Sussex

Joe Sayers
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

There comes a point every season when football stops being something you simply watch and starts taking over every spare thought in your life.

For Brighton fans, this is definitely that point.

With just a couple of games remaining and so much still on the line, everything suddenly feels bigger. Work becomes harder to focus on, conversations drift back to permutations and fixtures, and every notification on your phone feels like it could change the mood of your entire week. You try to distract yourself, but somehow football always creeps back in.

So how are everyone's nerves holding up?

Are people throwing themselves into work to avoid overthinking the table? Refreshing social media every five minutes? Watching highlights from earlier in the season for reassurance? Or perhaps convincing yourselves not to look at rival results before inevitably checking them anyway?

That is what makes this stage of the season so brilliant and so exhausting all at once. Every tackle feels massive. Every goal swings emotions wildly. One minute you are dreaming about Europe again, the next you are calculating every possible scenario in your head.

But this is also what being a supporter is all about. These are the moments you remember. The tension, the excitement, the sense of hope building with every passing week.

And the most exciting part of all is that Albion have put themselves in this position through quality, belief and consistency over the course of the season.

Now it comes down to one final push.

The players need us more than ever over these last games. We are so close to achieving something truly special once again, we just have to stay loud, stay proud and get the boys over the line.

Find more from Joe Sayers at Albion Obsessed, external

We asked for your views after Saturday's Premier League game between Brighton and Wolves.

Here are some of your comments:

Brighton fans

Robin: Yet again the influence of Lewis Dunk held the team together. Two up in five minutes we took our foot off the pedal, no point in taking too many risks. Europe is within our grasp.

Fran: Comfortable win as it should have been especially getting the really early goals. But as happens when the other team then sit deep to stop further damage we cannot break them down. Today was a chance to improve the goal difference and just like we did against Burnley we couldn't do it. It's so obvious we need a good striker for next season.

David: The most impressive opening 15 minutes of any Brighton game I have watched. Wolves were blown away, although they were woeful.

Brian: Not Brighton's finest performance, but exactly the result we needed. European dream just two games away. I believe four more points will do it.

Wolves fans

Richard: No leadership, no communication, no defence. How on earth are we going to survive in the Championship? Terrible display - the players are just picking up their wages now, don't care about the badge they're representing.

Robin: Shambolic defending at the start and a two-goal deficit after just five minutes meant the result was inevitable. An improved effort after the break but it always seems they need to go behind before they show any intent in getting forward.

Kevin: As bad as ever. No improvement, just people who don't want to play for the club. Not sure on Rob Edwards yet as he inherited these players. Can see us struggling in the Championship next season.

David: An absolute shambles from the players. Rob Edwards is right to stop protecting them from criticism. It's obvious that players want to leave and it's up to Rob Edwards and the board to sort out the whole squad and bring in players who want to wear the old gold and black with the same pride as the fans who pay their wages.

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Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba says he is "excited" by the prospect of European qualification and that it is the team's "first objective".

The Seagulls climbed to seventh in the Premier League to boost their hopes of European qualification with a comfortable 3-0 victory over bottom club Wolves on Saturday.

"We scored two goals in seven minutes which was the perfect start," Baleba told BBC Radio Sussex post-match.

"We don't concede a goal, keep a clean sheet, it's a perfect win at home.

"They came back into the game but we kept pushing because we fell down a bit and got back up and kept playing our style. Like the gaffer said, intensity, and then we take the game and continue to play.

"I'm very excited for Europe. Europe is the first objective for the team - we want to play in Europe. We are in seventh position, we keep going, we have two games and we go step-by-step. At the end of the season we will see.

"I am happy to play regularly, I am happy for the group. My game is getting better and better. I learn from the few bad moments. It's OK - I am happy with that."

Listen to the full chat below or on BBC Sounds

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Brighton midfielder Jack Hinshelwood says his opening goal with 35 seocnds on the clock epitomises what head coach Fabian Hurzeler installs in his team.

It took them just over half a minute to breach the Wolves defence on Saturday as Hinshelwood made history as he headed home a cross from left-back Maxim de Cuyper.

"The manager always speaks about starting the game fast and with intensity so that our opponents feel it," said Hinshelwood.

"And we did that. It was such a nice feeling [to score] and it set us on our way.

"It probably wasn't our best performance in terms of the ball, but it's results at this stage of the season that matter.

"We've just got to do what we can do. We did that against Wolves and we go to Elland Road next weekend and try to do the same again.

"We just have to give our all like we have been doing and get two good results to see where it takes us."

You can also listen to Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba on BBC Sounds

Laura Kenyon
Final Score reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Jack Hinshelwood is one of the Premier League's breakout stars of this season.

His versatility has been widely praised because of his ability to play at right-back , and increasingly in central midfield, and he now has a club record under his belt.

The Brighton academy graduate scored the Seagulls fastest ever goal in the Premier League on Saturday, with just 35 seconds on the clock.

And at just 21-years-old, he has a promising future ahead.

There are four generations of Hinshelwood's – all professional footballers – but none with a senior England cap. Could Jack be the one to change that?

If he continues to impress in the manner he has this season, then he will very likely be on Thomas Tuchel's radar in years to come.

Pundits Wayne Rooney and Ashley Williams join host Gabby Logan to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

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• Sunderland 0-0 Manchester United

• Manchester City 3-0 Brentford