Gross plays down Brighton's title hopes as Hurzeler backs fans' dreams

Fabian Hurzeler's team have collected 22 points from their opening 10 matches and sit five points behind leaders Arsenal heading into the international break.

Brighton's impressive start has included a 3-0 victory over Arsenal, while their latest success came through Diego Gomez's spectacular opener and Gross's second-half penalty.

However, Gross insists Brighton must remain realistic about their ambitions rather than getting carried away by their position in the table.

"No. We are not in a title race. But we have started the season really well. It's the beginning of the season," the German midfielder said.

"You see the Premier League, the margins, you look at the results - we are not getting carried away yet. Every game we have to suffer a lot. Sometimes it is momentum. But we are really pleased to head into the international break like this."

The statistics underline Brighton's progress, with no team scoring more than their 26 goals in the Premier League this season, while only Arsenal have conceded fewer. They are also balancing domestic commitments with their UEFA Conference League campaign.

Hurzeler, however, believes supporters are entitled to dream about what his team could achieve, even if he is refusing to make any promises about their final position.

"They should always be excited if they watch our game, and that's our job to make them excited," the Brighton manager said. "They can dream, they can have high expectations of us, but these are things we can't control."

Hurzeler also stressed that Brighton must continue improving despite their excellent start, with upcoming matches against Hull City, Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest offering opportunities to maintain their momentum. "There are moments and phases in the game where the individual player, but also the whole team, can improve, and that's the main focus for us," he said.

READ MORE: Miguel Cardoso struggles to explain CAF Super Cup collapse