Maisie Symonds knows how it feels to be a last-minute matchwinner at the Amex.

Her free-kick to beat Leicester City three years ago remains probably the moment for which she is best known.

But the hope will be more sustained success is on the way with a rebuilt Albion team who return to Falmer on Saturday to face West Ham in the WSL.

It is a match given greater significance after events last Friday, when the Seagulls’ bright start to the season was interrupted by a 5-0 defeat at Arsenal.

But Symonds, an intelligent user of the ball in midfield, believes Albion have an extra edge now.

Speaking before the setback at the Emirates, the midfielder said: “We’ve brought in some top class players like Fran Kirby and Nikita Parris that have kind of changed the mentality of the squad a little bit - or driven it.

“And obviously we have a really top manager (Dario Vidosic) that’s come in and I think we always had the potential the last few years to be a top team.

“It definitely took a change in mentality for us to say, ‘Yeah, we should be winning these games’ and the way we go into every game now is to win, which is different to how it has been in previous years.

“It’s not that they held a meeting and said, ‘This is how we’re going to do it’.

“It’s just drip-fed into every single session and every single time that we talk going into games, the way that we think going into games, all of those things.

“Those top players know how to win.

“Some of our games so far haven’t been the prettiest of games, but we’ve found a way to win and I think that shows our shift in mentality.”

The last home game, a 1-0 win over Leicester, is cited as an example.

Symonds, 21, said: “It felt like we should have got two or three more goals in the first half. “But getting over the line similar to the Crystal Palace game shows that difference and mentality.”

Albion brought in 11 signings as well as head coach Dario Vidosic in the summer but Symonds is happy with how the changes went.

Speaking at Flour Pot Bakery, Fiveways, to launch the American Express Shop Small campaign, she said: “I’ve felt like we’ve had big changeovers pretty much every single summer.

“I feel pretty used to it now, but it does help when the girls are so easy to get on with and they’re all so lovely.

“You know, it doesn’t feel like too many big egos. Everyone’s just trying to push together.

“I would say that Mikey (Harris, interim boss in the second half of last season) would be more similar to Dario than the coaches we had before Mikey.

“But there’s definitely still a massive difference in the way that we’re playing.

“It was almost like Mikey was an introduction to that sort of style of possession-based football and then having a full pre-season and then build-up into the season with Dario.

“It feels like we are really starting to understand what he wants us to do.

“There are different things, definitely. But the more and more we’re learning it now, it starts to become a bit of second nature.”

Maisie Symonds is supporting the American Express Shop Small campaign, which encourages the nation to champion their local high street. Between now and 7 December 2024, American Express is calling on its Cardmembers to ‘Champion Small’ by nominating their favourite small businesses to give them the chance of winning one of ten £10,000 business grants. Cardmembers who nominate will also be in with the chance to win £1,000 for themselves in statement credit. For more information visit, go.amex/championsmall2024.