Why Brighton are the best team in the Premier League right now

Jaouen Hadjam needed only 309 seconds of his Premier League debut to score Brighton’s second goal in their 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday. In doing so, he became the tenth Brighton player to score in the Premier League already this season.

Hadjam is a 23-year-old Algeria international signed from Young Boys in the summer. His impact is just the latest example of Brighton's talent identification. But the presence of yet another Seagulls player on the scoresheet says even more about this squad.

No other club has had so many different scorers. Against Coventry recently, there were five of them in just one game. Speaking to head coach Fabian Hurzeler after that emphatic victory, he explained that it was a consequence of their approach as a team.

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"It is not about having one good goalscorer. It is about having this flexibility of having many goalscorers, having a lot of players who have this desire to score. If you have this desire to score, you can score from different positions and in different situations."

Hurzeler continued: "But it is always with the mindset of, 'How do I attack the box?' We sacrificed a lot of runs to be at one point in the right moment and in the right place, so it is all about sacrificing lots of things and to keep doing these runs into the box."

That mindset has helped Brighton to become the Premier League's top scorers so far. They have had 27 big chances to score already this season. That is six more than any other side in the Premier League and, incredibly, three times the number of Liverpool.

Just as incredibly, it is Brighton who appear to have the greater depth. Like the head of the hydra, every time one is removed, two grow back in its place. Carlos Baleba was sold to Manchester United but there is already excitement about young Chema Andres.

The Spanish midfielder who signed from Stuttgart in the summer came into the side for the 3-0 win over Arsenal in place of Malick Yalcouye. Hurzeler explained it in tactical terms, wanting to get more height in the team to deal with the threat of the Gunners.

This is the benefit of the breadth of talent at Brighton. No fewer than 25 players have already featured for the club this season due to their Conference League commitments. Lewis Dunk, the captain, has not started either of the last two games. Both were won.

Those games were also a chance to rest Yalcouye, the 20-year-old Ivorian who has already scored more for Brighton this season than he managed on loan at Swansea last campaign. Another example of the strange alchemy at work on England's south coast.

It owes plenty to their recruitment but also to their game model. Brighton are outliers on so many different tactical metrics that it reveals a clear and recognisable style of play. Their pressing has been a particular feature so far this season, more so than before.

Brighton rank top for PPDA, allowing the opposition fewer passes per defensive action than any other team. This is reflected in them winning more high turnovers than anyone else and allows them to begin their attacks closer to the opposition goal than others.

The emphasis on possession that reached extreme levels under Roberto De Zerbi is still there, but it has now been married to a pressing game that feels like the next level for Brighton. An evolution that is helping them to become more effective than ever before.

It factors into the recruitment. Brighton bring in players accustomed to a similar style, such as Andres. They loan prospects out to clubs who can foster those traits in their game. In the case of Pascal Gross, they even bring back those who are already familiar with it.

Sometimes patience is required and rewarded. Charalampos Kostoulas, still only 19 years old, is now benefiting from that debut season learning from Danny Welbeck. The talented Greek forward recently scored in three consecutive appearances for the club.

Hurzeler credits the veteran Gross, alongside Dunk and experienced goalkeeper Jason Steele, for being a social lubricant helping to bond what could easily be a disparate group. Brighton's cosmopolitan dressing room somehow still feels united by a purpose.

It was not always so obvious. Hurzeler has had some tricky times since arriving in England. The upcoming home fixture against rivals Crystal Palace on Sunday serves as a reminder of that. Brighton were beaten by Palace in front of their own fans in February.

When Hurzeler's side lost their next two as well, his position - at least in the eyes of the club's supporters - appeared precarious. But Brighton have won 11 of their 18 Premier League games since that point. Only Arsenal and Manchester City have won more.

In fact, their current form is so good that Brighton have now scored 11 goals without reply. No other team has mustered more than four.

There is no complacency. Hurzeler talks of remembering the basics. That does not just mean making clean sheets the platform for his team - although there have now been three of those in a row in the Premier League - but contesting every duel on the pitch.

It means being ready for each throw-in, for each loose ball. Against Palace, the supporters will demand that. But Brighton are continuing to deliver. They are perhaps the most exciting team in England right now. And who knows who their next goalscorer is going to be.

Watch Brighton vs Crystal Palace live on Sky Sports Premier League from 12.30pm (kick-off 2pm) on Sunday.