Their 23 goals scored is the most in the English top-flight to date, and the seven conceded has only been bettered by the Gunners (five) and Leeds United (six).
A great start to the season
In the space of three days this week, Fabian Hurzeler's side will face Enzo Maresca's City twice. First in the Carabao Cup and then in the league, both games taking place at the Etihad Stadium.
Whilst nothing will be won or lost in October, how the Seagulls fare in those two games might give more of an idea as to whether their current form is a flash in the pan, or if they could be classed as genuine contenders this season.
Although they've not scored in their last two games, losing 2-0 at Liverpool and only managing a goalless draw at Jablonec in the Conference League, Brighton have already comprehensively beaten the Gunners (3-0), scored five against both Crystal Palace and Coventry, come from 2-0 down at Old Trafford to dump Man Utd out of the Carabao Cup (3-2) and scored three away at Chelsea, only to go down 4-3 in a thriller at Stamford Bridge.
It's been a real rollercoaster for the club in 2026/27, but no one can say that they haven't deserved to be sitting on their lofty perch.
Steady improvement under Hurzeler
Since Hurzeler joined in the summer of 2024, Brighton have certainly had their moments, and his way of playing has been in keeping with what went before under Roberto De Zerbi.
Front-foot, attacking football, with an emphasis on bringing the ball out from the back and using the channels as much as possible.
Like the Guardiola's of this world, Hurzeler favours the style of play which is possession-based, revolves around having a man spare at all times, and players who are comfortable on the ball.
That extends right from the goalkeeper and up through the spine of the team.
Where Tony Bloom has got things right off the pitch and has helped Brighton cement themselves as a genuine Premier League club - not bad when one considers that they were very close to going out of business in 1997 - Hurzeler is getting the job done on it.
Super signings offset big losses
As the youngest manager in the Premier League at 33 years of age, he's certainly proved his mettle over the past couple of seasons, to the point where no one is questioning how young he is anymore.
Of course, he is the man who brings it all together, but Hurzeler will probably be the first to doff his cap to his recruitment team.
Though they had to pay €54m to bring in Luka Vuskovic, signings such as Costinha for €13m and Pascal Struijk for €23m are incredibly shrewd buys.
One also can't look beyond the fact that they've also allowed Carlos Baleba and Jan Paul Van Hecke, two of their best players, to move on, and they've also lost the experience of the likes of Danny Welbeck and Joel Veltman amongst others.
A hungry and determined squad
It's therefore an incredible testament to the way in which the club do things across the board, which has seen them flourish.
If other clubs, particularly those that get promoted from the Championship, wanted a blueprint as to what it takes to become successful in the English top-flight, they genuinely don't need to look any further than the AMEX Stadium.
Whilst there's a long, long way to go in the current campaign, there's something different about the Seagulls this season.
It's as if the last 12-24 months have taught Hurzeler and his backroom team a thing or two, and having learned from those experiences, they are applying that knowledge in the best possible way.
As Liverpool showed last time out, they will lose games, but, importantly, opponents are going to get pushed all the way by a squad full of hungry players determined to prove to their manager that they are worth a starting spot.
Teams who earn the three points against Brighton will have deserved them, because this new, improved Seagulls squad have got the bit between their teeth and are clearly relishing the challenge of no longer being considered the underdog.
Watch this space...