Brighton were forced to settle for a goalless draw against Jablonec in the UEFA Conference League after struggling to turn their attacking pressure into goals in the Czech Republic on Thursday.
Fabian Hürzeler’s side arrived at Stadion Střelnice in confident form following a 5-0 victory over Crystal Palace, but they could not reproduce that attacking performance against a well-organised Jablonec defence. The result ended Brighton’s six-match winning streak and marked the first time they had failed to score in 10 games.
The visitors controlled much of the contest, enjoying 73 per cent possession and registering 26 attempts on goal. However, they struggled to create enough clear-cut opportunities, while Jablonec grew increasingly dangerous as the match progressed.
Brighton made eight changes from the side that had beaten Palace, with only Bart Verbruggen, Olivier Boscagli and Pascal Groß retaining their places. The fixture was also Hürzeler’s 100th match in charge, but the milestone ended without the victory he would have wanted.
The hosts threatened from a corner in the first half when Antonín Růsek headed narrowly wide. Brighton, meanwhile, struggled to find the precision needed to break through, with their possession failing to produce a decisive finish.
Hürzeler was candid in his assessment after the final whistle, acknowledging that his players had fallen short of the required standard.
“We didn’t play at our highest level. I think Jablonec defended well, but overall of course it’s not the result we wanted.”
The Brighton head coach also made clear that his side needed to create more if they were to turn their dominance into victories.
“If you play 0-0 then you didn’t create enough, so that’s definitely something where we have to get better.”
Brighton continued to push after the break, but Jablonec remained disciplined and increasingly threatening on the counter-attack. In the 71st minute, a defensive error from João Costinha gave Růsek a promising opportunity, only for a recovering Brighton defender to make a crucial goal-saving block.
Verbruggen then produced an excellent one-handed save to turn Jiří Sláma’s curling effort over the crossbar, keeping the visitors level as the hosts threatened to snatch all three points.
Jablonec continued to find space in transition, with Sláma and Martin Cedidla both going close late on. Brighton, despite their superior possession and shot count, could not find a breakthrough.
Hürzeler admitted that his players had lacked the precision required in the final third, particularly when delivering the ball into the penalty area.
“We have to understand what it means to play in this cup, we have to understand that we have to be brilliant at the basics and we weren’t good at the basic things today.”
The manager also credited Jablonec for defending their penalty area effectively, explaining that Brighton’s crosses had not consistently reached their intended targets and that their finishing actions lacked accuracy.
He acknowledged, too, that Brighton had been fortunate not to concede as the hosts exploited the space available on the counter-attack.
“And then of course they also had spaces where they could make counter-movements, and they were also quite effective, so in certain moments we were lucky.”
The statistics underline Brighton’s frustration. They had scored 23 goals across their opening seven Premier League matches, yet could not find the net despite taking 26 shots in Czechia. The contrast highlighted how difficult it can be to break down a compact defence when the quality of the final delivery and finishing falls below the required level.
For Jablonec, the draw represented a disciplined performance against opponents who had arrived in strong form. Their defensive organisation and late counter-attacks ensured they earned a point, while Brighton were left to reflect on a missed opportunity to make it two wins from two in the Conference League league phase.
Hürzeler insisted that his side must learn from the performance rather than dwell on the result, with little time to waste before their next fixture.
Brighton remain well placed to respond after an impressive run of domestic results, but this European outing served as a reminder that possession alone is not enough. Greater accuracy in the final third and improved concentration when defending transitions will be crucial if the Seagulls are to return to winning ways.
