Sussex

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The way Fabian Hurzeler wants to play at Brighton is with a high press. For that reason, they have a high defensive line because their first form of defence is attack.

If you play with that high line then you have to read what is in front of you. Chelsea’s Cole Palmer was successfully getting the ball over the top early on in the game and as a defender you should be reading those situations.

There are pros and cons to playing against a high line. If you are clever, then you can certainly exploit it as it leaves lots of space behind. I used to enjoy it and be that player who played as a number 10 to make deeper runs.

It can also be difficult to play against when you have players that do not time their runs or you have centre-forwards and wide players that do not sit on the line. Quite often, players make their runs too early then and are offside.

But Palmer was able to identify Brighton's weakness and he was was able to exploit it so often.

You would have thought the manager or defenders themselves would have changed it so they dropped in earlier to deny those spaces.

I would have expected that as part of the in-game management.

Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

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Former striker and co-host of BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast Warren Aspinall believes "something has to be done" about the high line that Brighton are deploying this season.

The Seagulls were left exposed on Saturday as Chelsea's Cole Palmer helped himself to four goals in a 4-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge.

While the frailties may have been highlighted more so in this fixture, Aspinall believes it has been a common theme this season.

"It's not just about the Chelsea game I don't think, I think it is previous games also," he said.

"If we start with Arsenal, we played the high line there and I remember Havertz getting in one against one and it was a great save from Verbruggen to keep the game at 1-1.

"Then we had the game at Ipswich, they got in over the top and hit the post. Nottingham Forest got in over the top and scored and then every time Chelsea went forward on Saturday, they got in and could have scored more than four.

"OK, it has been highlighted for the Chelsea game but it has happened in the previous three games.

"It is a worry and something has to be done about it."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Former Brighton & Hove Albion manager Barry Lloyd died at the age of 75 last week.

Lloyd, who managed the Seagulls between 1987-1993, would later return to the club as Chief Scout in 2007, a position he went on to hold for nearly 15 years.

Speaking on BBC Radio Sussex's Albion Unlimited podcast, former Brighton defender Guy Butters paid tribute to Lloyd.

"He was there for years, he was a great servant to the club and it's very sad news," he said.

"He was born in Hillingdon, as was I, and my dad played cricket with and against him when they were younger. Football was always his favourite sport and he excelled at that and he played for some great clubs.

"I always remember seeing clips of him against West Ham United when he was playing for Fulham in a cup final.

"I managed to work for the club in a little stage of my career and came across Barry when I was there. He was always approachable, always talkative and he will be a sad loss.

"I've spoken about him before with ex-players and everyone has really kind words to say about him, he gave a lot of them their chances when they were younger. It was at a time when they were really battling to stay in the Football League at one stage and he came in and stamped his name all over the football club."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

Pat Nevin
Former footballer and presenter

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Sometimes you just have to scream that the Emperor’s new clothes are indeed just nakedness, or in this case brazen stupidity.

‌The goalkeeping and defensive blunder count at Stamford Bridge on Saturday was incredible. There was a point when Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez was in line for the man-of-the-match award…for Brighton! He certainly provided an unmissable assist for Carlos Baleba’s goal that made it 3-2, as well as being at fault for their first.

‌He was not the only one defending terribly. The ultra-high defensive line by Brighton, away from home against lightning-quick attackers and clever players not being closed down in midfield, looked frankly embarrassing.

‌In times gone by, this would have been decried as monumental naivety, but the current Premier League groupthink has certain immutable tenets. One is that playing out from the keeper must be done even when he demonstrably cannot actually play outfield football at that level.

‌In my career - and that was not yesterday – as a midfield creative, I dreamed of playing against such a predictable and frankly quite sluggish high defensive line. It is incredibly easy to beat their offside trap with an average run from deep and a relatively simple well-timed pass or indeed just an unfocused hook over the top.

‌Forget the Emperor’s new clothes, Brighton were caught with their pants down time and again and they never thought to pull them back up again. Weird.

‌The Premier League can be great, but it can also be technically a bit rubbish sometimes too. Are you allowed to say that?

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The latest episode of the Albion Unlimited podcast has landed.

Former Brighton defender Guy Butters joins the BBC Radio Sussex podcast to discuss the Seagulls' defensive strategy and pay tribute to Barry Lloyd.

The Sun journalist Tom Barclay also checks in to help preview Tottenham's trip to Amex Stadium on Sunday.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds