As one of the most consistent sides in the entirety of the Championship, Brighton & Hove Albion have manoeuvred themselves into a position where they are once again favourites to gain automatic promotion to the Premier League.

After the disappointment of last season, Chris Hughton and his side have not rested on their laurels as they have shown great strength and character to prove themselves to be one of the best teams in the division.

Although Brighton's squad has an abundance of talent and quality which includes the likes of Dale Stephens, Lewis Dunk and Anthony Knockaert to name a few, some of the players in Brighton's squad have exceeded expectations.

These players who clearly have the talent and ability to play at such a high level have stood out because they have managed to perform at such a level that it exceeds any expectations that they might have faced from the fans or the management staff themselves.

FLW writer Elliott Wheat-Bowen has identified two Brighton players who have exceeded expectation so far this season...

Solly March

After a breakthrough season in the 2015/16 season for Solly March saw the 22-year-old winger become a permanent member of Brighton's first team set-up, it was was quite clear that the Brighton academy graduate was richly talented.

However, after injury and coming back amongst a wide foray of excellent wide options including Anthony Knockaert, Jiri Skalak and Jamie Murphy, March's place in the side was in doubt.

This season, Solly March started to show his talent and ability consistently as he has featured regularly in a number of competitions including the Championship, FA Cup and EFL Trophy.

After suffering from a long-term knee injury, it has taken time for Solly March to adapt and re-find his form, however, his performance off the bench against Brentford suggested that he had rediscovered his touch.

March proved to be the catalyst in Brighton's come-back against Brentford when compared to the ineffective performance of Jiri Skalak.

After such a decisive performance, it showed that March is exceeding the expectations of many, possibly including Brighton & Hove manager Chris Hughton.

Shane Duffy

A few eyebrows were raised when Brighton & Hove Albion decided to bring 25-year-old centre half Shane Duffy to the club from Blackburn Rovers.

The former Everton defender joined the club for a hefty fee.

In previous appearances for Blackburn Rovers, Shane Duffy came across as error-prone and not up to the standard that Brighton fans had grown to expect.

The expectations around the centre half were somewhat mixed, however, Duffy settled quickly into Chris Hughton's side.

Since joining, Shane Duffy has shown his defensive ability and more importantly his reliability as he has played a pivotal role in one of the tightest defences in the Championship, having forged a solid relationship with Lewis Dunk.