Brighton & Hove Albion have started the second half of the season with Pascal Gross back in the fold and renewed optimism.
No heroics were required from the bench on Gross’ return from Borussia Dortmund for his second spell at the club.
But the 34-year-old German helped Brighton manage the last 20 minutes of a routine 2-0 victory over second-from-bottom Burnley with efficiency, alongside fellow substitutes Danny Welbeck and James Milner, as Fabian Hurzeler’s side ended a run of six matches without a win with the minimum of fuss.
Brighton arguably don’t need Gross as much as they need a centre-forward or a right-back, yet adding him to a congested mix of midfielders makes sense for multiple reasons.
Re-signing Gross for just under €2million (£1.74m, US$2.35m), with a further €1m in potential bonuses — 18 months after selling him to his boyhood club for around £8m — is smart business, but the financial details of the deal are relatively unimportant compared to the difference Gross is capable of making on the pitch and in the dressing room.
Between May 2017 — when he first signed — and May 2024, when he made the final of his 261 appearances of his first stint, Gross was used in many roles: as a No 10, in both full-back positions and on both flanks. Second time around, his role will be more clearly defined in his best position, as a creative midfielder with an eye for a pass and a goal.
“I wouldn’t say that there is one special position, but he can give us from midfield more creativity, more moments where we can create more danger with his assists, with his passing, with his qualities to score,” said Hurzeler. “In this position he can help us.”
Pascal Gross prepares to come on in the 71st minute against Burnley (Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
In his previous 228 Premier League appearances for Brighton under Hurzeler’s predecessors Chris Hughton, Graham Potter and Roberto De Zerbi, Gross scored 30 goals and provided 45 assists. That is 27 more assists and 23 more goal involvements (75 in total) than any other player for the club. That is the type of contribution from the middle of the park that has been missing since his departure.
Consider the other central midfielders used by Hurzeler this season in the league. Carlos Baleba has no goals or assists in 16 outings. The second-half goal against Burnley struck by Yasin Ayari — which doubled the lead after Georginio Rutter’s first-half opener — was the Swedish international’s second in 18 appearances (no assists). Diego Gomez has three goals and no assists in 18 outings, Jack Hinshelwood a goal and two assists in 11 games, Milner one goal and one assist in 11 matches.
Gross’s influence is not confined to goals and assists. During one moment in the first half, he warmed up on the touchline next to Welbeck and Milner, shouting encouragement and instructions.
The example set by Brighton’s three wise men is incalculable to younger members of the squad, such as 18-year-old Charalampos Kostoulas, who was bright on his full league debut in the No 9 role. In the announcement of Gross’s re-signing on Friday, Hurzeler referred to his “great leadership qualities”, adding that his experience and abilities would be a “huge asset in the second half of the season”.
Gross satisfied an itch with his move to Dortmund, playing in the Champions League across 66 appearances, which included a goal and 15 assists, but Brighton is his spiritual home.
His children were born in Brighton. Der Kaiser (The Emperor), as he is affectionately known by Brighton supporters — a title reserved originally for German great Franz Beckenbauer — spent the morning of his second spell enjoying a walk along the beach, stopping for a coffee.
“A lot of things are the same, but then you have a new manager, new staff members, some new players, so that little bit has changed,” Gross told reporters following his cameo.
“I’m really looking forward to getting to know them, to train with them, to get to know them better and work with them on a daily basis. I’ve not had a chance yet, that’s a bit weird, but now I can go to the daily work.
“I watched nearly every game since I left when I didn’t play, so I followed the club a lot. I know the players quite well, but obviously you get to know them really better when you see them, even better when you train with them, like the detail of how players want to have the ball, how they move.
Pascal Gross’ contract runs until June 2027 (Photo by Glyn Kirk/AFP via Getty Images)
“But I think there’s a lot of potential and if we can get the balance right between experience and some young players, if we can get the right mix, we can hurt a lot of teams.”
In a strange way, in the latter stages of his career, Gross is a signing for the future as his contract runs until June 2027.
Hurzeler’s midfield options could be reduced next summer if he loses Carlos Baleba. Brighton have no interest in selling the 22-year-old, who is with Cameroon at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), to Manchester United, or anybody else, during the January transfer window.
There must also be a possibility that this will be Milner’s last season. Against Burnley, he came on as a substitute to make his 649th Premier League appearance on the eve of his 40th birthday, five shy of breaking Gareth Barry’s all-time record of 653 appearances.
An extra 18 months on the birth certificate will make little difference to Gross’s capacity to affect games. He does not have any pace to lose, combining instead craft with a relentless engine. Covering big distances was evident from the early stages of his Premier League career, when he averaged 12.6km (7.8 miles) per match, which placed him second at the time behind Milner.
The Pascal Gross story with Brighton is up and running again.