Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen has singled out teammate Lewis Dunk’s long-range strike as an early contender for the club’s goal of the season. The defender’s impressive effort came during Brighton’s 5-0 victory over Coventry City on Sunday.

With the Seagulls already leading 3-0 in the 83rd minute, Dunk took a shot from approximately 30 yards out. The ball soared into the top left corner of the net, rounding off a dominant performance by the home side at the Amex Stadium.

Verbruggen, speaking about the goal, indicated that Dunk’s ability to score from distance is well known within the squad. “Every time he gets the ball 30 metres out in training, I step back ready for a shot,” the Dutch goalkeeper remarked. “It wasn’t a surprise for us, but everyone was really happy to see it come out in a game. An unbelievable strike.”

The goalkeeper further suggested that the goal sets a high benchmark early in the season, making the usual club competition for the best goal somewhat redundant after just four matches. “As a club, we always do goal of the season, but they can wrap that award up — we can do the ceremony tomorrow. It’s not going to get better than this,” Verbruggen added.

Dunk’s goal marked one of several notable moments in Brighton’s commanding win over Coventry, which helped the Seagulls maintain a strong start to their campaign. Verbruggen also mentioned that while Dunk had scored a few impressive goals in training, this was by far his best in a competitive match.