Albion fans will not know where to look first when they study team news at Reading.

It could be to check whether David Stockdale is back in goal.

It might be to see whether Jamie Murphy, who scored their goal at the Madejski last season, has kept the left-wing berth.

But, for many, the point of interest will be the battle for midfield places after their favourites broke new ground in midweek.

Actually, there were three little landmarks in beating Rotherham on Tuesday which underlined how Albion have progressed since they took everyone by surprise this time last year.

The Seagulls’ 3-0 success put them top of the table on goal difference – and they stayed there on Wednesday. That is a great sign given that at no point last season were they above any other team solely on goal difference.

In fact, there were 17 instances of them being level on points with a rival but behind them on what became the dreaded GD – most importantly, of course, after game 46.

But there is more. In sweeping aside the Millers, Albion stretched their unbeaten record in what might be called regular-season league games to 17 – although clearly that is without including the heartbreaking play-off semi-final of last May.

Maybe the play-off defeat at Hillsborough means the comparison is not a legitimate one. Maybe all we can say is they have lost one of their last 19.

But, little more than a year ago, we were celebrating a club-record run of 17 league games unbeaten, spanning two seasons.

Albion are arguably on the second-longest league-only unbeaten run in their history and it has passed by un-noticed.

And something else notable happened on Tuesday. It was the first-time occurrence which will lead to people checking that team line-up with interest at about 2pm tomorrow.

For the first time since he arrived in January last year, Albion won a league game when Beram Kayal did not play.

That, as much as anything, underlines some of the progress being made as far as the squad at Hughton’s disposal goes, certainly in midfield.

The Albion boss said he left out Kayal and Steve Sidwell to give them a rest in midweek, which suggested one or both might return at the Madejski.

The Argus:

Steve Sidwell did well at Derby on the opening day

But it was hard not to think back to the 0-0 home draw with Preston last season, when both Kayal and Stephens were absent. Or subsequent games Kayal missed – the 4-1 hammering at Cardiff and a dull 0-0 draw with Sheffield Wednesday.

Although he was forced to sit out the play-offs, Stephens missed just one league game last term. He has already been out of the XI for twice that number this season and Albion have picked up a 0-0 draw at Derby, then gone2-0 up against Nottingham Forest, in his absence.

Throw in ex-Reading pair Sidwell and Ollie Norwood and you have a right Royal selection dilemma.

Hughton has been delighted, but not surprised, by the way Norwood has settled. He reckons his quartet all offer something a bit different.

The Albion boss told The Argus: “Ollie knew a few of the lads anyway and he is the sort of lad, the sort of character, who I wouldn’t expect to take long to settle in.

“He certainly knows the division and almost didn’t miss a game for Reading last season. I think he adds something different.

“Beram and Siddy are in some ways reasonably similar to each other.

“Dale would give us, I suppose, a little bit more of a physical presence, only because of his height.

“What Ollie has is a great awareness of the game. He is very good on the ball and he uses the ball very well.

“Would he be different to the other three? Yes. I could see him playing with any of the other three in there.”

Which, it was put to Hughton, means Albion are some way advanced from last season, when the absence of Kayal or Stephens set alarm bells ringing among fans.

“I would hope so,” Hughton said. “We have spoken about the possibility of Rohan Ince going out on loan.

"Beram and Dale played the large majority of last season. I would like to think there are now lots of combinations there.

“It certainly gives me option to change during really busy periods when you are playing Saturday-midweek. It also gives me the option to play a three in there as well.”

That’s another option to ponder. Or Sidwell advanced in a 4-4-1-1.

But, if Kayal and Stephens are many people’s favourites to start at the Madejski, there are no guarantees that will happen.

And that is quite a change from last season.