The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Brighton

  • EPL: Haaland nets 150th goal as Man City draw 1-1 with Brighton

    EPL: Haaland nets 150th goal as Man City draw 1-1 with Brighton

    Erling Haaland returned to scoring form with his 150th Manchester City goal – but his side’s Premier League title challenge is falling apart, with Brighton holding them to a third consecutive draw.

    Pep Guardiola’s men have endured an underwhelming start to the year, with poor results and injuries to key players handing the initiative to Arsenal, who could go eight points clear at the top if they beat Liverpool on Thursday.

    Brighton were looking to capitalise on City’s makeshift backline and Pascal Gross found room to thump a header at goal which was clawed out by Gianluigi Donnarumma, with the German unable to convert the follow-up.

    Georginio Rutter then released Ferdi Kadioglu with a pass from the halfway line, but the Turkey international could only shoot straight at the towering Italian goalkeeper Donnarumma.

    The Seagulls were exploiting gaps in the opposition defence – Rutter ran clear himself to bear down on goal but was denied by Abdukodir Khusanov’s brilliant, last-ditch challenge.

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    But Brighton failed the most of their chances and paid for that as City took a 41st-minute lead.

    Star man Haaland converted a penalty, and scored the Premier League 35,000th goal since its 1992 inception, after Jeremy Doku was brought down in the box by Diego Gomez – the referee only awarding the spot-kick after reviewing it on the pitchside monitor.

    Captain Bernardo Silva clipped the post in the second half as the hosts looked to stretch their lead, but Fabian Hurzeler’s men hit back through Kaoru Mitoma’s lovely finish from the edge of the area.

    Gomez incredibly missed when picked out by Mitoma a couple of yards from goal, and both sides had to settle for a point.

    BBC

  • EPL: Arsenal regain top spot with win over Brighton

    EPL: Arsenal regain top spot with win over Brighton

    Martin Odegaard scored his first Premier League goal of the season as Arsenal survived a nervy finale to beat Brighton and return to the top of the table.

    The Gunners, who had dropped to second place after Manchester City beat Nottingham Forest in Saturday’s early match, took the lead when Bart Verbruggen’s goal-kick was intercepted and Bukayo Saka teed up captain Odegaard to score from the edge of the area.

    Arsenal’s one-goal half-time lead did not match their first-half dominance as they produced 15 shots, five on target, and restricted Brighton to none.

    But they doubled their lead seven minutes into the second half when makeshift right-back Declan Rice’s corner was flicked into his own net by Georginio Rutter, the fourth own goal that has gone Arsenal’s way in their past four games.

    Arsenal seemed set for a comfortable victory but Brighton pulled one back with their first shot on target when Yasin Ayari’s effort bounced off the post and Diego Gomez hammered in the rebound. 

    Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler had introduced winger Yankuba Minteh at half-time and his pace caused problems.

    Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya had to produce a magnificent save to ensure his side took all three points when he kept out Minteh’s curled effort that was heading towards the top corner.

  • Ekitike scores twice as Salah returns in Liverpool’s 2–0 win over Brighton

    Ekitike scores twice as Salah returns in Liverpool’s 2–0 win over Brighton

    Mohamed Salah marked his eagerly awaited Liverpool return with an assist as Arne Slot’s side beat Brighton thanks to a Hugo Ekitike double.

    Victory pushed the Reds up to sixth as they extended their unbeaten run to five games following a first win at Anfield since 4 November.

    All eyes were on Salah, who returned to the squad after he was left out for Liverpool’s midweek Champions League win at Inter Milan following his extraordinary outburst last weekend at Leeds United.

    Named on the bench by Slot, the Egyptian forward came on in the 26th minute after defender Joe Gomez was forced off with an injury and Dominik Szoboszlai slotted in at right-back.

    Earlier, Gomez played his part in Liverpool’s opener as his header found Ekitike, who took one touch and volleyed past Bart Verbruggen after just 46 seconds – the quickest Premier League goal of the season so far.

    Brighton had chances to level but failed to take them, with an outstretched leg from Alisson denying Diego Gomez, who was through on goal, before Gomez also missed an open goal after the break.

    And Liverpool punished Fabian Hurzeler’s side for their wastefulness when Salah’s corner picked out an unmarked Ekitike at the back post and he headed his second on the hour mark.

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    It was the Frenchman’s 10th goal of the season and second double in as many league games after the 3-3 draw at Leeds.

    Salah’s assist took him to 277 goal involvements in 302 Premier League appearances for Liverpool – the most by any player for a single club in the competition, overtaking Wayne Rooney (276) at Manchester United.

    He was involved in several promising attacks, but missed a golden opportunity to score his 251st goal for the club when he blazed wide in injury time after being teed up by Federico Chiesa’s ball.

    After the game, Salah applauded all four sides of Anfield, with the Egyptian set to report for national team duty on Monday before the Africa Cup of Nations. He could miss up to eight games if Egypt reach the final in Morocco.

    With his future still uncertain, whether or not he plays for Liverpool again remains to be seen after Salah claimed in his interview at Elland Road that this could be his farewell game.

    But, after a tumultuous week, Liverpool have back-to-back wins and clean sheets, while Brighton drop down to ninth place.

    BBC

  • Brighton’s Van Hecke’s late header denies Wolves first Premier League win

    Brighton’s Van Hecke’s late header denies Wolves first Premier League win

    Jan Paul van Hecke’s late header snatched a point for Brighton and denied Wolves their first Premier League win of the season in a dramatic encounter at Molineux, which also saw Wolves boss Vitor Pereira sent off.

    Wolves remain rooted to the bottom of the table with just two points from seven games after Sunday’s 1-1 draw.

    The hosts took the lead in the first half through an unfortunate own goal by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, whose back deflection off the bar from Marshall Munetsi’s strike put Wolves ahead.

    The goal came moments after Pereira was shown a red card by referee Jarred Gillett for kicking a ball into the broadcasters’ dugout in frustration over a denied free-kick.

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    Despite the setback, Wolves showed renewed energy and looked close to sealing their first league win since April. Jhon Arias missed a golden opportunity to double the lead when he fired over, while Jorgen Strand Larsen struck the post with 15 minutes remaining.

    At the other end, Wolves goalkeeper Sam Johnstone pulled off a brilliant save to deny Georginio Rutter’s equaliser, but Brighton eventually found a breakthrough when Van Hecke powered home a header four minutes from time to secure a late draw for the visitors.

    The result extended Wolves’ winless run and piled further pressure on Pereira as his side continued to search for their first Premier League victory of the campaign.

  • EPL: Brighton beat 10-man Chelsea 3-1 in dramatic comeback win

    EPL: Brighton beat 10-man Chelsea 3-1 in dramatic comeback win

    Brighton produced a stunning late turnaround to defeat Chelsea 3-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, capitalising on Trevoh Chalobah’s second-half red card.

    Substitutes Danny Welbeck and Maxim de Cuyper scored during 11 minutes of added time as the visitors profited from Trevoh Chalobah’s 53rd-minute red card.

    The Blues had been coasting to victory in the first half when Enzo Fernandez headed in Reece James’s cross, via a deflection off Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma.

    However, Mitoma played a key role in the game’s big turning point – as he won possession from Chelsea’s Andrey Santos, on his first Premier League start, leading to Chalobah’s desperate challenge on Georginio Rutter.

    After a lengthy video assistant referee check, Chalobah was dismissed – seven days after goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off early in their 2-1 defeat at Manchester United.

    And Welbeck benefited by scoring twice – getting his first, shorty after coming on, by heading in the equaliser at the far post in the 77th minute.

    Read Also: EPL: Haaland scores brace as Manchester City beat Burnley 5-1

    De Cuyper then headed Brighton in front from a corner in the second minute of stoppage time – before Welbeck finished from close range to seal victory in the ninth.

    Chelsea, who drop to seventh place, left the field to a smattering of boos. They have not won a Premier League match since the international break, with Liverpool next to visit west London.

    Meanwhile, Brighton rise into to 10th place after another positive result against big six opposition.

  • EPL: Spurs fight back from two down to draw Brighton

    EPL: Spurs fight back from two down to draw Brighton

    Tottenham fought back from two-goals down to secure a deserved point against Brighton.

    The Seagulls were second best for much of the match but found themselves 2-0 up after 31 minutes thanks to Yankuba Minteh’s early strike and Yasin Ayari’s powerful drive.

    However, Richarlison halved the deficit just before half-time when he stopped a shot by Mohammed Kudus before slotting in.

    Spurs dominated the second half but their finishing let them down as Richarlison and substitute Xavi Simons were both unable to make the most of promising opportunities.

    But the equaliser came eight minutes from time when Jan Paul van Hecke turned Kudus’ cross into his own net.

    Spurs then pushed for a winner as they looked to continue their impressive start to the season, but Brighton held on for the point.

  • Brighton striker Ferguson joins Roma on loan

    Brighton striker Ferguson joins Roma on loan

    Striker Evan Ferguson has joined Italian side Roma on a season-long loan from Brighton.

    The Republic of Ireland international is attempting to rebuild his career after injury and a loss of form resulted in him dropping down the pecking order at the Seagulls.

    “Evan had a challenging period across the past season and a half, and it has been one disrupted by niggling injury issues,” said Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler.

    “He really wants to play regularly and this is an exciting opportunity in a strong league and with the prospect of European football.”

    Ferguson joined West Ham on loan for the second half of last season but made only eight appearances and started once under then manager Graham Potter.

    Ferguson was pictured on social media meeting Roma fans and signing autographs in advance of the move to the Serie A side.

    Read Also: Ferguson praises Dessers over match-winning strike

    The 20-year-old was nominated for the PFA Young Player of the Year award following a stellar 2022-23 campaign, when he scored nine goals and made his senior international bow.

    However, he has scored only one goal at club level since November 2023 and was unlikely to play a significant role under Hurzeler at the start of the current campaign.

  • Brighton agree £29.8m Kostoulas deal

    Brighton agree £29.8m Kostoulas deal

    Brighton have agreed a £29.78m (35m euros) deal with Olympiakos for 18-year-old forward Charalampos Kostoulas.

    The teenager was undergoing a medical with the club on Thursday, ahead of signing a five-year contract that will start on 1 July.

    The deal represents by some distance the highest fee ever received by a Greek club, beating the £16.6m Wolves paid to sign Daniel Podence from Olympiakos in 2020.

    Should an add-on of £1.7m for Kostoulas be met during his time at Brighton, it would be a record paid for a Greek player – topping the £30.63m Napoli paid Roma for Kostas Manolas in 2019.

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    The Greece Under-21 international made his first-team debut in 2024, having come through Olympiakos’ academy.

    Kostoulas was a regular starter as the Olympiakos won the prestigious UEFA Youth League in 2024, beating Inter Milan and Bayern Munich on their way to the final, where they defeated AC Milan.

    The forward netted seven goals in 22 league appearances last season.

  • EPL: Brighton dent Manchester City’s top four hope with draw

    EPL: Brighton dent Manchester City’s top four hope with draw

    Manchester City stumbled again in the battle to secure a return to the Champions League as they were pegged back twice by fellow top-five challengers Brighton in an entertaining encounter at Etihad Stadium.

    Erling Haaland became the first player to reach 100 Premier League goal involvements in fewer than 100 games when he marked his 94th appearance in the competition with his 84th goal by sending Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen the wrong way with his 11th-minute penalty.

    In a game of superb goals, Pervis Estupinan levelled with a curling free-kick that bounced in off a post, although City keeper Stefan Ortega, in for injured first-choice Ederson, did not cover himself in glory as he initially moved to his right before changing direction and eventually watching the ball go in with a shocked look on his first.

    Omar Marmoush levelled with a superb 20-yard strike into the bottom corner, only for City’s brittle defence to let them down again three minutes after the restart as Abdukodir Khusanov diverted Jack Hinshelwood’s effort into his own net.

    In a frenzied finish, City manager Pep Guardiola grew increasingly irritated at referee Simon Hooper following challenges on Josko Gvardiol and Bernardo Silva, who had to be replaced 18 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

    Nico Gonzalez hit a post as the hosts pressed but it was Brighton, who have never won an away game against City, who should have claimed victory, only for Carlos Baleba to balloon a shot over the bar when he had arrived with a perfectly timed run to meet Joao Pedro’s cross unmarked in a central position 12 yards out.

    BBC

  • Brighton fight back to stun Man City

    Brighton fight back to stun Man City

    Brighton staged a sensational late fightback to come from behind and send Manchester City to a fourth consecutive defeat with a pulsating 2-1 win at the Amex Stadium.

    Substitute Matt O’Riley appeared in the area in the 83rd minute to tuck away Joao Pedro’s pass for his first Brighton goal to stun the Premier League champions, minutes after Pedro had himself equalised following a penalty box scramble.

    Erling Haaland’s goal after 23 minutes had looked like being City’s winner for much of the game, the Norway striker finishing off following a sublimely calibrated pass from Mateo Kovacic.

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    Yet this was a display of supreme courage on the home side, Fabian Hurzeler’s players refusing to let go lightly of a chance to leap into the top four.

    They deservedly leveled when half the City team descended on Danny Welbeck as he received the ball in the box and in the panic no one spotted Pedro who leaped onto the scene to finish.

    And it fell to Pedro to provide the ball for O’Riley, appearing for only the second time since moving from Celtic after injury wrecked his early months at Brighton, who capped a famous night on the south coast with the coolest finish amid scintillating drama.