Brighton Player Ratings February 2025: Baleba led Forest bounce back

You can play a fun game with the WAB February 2025 Brighton Player Ratings. Spot the people who did not play in the 7-0 debacle against Nottingham Forest.

We will give you a clue. They fill first and second spot in the rankings as the only two players to score eight or above. Sixth and eighth also missed the calamity at the City Ground.

Imagine just how high the average February Albion Player Ratings scored would be if, rather than suffering one of the biggest defeats in Brighton history, the Seagulls had gone the month unbeaten?

Wins over Chelsea, Chelsea again, Southampton and Plucky Little Bournemouth followed the 7-0. An extraordinary turnaround which reminds us why we all support Brighton. Because it is never, ever dull.

Time to find out who was central to the Forest bounce back and who occupies a lowly place in the Brighton February Player Ratings because of it.

1) Carlos Baleba – 8.03

The absence of Baleba against those Tricky Trees was a major contributory factor as to why Brighton got thrashed. That and the decision of Fabian Hurzeler to name only one central midfielder. It is hard to put into words just how good Baleba has been this season. But it felt like he reached a whole new level in February. A mega money move awaits sooner rather than later.

2) Adam Webster – 8.00

Plenty of good stuff happened in February. Mass head loss. Four wins in a row. THAT Yankubu Minteh bicycle kick. One of the best was the renaissance of Webster. Thrown in at the deep end at half time of the Chelsea game, the Albion only conceded once in the month with him on the pitch. And that was a wonder goal from Justin Kluivert.

3) Georginio Rutter – 7.59

Rutter is the highest scorer in the Brighton February Player Ratings to have been involved against Forest. Two goals and two assists continued his excellent debut campaign in an Albion shirt. With plenty of social media nonsense thrown in for good measure.

4) Yankubu Minteh – 7.11

Minteh ended January being dropped for the 1-0 home defeat against Everton because he turned up late to the Amex. Hurzeler putting his foot down with a firm hand turned out to be an inspired piece of management. Two goals and one assist followed in February. Plus THAT bicycle kick in his own box against Bournemouth which sent the ball 70 yards up into the air and out for a corner

5) Kaoru Mitoma – 7.00

Must have been thinking “What the fuck have I done” when stood on the City Ground pitch following the 7-0, just 24 hours after rejecting a multimillion pound deal to join Al-Nasr. Things got markedly better from there, however. Scored the Premier League Goal of the Month in the 3-0 win over Chelsea, one of three excellent strikes in February. Also chipped in with an assist.

6) Yasin Ayari – 6.88

Ayari only started one out of five games in February. Yet a combination of missing the Forest match and his penchant for giving outrageous second half performances means he rides as high as sixth in the ratings.

7) Diego Gomez – 6.65

Comparisons to Alexis Mac Allister abounded after Gomez made his full Albion debut in the 2-1 victory against Bournemouth. Some of his passing was an absolute delight. Early days it might be, but the £12 million fee paid to Inter Miami could turn out to be a bargain.

8) Mats Wieffer- 6.56

The Dutch midfielder returned from two months out with a couple of important cameos from the bench, shoring up the victories against Southampton and Bournemouth.

9) Jack Hinshelwood – 6.43

A fair few teenage midfielders would be left with lasting PTSD from playing as a one-man midfield in a 7-0 defeat. Not Hinshelwood. Brilliant throughout the rest of February whether used at right back, left back or in the middle of the park. Deserved an England call up, certainly ahead of Jordan bloody Henderson.

10) Jan Paul van Hecke – 6.43

Another change of centre back partner and again Van Hecke remained totally unfazed by it. His double act with Webster is the most effective defensive pairing Brighton have had this season. It should remain in place for the remainder of the campaign.

11) Danny Welbeck – 6.28

Welbz is Dat Guy. Two assists in the Chelsea league victory followed by a brilliant, clinical winner late in the day against Bournemouth just four minutes after he came off the bench.

12) Pervis Estupinan – 6.25

Only available for the final two games of February after injury. Seems to have become one of those players over the past year who needs a run of games to ease himself back in.

13) Joao Pedro – 6.09

End of February was the first time that Pedro and Rutter in the same starting XI has worked. They tore Southampton apart; admittedly not much of an achievement. But to do the same against opposition as good as Bournemouth bodes well for the rest of the campaign.

14) Bart Verbruggen – 6.02

Never good for a goalkeeper to ship seven and followed up with an own goal gifting Chelsea an FA Cup lead seven days later. So well protected by his defence after that, he had precious little opportunity to boost his score higher than a six.

15) Tariq Lamptey – 6.00

Lamptey is the player most impacted by Forest, where he scored 1.42 in the player ratings. Was superb over the next four games – including being the best player on the pitch in the first meeting with former club Chelsea – but the damage had been done.

16) Joel Veltman – 5.63

Missed the final two matches of February through injury. Had been good in both Chelsea games before that and was probably the best defender on show at the City Ground.

17) Brajan Gruda – 5.57

Only appearance of the month came as a substitute at Southampton. It saw him register his first Brighton assist with that rarest of things, an Albion goal from a set piece. Over came a Gruda corner good enough to spark chaos in the box, leading to Hinshelwood converting.

18) Matt O’Riley – 4.38

Becoming harder and harder to see where he fits in. Dropped to fifth choice central midfielder in February after Baleba, Ayari, Gomez and Wieffer. Throw Hinshelwood into the mix and he is even further down the pecking order.

19) Lewis Dunk – 4.17

Not for the first time this season, a Dunk injury preceded a good run of form. He surely cannot walk back into the starting XI once recovered from his current rib problem… can he?

20) Simon Adingra – 3.95

Ineffective cameos at Forest and Southampton where the sum total of his February involvement.

21) Evan Ferguson – 3.83

Came off the bench against Forest for his last Albion appearance before a loan move to West Ham United was finalised. Yet to score for the Hammers, although that will hardly come as a surprise to any Brighton fan who sat through the first two-and-a-half years of xG nightmare when Graham Potter was in charge at the Amex.

The February 2025 Brighton Player Ratings have been formulated through our matchday player scores. To play your part, make sure to follow us on Twitter or BlueSky and leave your post game player ratings in the relevant thread.