Brighton player ratings September 2024: Now I’m a Baleba

The honeymoon came to an end for Fabian Hurzeler in his second month at the Albion helm. Brighton failed to win a Premier League game in September 2024, resulting in a low player rating.

24 hours after Hurzeler was named Premier League Manager of the Month for August and the Seagulls were held to a 0-0 draw by newly promoted Ipswich Town at the Amex.

Thanks to a 3-2 win over Wolves, they secured their place in the fourth round of the League Cup. However, many questions were asked about Brighton’s defense as they conceded cheap goals and managed to create several other opportunities for the Old Gold.

This theme continued in the 2-2 draw at home to Nottingham Forest and then reached its nadir against Chelsea. A dismal performance from Albion’s defensive line, which contributed to Cole Palmer becoming the first player since Sky Sports Invented football in 1992 to score four goals in a half.

Palmer sent Brighton to a 4-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge when the Blues could and should have got seven or eight.

Here are your player ratings for WAB Brighton in September 2024.

1) Carlos Baleba – 7.50

James Milner’s injury gave Baleba his starting opportunity in September. He grabbed it with both hands, scoring against Wolves and Chelsea, assisting the other goal at Stamford Bridge and appearing to be the Albion player best suited to Hurzeler’s aggressive pressing. Miles at the top of the player ratings and also voted WAB Player of the Month.

2) Jan Paul van Hecke – 7.05

Made a well-deserved international debut for the Netherlands at the beginning of September. Ultimately ruled out due to injury. The defensive horror show that took place at Stamford Bridge without him showed how important Van Hecke has become to Brighton over the last 12 months.

3) Yasin Ayari – 6.48

I’m not going to lie, it’s a bit surprising that Ayari is so high in Brighton’s September 2024 player ratings. Good performances against Ipswich and Wolves, as well as missing the Forest game due to illness and the fact that he only came on as a second-half substitute at Chelsea, took him to third place.

4) Joel Veltman – 6.36

Veltman is another player whose points tally was dented by his lack of involvement in Chelsea’s defeat. Helped keep a clean sheet at home against Ipswich Town and still managed to get a decent result for the Forest game despite having the Tricky Trees onside as they equalized in the second half.

5) Simon Adingra – 6.32

A bit of a strange month for Adingra. Looked lively from the bench against Ipswich and scored past Wolves to maintain his flying form, meaning Fabian Hurzeler could no longer ignore his claims for a place in the starting XI. But Adingra ended up being a disappointment as he finally got his chance in the draw at Forest before injury ruled him out of the trip to Chelsea.

6) Danny Welbeck – 6.31

A goal for Dat Guy in September, but what a goal. A stunning shot into the far corner against Forest marked, remarkably, the first time in his long and illustrious career that Welbeck scored directly from a free-kick.

7) Jack Hinshelwood – 6.29

Showed his excellent flying skills when scoring Brighton’s equalizer in the Forest game. A great scoreline to deny a comical Adam Webster own goal was another September highlight for the teenager.

8) Georginio Rutter – 6.07

The club record of £40 million improved with every game until September. A subdued debut in the draw at Ipswich, a livelier performance against Forest and then his first goal at Brighton which gave the Albion a 1-0 lead at Stamford Bridge.

9) Bart Verbruggen – 6.03

Not a great month by the high standards Seagulls fans expect from the Dutch number one. He was left unprotected by the high line at times, although this could not be an excuse for him being beaten at the near post and playing poorly from the back in the Chelsea defeat.

10) Ferdi Kadioglu – 5.86

Signed for his versatility, Kadioglu spent September looking like a jack of all trades but a master of none. Scored the crucial third goal within minutes of coming on as a substitute against Wolves, but that only clouded the question of exactly where he fits into Brighton’s starting XI.

11) Kaoru Mitoma – 5.83

After a brilliant return in August, ruled out since February by a back injury, a quieter September followed for the Japanese Bullet Train.

12) Joao Pedro – 5.69

Pedro returned from injury as a substitute against Forest before getting injured again about 10 minutes later. Rutter’s good acclimatization has at least mitigated the loss of Albion’s main goalscorer.

13) Evan Ferguson – 5.60

Has remained without a goal since November last year. However, there were signs of the Ferguson of old as he started the League Cup game against Wolves, linking up play well and getting into some good positions.

14) Tariq Lamptey – 5.58

Hurzeler doesn’t seem to be a fan of Lamptey judging by the limited playing time he was given despite Brighton making massive changes for Wolves. Out of contract at the end of the season. A January exit seems certain unless Brighton are happy to see him leave on a free transfer next summer.

15) Lewis Dunk – 5.73

It’s extremely rare to see Dunk this far down in the monthly player ratings. This is due to Brighton’s high line, which cruelly reveals his lack of pace.

16) Julio Enciso – 5.48

Third choice number 10, seemingly behind Pedro and Rutter. The great Paraguayan youngster really needs to stake his claim while Pedro is injured if the 2024-25 season is not to pass him by.

17) Jakub Moder – 5.42

Handed his first action of the 2024-25 season in the Wolves game. No real authority could be given to the process. Another whose future in Albion is bleak.

18) Jason Steele – 5.42

Classic Steele in his only appearance in September. Some great saves against the Wolves, coupled with a fantastic performance, gave the Old Gold their second goal of the night.

19) Igor Julio – 5.40

Had one of those League Cup games where nothing he did made any sense. Much less unpredictable when he comes on as a substitute at Chelsea and helps the defense strengthen to avoid conceding a goal in the second half.

20) Mats Wieffer – 5.35

Injuries and difficulty coping with the speed and physicality of English football mean Brighton have not yet seen the best of Wieffer.

21) Yankubu Minteh – 5.19

He was fairly ineffective in the draw against Ipswich before losing his place in the Forest game to Adingra. Disagreement is to be expected from a 19-year-old playing his first season in English football.

22) Pervis Estupinan – 5.09

Hard to know what to choose as a September highlight in Estupinan. The Chelsea striker hacked down Palmer to concede a cheap free-kick and duly tucked it into the top corner. Or that moment in the Forest game when he took a corner on the right that the first man couldn’t beat, before racing all the way to the left to deliver a throw that flew straight into the face of a Tricky Tress defender.

23) Adam Webster – 4.65

Hinshelwood saved him from a great own goal against Wolves. However, Webster was unable to save anyone at Chelsea after his woefully underrated back pass attempt to Verbruggen gave the Blues the lead.

Brighton player ratings for September 2024 have been determined based on our matchday player results. Make sure you do your part Follow us on Twitter and leave your player reviews in the appropriate thread after the game.