While the structures of women's football have developed enormously over the past decade, football itself has changed little for talented midfielder Vicky Losada. Her glorious 18-year career spans four countries – and two continents – winning all but one accolades.
Back in her native Barcelona, she perfected the art of Passaccio. When she first moved to Britain with Arsenal in 2015, she learned more about the complexities of passing patterns. And now at Brighton she is learning how football with a lot of ball possession can hurt teams under up-and-coming coach Dario Vidosic.
Playing with the ball is what Losada is good at. Her La Masia upbringing created an intelligent playmaker, one who can both dictate from deep and influence further forward.
And her consistency has ensured she has been a mainstay this season under Vidosic, Brighton's fifth coach since the departure of former England manager Hope Powell in October 2022. Finally, with the help of their Catalan captain, the Seagulls have got a little found stability.
Their 17 points from the opening 10 WSL matches are their highest ever at this stage of a campaign, and just two short of their total for all of last season. Brighton have already won as many WSL games (five) as last season and are higher in almost every metric used to measure performance.
Only the current top three of the WSL score higher in terms of effectiveness in possession.
“Our performances have given us the confidence that we can win every game,” says Losada, leaning back in her chair in a meeting room at Brighton's state-of-the-art training base in Lancing.
“Since I've been here, I've tried to be super open with my team, trying to understand different cultures and languages and everyone's problems. My experience is why they brought me here.
“The structure is now better organized and we find the right people who fit in. You always want more, we are happy and performing well.”
Brighton have been through rocky territory and have become accustomed to looking over their shoulders. All too often the club has been embroiled in messy relegation battles, narrowly escaping the drop in 2022/2023. Brighton have not finished in the top six since 2021.
“We have improved so much from last year, we look more consistent,” the 33-year-old continued.
“I'm so excited this year, when the results come I'm still getting the buzz. I'd love to finish in the top four with Brighton, but I don't want to say it too loudly, it's really difficult. You never know, it is nice to believe, it drives you when you believe.
“At the moment everything is possible. But maybe in three weeks less and five weeks nothing. So we have to concentrate on these games in a short time and make sure we get points from every game. We are at a very good moment .” “
All three of Brighton's WSL defeats this season have come away from home, despite marked improvement. Vidosic's possession-obsessed style has led to a much higher points-per-game ratio, conceding less and scoring more. But Friday night's meeting with Liverpool, live on Sky Sports, presents a problem.
How do Brighton translate their impressive form on their travels?
“Unfortunately, difficult moments always have to do with losing, but football is like that. You want to stick to what you have done and Dario really believes in his way of doing things. After six months it is going smoothly, but in the beginning it was a kind of like, “What's going on?”
“He is very demanding. He looks for perfection, even though he knows it doesn't exist. You have to get the basics right, if the minimum he demands is not there.”
Only WSL league leaders Chelsea have a better shot conversion rate than Brighton this season, helped in no small part by a stellar summer of recruitment, which has seen Fran Kirby, Nikita Parris and Kiko Seike all come together to strengthen their attack. Sharing the goals (about nine different goal scorers) has become just as important.
Losada has also played her part in creating 13 chances for teammates, but it is the control in the middle third of the pitch that makes the former Barcelona star indispensable – and is a key facet of Vidosic's progressive style.
“I have discovered a new way of playing, small details that are different, but at the end of the day it is about possession and pressing, about wanting to be brave in attack – I have had that throughout my career.
“The tactics were a little different and at first I thought, 'Wow, can this work?'
“After six months we know it can work. That's the best thing about football, it's not just one way. What defines Dario is that he can find a way, no matter who you play, without losing identity.”
Losada has won so much in her career that it's hard to imagine she has much drive left. But Losada's ambition is unchecked. She has more to prove and more to achieve, learning on the job and studying the Premier League's best midfielders.
'Something I will always have [as a dream] is winning the WSL, but I want to focus on getting into the top six with Brighton and going for more next year. The results are coming, but we're not there yet. It's all a process.
“I like control, the moments are so important. I like midfielders who do work that not many people can see – like Declan Rice at Arsenal – but when you take that player off the pitch you see how the team suffers. “
Now comes the expectation. Brighton are nine points better off than at the same stage last season and are favoring a consistency that has created positive connections on the pitch. Only West Ham (10) and Man Utd (12) have made fewer changes to their starting XIs than Brighton's.
Standards set. Objective contours. How high can the Seagulls really rise this season?
Watch Liverpool vs Brighton live on Sky Sports Football on Friday evening; starting at 7 p.m
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