Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterBrighton & Hove Albions biggest win of the season was, without question, the 3-0 triumph over defending Premier League champions Arsenal last month. It just so happened they won with the fourth youngest starting XI in the 2026/27 top-flight match.With an average age of just 25, the youthful Seagulls stifled the Gunners. Pascal Gross put Brighton ahead on the half-hour mark. Fabian Hurzelers side went in at the break two goals to the good as Charalampos Kostoulas, provider of the first goal, turned scorer. Chema Andres completed a fine day at the office for Hurzeler and his men. Or should that be boys?Yes, Hurzeler has forged a functional team, expertly blending both youth and experience. The combination sit third in Englands top tier after the opening seven matches, having claimed five wins. Gross and captain Lewis Dunk are the seasoned heads in key positions. Hurzeler has deployed a number of young stars in support of the mid-30s pair.And leading the charge is Kostoulas. The Greek teenager joined from Olympiacos last summer, but had to settle for a spot on the bench in his debut campaign at the Amex Stadium. That shouldnt come as a surprise. A 19-year-old in their first season abroad, they need a chance to adjust to a change in scenery.Playing second fiddle to Danny Welbeck, it wasnt a shock that Kostoulas was restricted to just two league starts. Even so, he made a further 19 appearances off the bench. In that time, he struck twice and provided one assist. One of those goals was a stunning 90th-minute overhead kick in a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth back in January. Few would have expected that the hit was a sign of things to come in terms of output. You may like Three brand new wonderkids FourFourTwo can't wait to see in the Premier League this season Brian Brobbey is a lesson to fans: maybe we should all be kinder to young 'flop' forwards Fabian Hurzeler deserves more credit but he's stuck living in Roberto De Zerbi's Brighton shadow Admittedly, the teenager is yet to replicate the sensational hit against the Cherries. Yet the confidence to attempt such an effort when the pressure was on perhaps convinced Hurzeler that it was time to shift Welbeck on. Out with the old, in with the new. Welbeck moved to Chelsea, and Kostoulas found one less hurdle to overcome in order to establish himself as first-choice Brighton frontman.There was a stroke of fortune over his promotion to leading striker, of course. Georginio Rutter played the full 90 in the opening weekend 4-0 win over Aston Villa. The Frenchman suffered an ill-timed foot injury that presented Kostoulas with the chance to nail down a starting spot. Its one hes grabbed, and one wont be relinquishing anytime soon.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.Of the 23 league goals Brighton have scored this season, Kostoulas has been directly involved in five, netting three times in the process. Those goals came at crucial moments, too. The opener in an eventual 5-0 win at Coventry. The second in the aforementioned victory over Arsenal on the stroke of half-time to change the complexion of the clash. Four minutes after the restart in the M23 Derby 5-0 triumph over Crystal Palace to extinguish any chances of a fightback.Elsewhere, he netted shortly before half-time in the 3-2 Carabao Cup comeback win over Manchester United last month and the first in a 4-0 Conference League playoff success over Tromso. Key moments that set, or maintained, Brightons path to victory. A player his age shouldnt be coming in clutch the way Kostoulas does.There is more beyond the goals and assists that stand out, however. Granted, a strikers primary objective is to put the ball in the back of the net. Kostoulas, though, offers more than just goals to his energetic Brighton side. What to read next How �100m transfer failure and Chelsea greed has unlocked Everton's PFA Young Player of the Year bid "In football terms, he is a freak, and I mean that in the utmost respect if he was in a book, you'd throw the book in the sea" Paul Merson on the Arsenal player stranger than fiction Why Thierno Barry's wastefulness in front of goal is actually brilliant news for Everton Its no secret that Hurzelers Brighton likes to press high and aggressively. One of their key routes to goal is to force opposition turnovers in dangerous positions. They rank top for possession won in the attacking third (51) in the Premier League this season, and its not even close. Bournemouth are their closest competitors. The Cherries have done so 37 times.And leading the pressing charge is none other than Kostoulas himself, the Greece international having done so 12 times. Theres buying into Hurzelers gameplan, and theres essentially proving the - almost - perfect forward for the system. Standing at 6ft1in, hes the right size and stature to provide the focal point in a favoured 4-2-3-1 setup.Thats not to say there are no shortcomings to his game. Kostoulas is guilty of rushing his shot selection. Four big chances missed ranks among the top 10 players in the division. The decision-making has also been pulled up. Of the 23 attempted dribbles, only nine have been successful, resulting in a 39.1 per cent dribble success rate. Hes been dispossessed 10 times and made 15 unsuccessful first touches resulting in a turnover in possession.At 19 years of age, however, these rough edges are to be expected. They are areas that will be smoothed out over time.As the Seagulls continue to soar, so too does the youthful Greek frontman, who has taken the rapid progression to first-choice striker for an in-form Premier League team in his stride. Theres an argument to be made that Kostoulas is the divisions best young player. Youd be hard pressed to find anyone who disagrees with that sentiment.TOPICSBrighton and Hove AlbionPremier LeagueMark WhiteSocial Links NavigationContent EditorMark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge both past and present Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
