Women’s Super League 2025-26 Previews No 3: Brighton

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 5th (NB: this is not needfully Sophie Downey’s prediction but nan mean of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 5th

Prospects

After securing an awesome fifth-placed decorativeness successful Dario Vidosic’s first season, Brighton look progressively settled, pinch humanities guidance troubles firmly down them and a clear personality sparkling through.

It was a play of learning for their caput coach arsenic nan squad sewage disconnected to an awesome start, past knowledgeable a dip earlier finishing comparatively strongly. An eye-catching triumph complete Arsenal and valiant 2-2 tie pinch nan champions, Chelsea, were highlights. They made Crawley’s Broadfield Stadium into a fortress, losing only 2 games there, and secured a nine grounds 28 points successful a WSL season.

There has continued to beryllium sizeable subordinate turnover arsenic Vidosic develops his side. Ten outgoings person included nan nonaccomplishment of immoderate sizeable experience. The departures of nan nine captain, Vicky Losada, and nan guardant Pauline Bremer were possibly nan slightest astonishing pinch crippled clip constricted but they person near a knowledge gap. The nonaccomplishment of nan protect pairing of Maria Thorisdóttir and Guro Bergsvand raised eyebrows, peculiarly successful nan lawsuit of nan vice-captain Bergsvand, who started each crippled of nan campaign. The existent shock, however, came pinch nan announcement that Nikita Parris, a cardinal fig successful Vidosic’s attack, had moved to London City Lionesses.

Replacements person been found, however, and nan transportation activity has been astute. The Japan defender Moeka Minami brings a wealthiness of knowledge while nan signings of Maelys Mpomé and Colombia’s left-back Manuela Vanegas were shrewd. Chiamaka Nnadozie adds world-class value successful extremity and nan 20-year-old Spanish guardant Carla Camacho is an breathtaking prospect. Persuading Michelle Agyemang to return for different indebtedness will beryllium regarded arsenic a coup aft nan youngster’s summertime pinch England. She is joined by her Arsenal teammate Rosa Kafaji, whose earthy talent is clear but who is successful hopeless request of crippled time.

Brighton person had a beardown pre-season to date. After a 5-0 triumph complete Crystal Palace, they departed for Spain, wherever they hit CF Alhama 2-1 earlier putting 8 past Levante without reply. Hosting duties await connected opening time arsenic Aston Villa sojourn and Vidosic will respect it arsenic a existent opportunity to group down a marker.

The manager

Vidosic’s style became clear very early, his desire for his squad to person nan shot and onslaught pinch intent sparkling through. Brighton registered nan fourth-highest mean possession successful nan convention past play (53.1%) and nan second-highest changeable conversion complaint (19.1%). It was, however, a play of improvement for nan erstwhile Australia international. Heavy defeats by Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United were a wakeup telephone regarding nan request to create protect resilience, though injuries played a part. There is nary uncertainty that important foundations person been group for nan 38-year-old to build on.

Off-field picture

Brighton proceed to person awesome support down nan scenes. Their training installation remains 1 of nan WSL’s champion and nan nine proceed to put successful nan playing squad and unit and to create their subordinate pathway. News is expected soon astir advancement made connected nan ambition to build a stadium for nan women’s squad successful Brighton. The assembly approved nan plans successful 2023 and Brighton’s main executive, Paul Barber, has said nan 2027-28 play is simply a realistic extremity for it to beryllium finished. Bringing nan squad backmost to Brighton is cardinal if they are to proceed building an invested fanbase.

Star signing

Nnadozie could spell down arsenic 1 of nan acquisitions of nan summer. The Nigeria world brings apical value aft a summertime to remember. She played an integral domiciled successful nan Super Falcons’ 10th Africa Cup of Nations title successful July and was named Wafcon’s champion goalkeeper. She arrives aft 5 successful years successful France, wherever she helped Paris FC make their first quality successful nan Champions League for a decade. She near aft helping Paris to a Coupe de France triumph complete Paris Saint-Germain, pinch Nnadozie redeeming 2 penalties successful nan shootout.

Chiamaka Nnadozie brings apical value successful goal. Photograph: Tim Nwachukwu/FIFA/Getty Images

Stepping up

Maisie Symonds appeared to person put battles pinch unwellness and wounded down her past play pinch a bid of awesome displays for nine and country. At 22, she is Brighton’s longest-serving subordinate and will beryllium looking to found herself consistently astatine nan bosom of nan team. A versatile midfielder, she tin play arsenic a No 6 aliases an 8 pinch her composure, method expertise and spot successful a challenge. A bid of standout performances for Brighton and England’s Under-23s earned a first Lionesses call-up successful March.

It was a bully summertime for …

Agyemang was 1 of nan emerging stars of nan summer. The 19-year-old played an influential domiciled from nan chair astatine Euro 2025, scoring an equaliser for nan Lionesses against Sweden and Italy successful nan quarter-final and semi-final respectively. Her performances earned her nan Euro 2025 young subordinate of nan tourney award. It has been a meteoric emergence for nan forward, who went from earning her first elder headdress successful April, marked by an unforgettable strike, to becoming a European champion and family sanction little than 4 months later. She will beryllium looking for much crippled clip than she sewage past play arsenic she continues her improvement connected indebtedness from Arsenal.

Michelle Agyemang is now a family sanction aft Euro 2025. Photograph: Piroschka Van De Wouw/Reuters

Main inaugural to pull much fans

Brighton will proceed to play astir location matches successful Crawley. Season tickets went connected waste successful May and included an invitation to an unfastened training session, proprietary entree to cup and distant games and free coach recreation to Broadfield Stadium. There is besides a caller season-ticket action for under-10s. The “atmosphere section” has been moved to nan East Stand to maximise its impact.