Neal Maupay voted WAB December 2021 Brighton Player of the Month

January 10, 2022January 10, 2022 WeAreBrighton.com 0 Comments

Brighton fans wanted to know how Neal Maupay scored that goal in December 2021 – less of a mystery was that Le Petit Shithouse Français was voted as WAB Player of the Month for his scoring heroics.

Maupay had been on the end of repeated criticism from some sections of the Seagulls support throughout November. Graham Potter had been moved to drop him, despite the fact that Maupay had started the campaign reasonably well with four goals from his first seven outings, culminating in him being voted as our WAB September Player of the Month.

All of that is what makes Maupay returning to top spot one month after all those questions so sweet. It feels like he is finally being truly appreciated for the player he is – to the point where he finally has his own song midway through his third season at the Amex.

The biggest criticism of Maupay is that he is not clinical enough. This is a double-edged sword however – if he took more of his chances, he would be playing for a better team than Brighton.

What Maupay did in December was score crucial goals at crucial times. Brighton were on course to lose 1-0 at West Ham until he popped up with that breath taking bicycle kick in the 89th minute to rescue a point.

Three days later and Maupay struck even later to earn a 1-1 draw at Southampton. It was a goal delivered though his footballing intelligence; Maupay spotted James Ward-Prowse dropping back to cover the post for the injured Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy as the Albion lined up a free kick, and so he stole three extra yards knowing Ward-Prowse would be playing him onside.

When Jakub Moder got the ball into the box at the second attempt, Maupay was perfectly positioned and completely unmarked to snatch another late leveller.

The importance of those two goals went beyond earning two points. Brighton were in the middle of previously unchartered territory of setting a new club record run of 11 top flight games without a win.

Had the West Ham and Southampton games ended in defeat, the mood on the terraces would have been far more sour and Potter and his players subsequently under more pressure.

Instead, Maupay’s late interventions meant that supporters streaked away from the London Stadium and St Mary’s feeling as if the Albion had won. That delirium distracted from Brighton not having won since mid-September.

When that long sequence without a victory was finally put to bed against Brentford on Boxing Day, Maupay was central to the story again.

He scored the second goal in a 2-0 win against the Bees with a stunner from the edge of the box, rounding off an excellent December to silence his critics.

Second behind Maupay in the December 2021 Brighton Player of the Month vote was Marc Cucurella. Since joining the Albion from Getafe in the summer transfer window, Cucurella has wowed Brighton fans with his magnificent hair and his performances up and down the left flank.

In the final game of December, we saw another string to his bow. Potter went to Stamford Bridge to face European Champions Chelsea with a makeshift back three consisting of Joel Veltman, Dan Burn and Cucurella.

Never before in his life had Cucurella played as a centre back. He took to the role like a duck to water, giving a solid defensive showing whilst not tempering his desire to charge forward from the back with possession.

That culminated in Cucurella popping up on the edge of the Chelsea area in the final minutes to deliver a peach of a cross for Danny Welbeck to head home. More late drama and a first ever Brighton goal away from home against Chelsea in a competitive match.

The Albion’s selection issues in defence led to Burn playing in four out of five Premier League matches, putting behind him an injury hit start to the campaign.

Another much maligned figure, he had his best month since winning WAB Player of the Month in August 2019 to finish third in the latest poll after Maupay and Cucurella.

Burn was tasked with marking two of the Premier League’s most dangerous forwards during December. Ivan Toney failed to score when the Bees visited the Amex.

Romelu Lukaku did notch for Chelsea but there was nothing Burn could do about that, the Belgian striker taking advantage of some poor defending from a corner.

That was about all Lukaku did manage as Burn completely nullified the threat of a centre forward who cost £97 million.

Days after being unable to escape Burn’s pocket, Lukaku gave a bombshell interview saying he wished he had never left Inter Milan to return to England.

Coincidence? Obviously not. That is what Burn does to the best strikers in the world.