Guardian writers’ predicted position: 6th (NB: this is not necessarily Sophie Downey’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 7th
Prospects
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.
Off-field picture
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.
The manager
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.
Star signing
The acquisition of Wälti remains one of the biggest coups of the summer. The 33-year-old Switzerland captain returns to England after a year in Italy with Juventus, bringing with her a wealth of experienceand, from her seven years with Arsenal, a WSL title and a Champions League winners’ medal. Wälti’s technical ability is second-to-none, as is a level of intelligence that allows her to dictate play from the middle of the park. She leads by example and guided Switzerland to the quarter-finals at Euro 2025. If Wälti can stay injury-free, she could play a significant role this season.
Stat attack
Brighton had a finishing problem in 2025-26. Not in terms of hitting the target – no other side had as strong a shot accuracy – but only three teams converted a lower proportion of their on-target efforts. If the Seagulls can fire towards the corners of the goal rather than close to the goalkeeper, they could fly this season.
Set for a breakthrough
Sophie Peskett has already made history when in 2021, aged 18, she became Ipswich’s first professional player. The winger spent the best part of seven years at Ipswich, making 127 appearances and helping them earn promotion to the WSL 2 twice. Now 23, it would have been a big decision for her to leave, but Brighton seems like a sensible next step. A nifty player with an eye for goal, Peskett will prove useful to Brighton’s attacking output.
What they say …
“Brighton is not a team that has to hide. In the last couple of years, they’ve been able to hurt the big teams in many moments, and they reached the FA Cup final last season as well. We’re not going to be favourites in every single game, but that’s a nice position to be in.” – Lia Wälti
Where are they playing their home games?
Brighton will continue to play most of their home games at Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium although four of their six opening home fixtures will be at the Amex. The club have added an Amex 4-Match Pack to their ticketing options, priced at £45 for adults. The club have also launched ‘Built For Her’, their dedicated women’s football membership option that offers a bundle of exclusive perks as they look to build their fanbase before the stadium move.
