cost us the game. We just needed to hang on.
'We know why we lost the game' - Ayaripublished at 08:24 GMT 26 January
08:24 GMT 26 January
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton midfielder Yasin Ayari says the defeat to Fulham was down to a lack of team focus in the closing stages of the game.
Ayari produced a moment of magic to put the Seagulls in front in the first half but Fulham later equalised through substitute Samuel Chukwueze before Harry Wilson produced the winning strike in the 92nd minute
Wilson beat Bart Verbruggen from 25 yards with a free-kick awarded for a foul by Charalampos Kostoulas on Josh King.
"We know why we lost the game," said Ayari to BBC Radio Sussex. "It is the small details because we controlled the game for the most part.
"They ended up scoring and getting the three points. I think we deserved the three points, but this is the Premier League and you have to stay focused until the final whistle and in this game we did not.
"The most painful thing is knowing we could have walked away with all three points which are vital in this moment because the table is so tight.
"We are a good team and we are playing good football, but we need to do it for the full 90 minutes and not just parts of games.
"We need to stay focused and stay together as a group because the games are coming quick and we need to bounce back."
Analysis: Fulham loss dents Brighton's European hopespublished at 19:49 GMT 24 January
19:49 GMT 24 January
Adwaidh Rajan BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Fulham and Brighton were 11th and 12th heading into this week's Premier League fixture at Craven Cottage.
But the congested nature of the table meant European qualification is still a very realistic target for both sides this season.
Brighton's only continental adventure came in 2023-24 in the Europa League while the Cottagers have not featured in Europe since their outing in the same competition back in 2011-12.
So the stakes were higher than the league positions suggested and that is perhaps why the late 2-1 defeat to the Cottagers left Fabian Hurzeler and his players in a state of shock.
The Seagulls took he lead through Yasin Ayari in the first half and were the better side for much of the contest.
They had opportunities to double the lead through Ferdi Kadioglu and Pascal Gross - both of whom were denied by clearances off the line by Timothy Castagne.
Lewis Dunk and Danny Welbeck also went close early in the second half as they looked to put the result beyond doubt before Welbeck found the back of the net only for the goal to be ruled out for an offside by the video assistant referee.
As Brighton failed to take advantage of the opportunities - converting just one of the four big chances - Fulham capitalised on the two that came their way to mount the stunning comeback.
Fulham 2-1 Brighton: What Hurzeler saidpublished at 19:40 GMT 24 January
19:40 GMT 24 January
Media caption,
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler, spoke to BBC Match of the Day after his side's defeat at Fulham: "That's football. Sometimes football is brutal and the better team loses.
"We controlled the things we could control and regarding the performance, it was one of the best we have played.
"VAR is one of those things you can't control so we have to accept it.
"Overall, we defended really good in the game, we controlled the game, but that's football - you have to understand it. Some people might be worried, but I see the team sticking together.
"Sometimes you need luck in football and we need to get the luck back. You can't complain, you have to keep working."
Did you know?
That was the first time Brighton have lost a Premier League game courtesy of a 90th-minute winner since February 2024 (a 2-1 loss to Tottenham).
You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Manchester City v Wolves" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Bournemouth v Liverpool", for instance.
Sutton's predictions: Fulham v Brightonpublished at 11:03 GMT 24 January
11:03 GMT 24 January
These two sides are next to each other in the table in 11th and 12th, and drew 1-1 at the start of the season, so you know this is going to be close.
Fulham will have Alex Iwobi, Samuel Chukwueze and Calvin Bassey back from the Africa Cup of Nations, and I am not reading too much into their last-gasp defeat at Leeds last week anyhow.
Brighton will create chances - they always do - and I am expecting them to score, but Fulham won this game 3-1 last season with Iwobi scoring twice and I am going for them again this time.
Fulham v Brighton & Hove Albion: Key stats and talking pointspublished at 18:59 GMT 23 January
18:59 GMT 23 January
Matt Jones BBC Sport journalist
Fulham and Brighton & Hove Albion will be out to break free of the Premier League's mid-table maelstrom when they meet at Craven Cottage on Saturday.
Both teams saw dramatic late goals go in in their respective games last week. Fulham conceded a stoppage-time strike to lose 1-0 at Leeds United, while Brighton salvaged a point against Bournemouth thanks to an overhead kick from Charalampos Kostoulas.
Sitting 11th and 12th going into the weekend's fixtures, victory for either side would put them back in touch with the European places.
Fulham on the back foot
Fulham's six-game unbeaten run was ended by Leeds last time out and there is plenty for head coach Marco Silva to ponder.
Alex Iwobi and Calvin Bassey are back from the Africa Cup of Nations, and the Portuguese coach will be hopeful they can get Fulham on the front foot in games.
Off the ball this season, Fulham have been ponderous for large parts, with their 91 high turnovers – the amount of times they've earned possession in open play within 40 metres of the opponent's goal – comfortably the lowest of any team in the league.
They are also bottom for pressed sequences, a measure of how effectively a team disrupts their opponents' ability to play out from the back.
Much of the off-the-ball intensity is initiated by the forward line and, in 34-year-old Raul Jimenez, Fulham may not have the most dynamic pressing trigger.
The Mexico international has been valuable to the team with his goalscoring this season, though. All five of his strikes this campaign have put the team ahead – the highest 100% record of any player in the league in that category.
Seagulls' subs saving the day
There have been plenty of times in his second season in charge that head coach Fabian Hurzeler has failed to get things right from the start for Brighton. Often, though, he has been able to salvage matches with his in-game acumen.
Kostoulas' goal on Monday night was the ninth scored by a Seagulls substitute this season and the 14th goal involvement from a player coming off the bench. Brighton lead the way in both categories.
They have also made the joint most substitutions by any team in the Premier League this season. The only side that can match their 104 changes across 22 games so far are Fulham.
Last season, it was Silva who made the most effective changes in the Premier League, with 17 of their goals coming from substitutes. Brighton were second with 15.
So while things could start slowly on Saturday, both coaches have proven themselves well capable of altering the course of a contest.
Coppola attracting interest from European clubspublished at 11:16 GMT 23 January
11:16 GMT 23 January
Karan Vinod BBC Sport journalist
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton defender Diego Coppola has attracted interest from clubs in Italy and France.
Fiorentina and Paris FC are among those monitoring the centre-back's situation, although there is currently no deal close to being agreed.
Any potential move, should interest develop further, would be loan-only, with Brighton not considering a permanent departure at this stage of the window.
Insiders close to the situation understand the interest remains exploratory rather than advanced, with no imminent talks expected between clubs.
The 22-year-old is also expected to be named in Brighton's squad for their Saturday trip to London to take on Fulham, underlining that he remains part of the club's short-term plans.
Coppola has continued his development on the south coast this season after signing with the club in the summer of 2025. He has started six matches in all competitions, with just two starts and a total of five appearances in the Premier League, and the Seagulls are understood to be relaxed about his situation, with no urgency to sanction a January exit unless the right opportunity arises.
Hurzeler on team fitness, Kostoulas' 'big potential' and Fulhampublished at 10:14 GMT 23 January
10:14 GMT 23 January
Katie Stafford BBC Sport journalist
Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Fulham at Craven Cottage (kick-off 15:00 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Maxium De Cuyper has recovered from his illness and will be available, but Mats Wieffer remains sidelined with a toe injury.
Yankuba Minteh, who came on from the bench against Bournemouth, came through the game but may not be fit enough to start at Craven Cottage.
Hurzeler said they "have survived this phase" of players being sick and "are now in a stable place" with "quite good" availability for Saturday.
But despite having more players at his disposal "some are not able to start the game and have to be limited with game minutes" so Hurzeler and the coaching staff are still having to manage the team.
On teenage forward Charalampos Kostoulas, who scored the equaliser against Bournemouth: "We all know his big potential, and he can really change the game for us. He is still a young player and, in a phase, where he needs to develop. We are pleased to have a good back up for Danny Welbeck."
Hurzeler said Kostoulas is "pushing" for more time but Welbeck remains his first choice striker. He added: "It is certainly helpful to have two strikers."
On Fulham: "Always a tough opponent because they are very mature and they know how to win games. It is a big challenge, but we will go there to try and win this game."
Solly March returned to team training on Thursday and "looked quite sharp" so is edging closer to a return, but Hurzeler warned "it's very important that we don't immediately put pressure on him".
A season of injuries - how does your club rank?published at 08:33 GMT 22 January
08:33 GMT 22 January
Matthew Hobbs BBC Sport journalist
From the Premier League's elite to the soggy pitches of Sunday league, injuries are part and parcel of football - but which top-flight teams have been worst affected so far this season?
With help from injury expert Ben Dinnery, of premierinjuries.com,, external BBC Sport has examined which sides have been hit the hardest, the impact injuries can have on under-fire managers - and whether things are always as bad as they seem.
🎧Veltman open to contract talkspublished at 08:08 GMT 22 January
08:08 GMT 22 January
Image source, Getty Images
Brighton defender Joel Veltman says Charalampos Kostoulas has "no ceiling" for what he can achieve.
Kostoulas, 18, converted a stunning overhead kick to salvage a 1-1 draw in Monday's league fixture with Bournemouth, notching his second goal in 16 appearances for the Seagulls.
"There's no ceiling for him as long as he works hard every day and is on it every day in training," Veltman told the Albion Unlimited podcast.
"Every chance needs to be a goal, in training, every session. He is a potential first 11. He has so many qualities it's ridiculous on an 18-year-old, it's crazy. Luckily we have him in our team."
Veltman missed more than a month of action with a calf injury earlier in the campaign but played the entirety of Monday's draw, as he did against Burnley earlier this month.
The 34-year-old is out of contract this summer but says after recently ironing out issues with his agent off the field, he is now in a position to discuss a deal with the club.
He told BBC Radio Sussex's Johnny Cantor: "I am really happy. I give everything for the club. It doesn't matter where we play or when, I give everything. It means a lot if we climb the table and if I can do it in the first 11, even more brilliant.
"I had some issues and the club knew that with agents. It's all sorted now. If the club wants something they know where to go basically."
Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up
🎧'It's just so frustrating' - Aspinallpublished at 12:08 GMT 21 January
12:08 GMT 21 January
Image source, Getty Images
Former Brighton striker Warren Aspinall, speaking about the Bournemouth draw on the latest episode of Albion Unlimited, said: "The big word for me is consistency, or lack of from the side.
"You see them turn up at Man Utd, great win. You see them in the first 10 minutes, moving the ball well, playing with confidence. Then boom, it just evaporated didn't it and Bournemouth controlled the game then, for 60 minutes.
"It's just so frustrating. Players losing their shape, isolating your team-mates. I'm talking about the wingers now, Mitoma and Gruda. It was comical at times.
"We can do things miles better.
"Consistency, that's what you want from a side. You don't mind if you're creating chances and getting in behind but we didn't. Gruda didn't beat his full-back once. He has to be stronger, he's weak. Mitoma has to do better on the other side, it's probably one of his worst games."
Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up
Listen to every Brighton game live on BBC Radio Sussex, with all the build-up and full commentary with Johnny Cantor and Warren Aspinall, and there is a full preview of all Seagulls' matches on Fridays at 18:00 in The Weekend Warm-up
'Definition of a player born for big moments'published at 14:03 GMT 20 January
14:03 GMT 20 January
Joe Sayers Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
Charalampos Kostoulas arrived on the south coast at the start of the season as a fresh-faced talent with glowing plaudits from his homeland.
It was certainly a substantial fee for a teenager at nearly £30m, so the pressure was always going to be immediate and somewhat unavoidable.
His introduction was far from smooth. A disrupted pre-season through injury meant his early involvement was limited and delayed his adaptation to the relentless physicality of the Premier League. For a teenager adjusting to a new league and surroundings, it was always going to take some time.
That needed patience felt justified with his first Premier League goal away at Manchester United. Since then, his confidence has certainly grown and is clearly benefitting from learning behind Danny Welbeck.
There was a sense that some supporters wanted to see an instant justification for his price tag, but it is worth remembering that we have never really signed players with just one season in mind. Babis Kostoulas was recruited for what he can become, not just what he can deliver right now.
One of the things I am most proud of as an Albion fan is our patience with young players. We provide such a nurturing environment where mistakes are seen as part of development, not reasons for judgement.
Whenever Kostoulas plays, the most encouraging sign is not simply the output, but the intent. He plays with a freedom born of belief from the manager and squad around him, a confidence that his raw ability can change a moment.
His goal against Bournemouth exemplifies this notion. To have the confidence in the 91st minute to set yourself up for a bicycle kick to snatch a point in a Premier League game is the definition of a player born for big moments.
I'm excited about what lies ahead for our new Greek talent. If his development continues on this path, it may not be long before the familiar refrain returns: "Brighton have done it again, where do they find these gems?"
