Gylfi Sigurdsson was there on one of Albion’s bleakest days in the last decade or more.

He had his 2017-18 Premier League season inadvertently ended by the Seagulls last March.

Now the Iceland international could be the biggest threat to their winning run as they head to Everton.

The Toffees no longer have a surfeit of No.10s and Sigurdsson is relishing the chance to pull the strings in behind front man Richarlisson.

His numbers tell a lot, if not all, of the story.

Joint sixth in the Premier League goalscorers chart with five already (although, perhaps surprisingly, only one assist).

Second in the Premier League for the number of key passes per game (2.8), behind only David Silva.

Joint third for successful crosses per game with two, behind only a pair of attacking full-backs in Kieran Trippier and Jose Holebas.

(Everton’s attack-minded left-back Lucas Digne also averages two per match).

Joint third for through balls per match, behind only the Chelsea pair of David Luiz and Jorginho.

It all suggests Everton are getting the best out of their former Swansea and Tottenham star.

Back in March, the Toffees had been trying to fit Sigurdsson and Wayne Rooney into the same side.

The Argus:

By the time the Seagulls visited, Rooney was operating as one of the deep-lying duo in a 4-2-3-1 set-up.

Everton are now playing Andre Gomes, the Portugal international on loan from Barcelona, in there and he has shone in two games to date.

His sidekick Idrissa Gueye, incidentally, has made more tackles than any other Premier League player this season.

Meanwhile, Sigurdsson, pictured, enjoys himself further forward.

“I cannot talk to you about last season because I wasn’t here and it’s not fair but I know his quality,” said Toffees boss Marco Silva after his recent winning goal at Leicester.

“He’s playing a different role (to last season) and our style is completely different.

“He has worked to get ready for this, working in training with great intensity. It’s not just what he gives us with the ball but also what he is giving us without the ball.”

Albion fans saw an early glimpse of the Sigurdsson threat getting on for ten years ago.

The Alex were managed by Gudjon Thordarson and he sent on his compatriot, who was only 19, for his Crewe debut on 54 minutes.

Sigurdsson, on loan from Reading, marked the occasion by curling home his side’s final goal in a 4-0 win at Withdean.

That was a League One relegation six-pointer and arguably Albion’s lowest point since returning to Brighton in 1999. They slipped to 22nd place, had a host of players injured, were laden down by loanees and were still without a manager after the sacking of Micky Adams.

Even that sorry state of affairs was overshadowed by news the next day that internal injuries suffered during the match by likeable left-back Jimmy McNulty would result in him losing a kidney.

Bleak, bleak times. “How bad is it watching Albion at the moment?” we asked at the end of our online match report and only seven people bothered to reply.

But it was Crewe who went down that season. Albion survived, McNulty recovered and Sigurdsson continued to progress.

He eventually joined would-be Albion favourite Andrea Orlandi in the play-making ranks at slick-passing Swansea City.

“Gylffi impressed me when he signed,” Orlandi told The Argus.

“He was not that kind of No.10 that wants to be involved in the game, passing it and getting on the ball.

“He was more direct and effective even though he can pass it too.

“His finishing is world class, right and left foot. His set-pieces too.

“Very clever guy – shy, but a good guy. I got on well with him.

“One thing that shocked me was that he looked thin! But he used his body very well, He was strong.”

Last term, Sigurdsson played on with a painful knee as Albion were seen off 2-0.

It turned out afterwards that the problem was more serious than he probably thought and he was ruled out for the rest of the season.

His boss Sam Allardyce wasn’t having it.

“Someone gave out the wrong statement. It can be less than that,” he raged at his next press conference.

“Whoever gave that statement out is going to get a b********g today - so well done.”

Actually, it WAS right. Sigurdsson did not play another minute of Premier League football until the first game of this season.

And he has been flying ever since.