How did Brighton do this season? 2021/22 FPL review
With the Premier League season over, it’s time to assess each of the 20 teams one-by-one. So here is Brighton’s FPL review of 2021/22.
Never in danger of either going down or challenging for a place in Europe, Brighton’s ninth-placed top-flight finish is the highest in their club’s history.
Credit must go to Graham Potter and his team for a late run of form that resurrected a very patchy season. It began with four wins from five, before 11 games without one – collecting eight draws along the way. Unbeaten in the next seven, the Seagulls then lost six in a row whilst only scoring once.
After a 0-0 at home to Norwich, they won successive away games at Arsenal and Spurs. Things ended on a high thanks to impressive 3-0 and 4-0 victories over Wolves and Man United, alongside a 3-1 win against West Ham.
FPL review
Only Wolves were involved in fewer goals this season, signalling a strong defence but a weak attack. In fact, Brighton conceded the second-fewest goals of all teams outside the top four – again beaten by Wolves. 11 clean sheets were accumulated.
Going forward, no team underachieved more than the Seagulls. Their 42 goals are way less than the expected goals (xG) tally of 54.34.
Leandro Trossard and Neal Maupay netted eight times, with just one team having a lower top scorer – want to guess which one?
Best FPL asset
It’s a commendable return from attacking midfielder Trossard. This was his most prolific of three seasons on the south coast, ranking highly for having and creating shots.
Additionally, his 170 penalty area touches finish eighth amongst midfielders. Yet the Belgian’s ownership only exceeded 300,000 for Double Gameweek 22. This is probably a combination of his low-scoring team and the vast number of other mid-priced options.
An honourable mention should go to the late run of Danny Welbeck. In the final five outings, he notched three goals, four assists and 41 points.
Biggest FPL disappointment
Unfortunately, it has been another struggle for flying wing-back Tariq Lamptey. The FPL community are desperate for him to become a good option, such was his impact when first breaking onto the scene. This season’s 1,547 minutes is actually a surprise, as it feels like a lot less.
It’s certainly more than the 887 minutes of last season, although still just 16 starts and 14 substitute appearances. His injuries have made Potter cautious, which will likely continue into next season.
Looking ahead to next season
The consequence of an all-time high finish is that the bigger clubs come sniffing for players. Yves Bissouma has often been linked with a move away but the big departure seems likely to be Marc Cucurella. Signed from Getafe for around £15m, various reports are linking him to Man City.
In terms of FPL, it’s likely that Trossard stays as a midfielder and gets a slight price rise. If goalkeeper Robert Sanchez remains a £4.5m goalkeeper, he will again become one of the game’s most-owned.
Check out our other season reviews, as well as regular summer round-ups of FPL news and gossip.
