The 2015-16 campaign delivered a season of soaring ambition and agonizing heartbreak for Brighton & Hove Albion as The Seagulls, under the astute leadership of Chris Hughton, surged to a spectacular 3rd-place finish in the Championship, missing out on automatic promotion by a margin of only two goals on the final day. Leading the charge was the clinical forward Tomer Hemed, whose 17 goals proved decisive in a campaign built on a club-record 21-game unbeaten start and a dramatic, fierce title race. It was a defining year that ultimately ended in play-off semi-final defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, but it marked their strong emergence as true Premier League contenders.