Groß’s output came in two emphatic Brighton victories:
The Arsenal performance carried particular weight. Brighton defeated the reigning champions, while Groß delivered the kind of direct influence associated with a player controlling the rhythm and outcome of a major fixture.
His September was not built around one isolated display. Two goals and three assists across the month gave his claim substance, while the five-goal-contribution burst made him the standout figure in Brighton’s attack.
The award also marks a sharp change in Groß’s recent story. After becoming a peripheral figure at Borussia Dortmund, he returned to Brighton at the start of the year and has now been recognised as the Premier League’s leading player for a month.
The honour places him among the competition’s more experienced winners. Groß is the sixth-oldest player to receive the award and only the fourth German, following Jürgen Klinsmann, Leroy Sané and İlkay Gündoğan.
For Brighton, the significance is equally clear. The club now has its first monthly winner, and that player has earned the recognition through both scoring and creativity rather than one narrow speciality.
The next test is whether Groß can extend that September standard into Brighton’s coming league fixtures. Another sustained run of goals and assists would turn a memorable month into a defining chapter of his return.