Talent is not enough, says Gross - and one moment against Chelsea proved it

Brighton and Hove Albion FC Football Sport

Pascal Gross says talent alone will not be enough to send Albion into Europe.

But he likes what he sees from the squad in terms of the less glamourous parts of the game.

Gross skippered the Seagulls to a 3-0 win over Chelsea which pushed them into the Premier League top six.

They had to work hard off the ball against a side with plenty of individual talent, despite some big-name absentees.

But Albion’s collective effort helped them outclass their beleaguered visitors.

Gross said: “We always have talent but there is more needed than talent in the Premier League.

“You can see that on different occasions. You need talent plus mentality, plus togetherness, plus you really want to fight for each other.

“Someone is outplayed, the next one is there. You do a mistake, everybody sprints back to help his team-mate not look bad.

“We have this at the moment and we are really hard to beat, I feel.

“And then talented moments will come out always - but it doesn't work the other way around.

“It doesn't work that you want to show your talent without all the basics you bring to a football game and that's what we're doing, I think, really well at the moment.”

A moment in which Gross covered in the left-back position has been highlighted on social media.

It shows Chelsea winger Pedro Neto being given the chance to lead a counter on the right with Ferdi Kadioglu still getting back.

But Gross, noted for his long-distance stamina rather than his speed, gets back to cut off the route to the penalty area.

Neto has come in for online criticism for the way he then checks back and looks for support and it infuriated Chelsea fans at the time.

Players given extra time off and told to come back smilingGross explains his spiky exchange with ex-Albion team-mateWhere Albion will spend the weekend in the table - and what Hurzeler thinks about it

Albion’s hard work has earned them a few days off from head coach Fabian Hurzeler.

Gross said: “When you go with a win into the break, it feels even better.

“We should recover now, recharge and then fully attack the last four games.”