Welcome to the Premier League. Sights and sounds which made Brighton and Hove Albion's season

Player of the season

A handful of players deserved this but Pascal Gross did it at the attacking end, in his first English season and with his speed setting seemingly stuck. And, like Gerry Ryan back in the previous golden era, he very often seemed to get the important or landmark goals.

Alternative player of the season

Sort of a clubman of the year section and hard to look past two veteran full-backs whose replacements were signed last summer but who could not, ultimately, shift the incumbents. Gaetan Bong had a rough final week but, until then, a hugely commendable season for a couple of reasons. Bruno? We see a lot of it but the Inspiration award from the club and Paul Barber’s words about their wish to keep him long term suggest his influence behind the scenes is massive.

Goal of the season

It went Bong to Dunk to Ryan to Duffy to Stephens to March to Izquierdo to March to Izquierdo to Stephens to Izquierdo and it was ended by a composed finish from the Colombian at Stoke. Jose Izquierdo reckons this was his best goal of the season and that his curler at home to West Ham, which was voted top goal, was the most important. He may well have a point on both counts.

Under-rated goal of the season

A goal in a defeat at Palace is not going to be short-listed for an award. But Kayal to Locadia to Izquierdo, followed by a brilliant finish when his side desperately needed it, deserved more plaudits than it got. Jurgen Locadia’s perfectly timed and weighted pass was the best thing be has yet done in the Premier League.

Surreal moment of the season

Trying to work out exactly what happened at the far end from the press box at Selhurst Park when Glenn Murray sent the ball towards the touchline from right in front of goal in the last minute. He wasn’t even sure himself. I suppose we’ve all done it. But we are not all Glenn Murray.

Appropriate anniversary celebration of the season

Murray marked the first anniversary of Steve Sidwell’s majestic 50-yarder at Bristol City by kneeing one in scruffily from five yards at Swansea. Why appropriate? Because it was a case of from one extreme to the other and it emphasised the fact that they all count. Albion won ugly - and never won away from home again after that.

Comeback of the season

Chelsea at Southampton. The Blues came back from 2-0 down in the last 20 minutes to win 3-2 while fans of both teams were arriving at Selhurst Park for the Palace/Albion game. The cheers of those watching on the screens got louder with each goal. As for Albion, their three points from losing positions as the lowest tally of its kind bar West Brom (two points).

Final whistle roar of the season

Leading football writer Henry Winter said the roar at the final whistle at home to Newcastle was deafening. Not literally but figuratively. And it was indeed where we sit, above the players tunnel where the noise coming from the West Upper wraps itself around you like a duvet and the more distant North Stand adds to the surround sound feel. But full-time versus Arsenal was louder. And Manchester United topped the lot.

Best visiting player

No doubt there were loads of excellent displays by midfielders and defenders which did not catch the attention of those who mainly have eyes for blue and white stripes. But it’s the creators and scorers who really impress. With a nod to Kevin de Bruyne and the 20-odd minutes for which Riyad Mahrez woke up and moved infield to pull the Leicester strings, it comes to a straight shootout between Eden Hazard and Philippe Coutinho. Choose whichever you want out of those two - you can’t really be wrong. But I’d go for the only player in the Barça changing room who will receive a Champions League medal this year.

Collision of the season

Choose the Premier League player you would LEAST want to come charging into you like a bull in a china shop. Now choose another. And another. Keep going. Some time around the start of next season you might get to the fearsome bulk of Sead Kolasinac. That fate befell Ezequiel Schelotto. But he recovered to talk about it after the game, forgive his opponent for what he said was an accidental clash and play the next match.

The they’re-in-trouble moment

We left three grounds probably thinking the home side were heading for relegation - Stoke, West Ham and Swansea. West Brom? They were expecting a great escape.

The justice-done moment

A combination of the Mathew Ryan penalty save, Lewis Dunk tackle, Ryan save (or was it post?) from the corner and the Anthony Knockaert goalline clearance at Stoke were dramatic as well as important in the general scheme of things. They nipped potential Stoke momentum in the bud and kept an Albion run going. But they all resulted from a penalty which should never have been given. That last bit tends to be forgotten in the Potteries.