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Give Alireza Jahanbakhsh Time, He Will Come Good At Brighton & Hove Albion

PLDC - It would be fair to state that the 2018/19 campaign has not exactly gone to plan for Brighton & Hove Albion winger Alireza Jahanbakhsh. Having moved to the Amex Stadium on an undisclosed club record fee, Jahanbakhsh was expected to shine for the Seagulls this season. However, he has made just 13 Premier League appearances, seven of those off the bench, and he is yet to score a goal or record an assist.

So, why has Jahanbakhsh struggled to make the step up in England’s top flight? The Iran star joined the club with lots of hype surrounding him – and with good reason. He finished the 2017/18 campaign as the top scorer in Eredivisie with 21 goals whilst notching 12 assists. His 21 goals were enough to secure the Golden Boot and become the first Asian to finish as top goalscorer in a top-level European league.

AZ Alkmaar were sad to see Jahanbakhsh leave but the Iran winger couldn’t turn Brighton down. The opportunity to play in the Premier League was enticing and he could yet enjoy a long and successful Seagulls career. Chris Hughton gave Jahanbakhsh a rare start in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Millwall and he could retain his spot in the starting line-up after a solid performance. Write him off at your peril, he still has plenty to give.

Brighton will take on quadruple-chasing Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-finals and the Seagulls will be up against it in that encounter at Wembley Stadium. As of March 21st, the latest football betting odds have Brighton at 18/1 for FA Cup glory and a Jahanbakhsh goal to seal the win would be the stuff of dreams for Iran supporters. This could be the perfect opportunity for the 25-year-old to make a statement on the big stage.

With six goals in 47 international matches, Jahanbakhsh has proven himself at both club and domestic level. Brighton fans will be hoping that he can improve ahead of what could be a big 2019/20 campaign. With the Seagulls looking to cement their Premier League status, it wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see Hughton adapt Brighton’s style of play to accommodate the Iran forward into the starting line-up on a regular basis.

Imagine Jahanbakhsh alongside the likes of Glenn Murray and Anthony Knockaert in a front three. Hughton may decide to experiment with an attack-minded formation once Brighton’s Premier League status is secure. It wouldn’t be a huge surprise to see the Seagulls go all out attack in the latter stages of the 2018/19 season if everything goes to plan.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh ticks all the right boxes to succeed in the Premier League. Given a run of matches in the Brighton side, the Iran winger can prove his worth on a weekly basis and he could turn out to be one of their most influential players. We’ve seen him do it for Iran on the international stage so why can’t he perform in England’s top flight? Watch this space; we should see Jahanbakhsh come into his own as he adjusts.