When Pascal Groß returned to Brighton on January 2 after an 18-month sojourn at Borussia Dortmund, the Seagulls were languishing in 14th place.
Now, the Seagulls occupy the heady heights of sixth place in the Premier League table and are within eight points of a Champions League spot for next season.
It is certainly no coincidence that this remarkable upturn in form is down to the German, who has shone in recent months.
“He’s a fantastic player and someone I know well and was looking forward to working with when I first came to the club,” said Fabian Hurzeler upon signing the midfielder.
“Brighton fans know his attributes, but he brings great leadership qualities to the group. Those qualities, along with his experience and ability, will be a huge asset in the second half of the season.”
A familiar setting has allowed Pascal Groß to shine
A year ago, the idea that Groß would return to Brighton was laughable. After all, he had finished his debut season at Dortmund by registering 15 assists and scoring once.
Not bad for $11m. He grabbed an assist in the opening Bundesliga match of the current campaign, yet Groß would only start another seven league games for Dortmund before January.
Not one to hang about, Hurzeler swooped in and brought the 34-year-old back home and what a decision that has turned out to be.
His signing was immediately justified. A 19-minute cameo on his second debut for the Seagulls helped them to a victory over Burnley.
Back-to-back 1-1 draws against Manchester City and Bournemouth saw the German international unleashed from the start at the heart of the midfield. Things were improving, slowly but surely.
Next up against Everton, Groß scored his 33rd goal for the club with a well-taken finish. Although Hurzeler’s men lost their next two games, Brighton has suffered just a solitary defeat since February 21.
In that time, Groß has recorded three assists in eight matches, a statistic which might not stand out too much.
However, since re-signing for the south coast side, Groß has created 32 big chances in the top flight, with only Bruno Fernandes registering more.
If that stat doesn’t catch the eye, I don’t know what will. Against Chelsea, Groß was imperious.
Groß’s performance against Chelsea was superb
Not good. Not great. Superb. The midfielder was given the captaincy for the game, a decision which turned out to be a masterstroke by Hurzeler.
Indeed, Groß created five chances during the game (no other player created more than three) as he proved a constant menace to the Chelsea backline.
When going forward, the German tended to drift onto the left wing, which allowed Kaoru Mitoma space to exploit the opposition defence. More often than not, though, Groß dropped deep to control the tempo of the game.
This is evidenced by his seven defensive contributions, including four recoveries, and there is a valid argument that, although others scored on the night, Groß is the man who cost Liam Rosenior his job.
Groß enjoyed his most productive season for Brighton in 2022/23, registering 17 goal contributions in the Premier League. Where did the Seagulls finish that season? Sixth, securing European football for the first time in their history.
With four games left, Brighton could equal, or even better, that finish this season. If Groß performs like he has done since January across the next few weeks, Hurzeler will be preparing his men for trips to the continent.
At 34, the former Dortmund player is proving that age is just a number.
