Brighton will hope to continue their flying start to the Premier League 2026-27 campaign at Sunderland this Saturday.
The Seagulls - who are third in the table - resume top flight at the Stadium of Light after the prolonged international break.
Brighton have 10 points from the first five Premier League fixtures and just prior to the break they enjoyed an excellent 3-0 home victory against defending champions Arsenal.
Brighton also received a welcome triple boost last weekend as their flying start to the campaign was recognised with three individual awards.
Three Premier League awards
First up was head coach Fabian Hurzeler who was handed the Premier League Manager of the Month award.
Albion were unbeaten throughout September beating Coventry City 5-0 and then defeating champions Arsenal 3-0 at the Amex after a 1-1 draw against Leeds United at the start of the month.
It is the second time Hurzeler has been named manager of the month, having previously won in August 2024.
Skipper Lewis Dunk then took the Premier League Goal of the Month prize following his stunning 35-yard strike in the 5-0 win at Coventry.
Dunk is the fifth Albion player to win the award and follows, Kaoru Mitoma (three times) Carlos Baleba, Alireza Jahanbakhsh and Anthony Knockaert.
Meanwhile, experienced German Pascal Gross was the Premier League Player of the month. Gross, 35, is the first Albion player to win after his two goals and three assists this month.
It is only the fourth time in Premier League history the same club has supplied manager, player and goal of the month.
Brighton’s ‘special atmosphere’
Hurzeler quickly praised the fans after receiving his award: "No matter if we play at home, no matter if we play away, they always support us. They create a special environment,” he said.
“We started building this connection and creating this environment and this atmosphere last season and we all could feel it in the game against Arsenal.
“The fans were singing, cheering and supporting us. They are loud and that's massive for us, and really creates this fortress we want to have at home.
“I really have to praise the character of my players as well. No matter what the situation is, they keep going and they try to find a solution. In adversity they really stick together and go through it as a team.
“You can't educate these things all the time. You can't build them. It's a lot about character.”