3 reasons why Brighton can gain promotion to the Premier League this season

Anthony Knockaert

In the utmost regions of Northern France, on the border with Belguim, you will find the city of Roubaix, most famous for it’s annual professional bike race.

It is also the birthplace of Anthony Knockaert, Brighton’s wing-wizard who originally broke through at Guingamp where he won promotion from the Championnat National, the French third division, in 2010/11, while Brighton were winning League One.

The former France youth international continued to impress in Ligue 2 before being signed by Leicester City in the summer of 2012.

That 20-year-old boy has grown into arguably the best winger in the second-tier of English football, having won the Championship with the Foxes and spending time in the Premier League, he then played for Standard Liege in Belgium for six months before joining the Albion in January this year.

His weaving movement, coming in from the right side on his trusted left foot, turns full-backs inside out as they often double up on him in order to try and sneak a toe in and stop the magician in full swing.

Averaging just under a goal in every two games, Brighton’s number 11 heads the long list of players which will surely seek pastures new if Hughton’s men cannot sneak into a position which will see them play against the big boys in the Premier League next season.