Pervis Estupinan voted WAB February 2023 Brighton Player of the Month

March 7, 2023March 28, 2023 WeAreBrighton.com 0 Comments

The domination Kaoru Mitoma has enjoyed of the WAB Brighton Player of the Month award since the World Cup has come to an end with Pervis Estupinan a well-deserved winner of the February 2023 vote.

In one of the most closely fought contests for some time, just five percent separated the top three. Solly March continues to be the bridesmaid but never the bride with his third runners up spot in a row whilst Lewis Dunk completed the podium places.

Pervis Estupinan was able to show his value at both ends of the pitch, particularly in the first two matches of February 2023.

The 1-0 home win over Plucky Little Bournemouth saw Estupinan appear from nowhere to make a quite sensational last man sliding block to divert Antoine Semenyo’s one-on-one other bar.

Robert Sanchez’s reaction to that moment told its own story. The Brighton goalkeeper celebrated it so wildly you could have been forgiven for thinking the Albion had just scored a last minute winner in the Champions League story.

A week later and Estupinan was Brighton’s biggest attacking threat in the frustrating 1-1 draw away at Crystal Palace.

He had a perfectly good first half goal ruled out because VAR made the quite spectacular cock up of drawing their offside lines from the wrong Palace defender.

It was a mistake so appalling that PGMOL chief Howard Webb first phoned Brighton to apologise and then held a two hour meeting with Roberto De Zerbi to further plead forgiveness.

Stockley Park may have denied Estupinan his first goal in Albion colours, but it could do nothing to prevent him claiming an assist.

One of his swashbuckling runs from left back was followed by a teasing cross all the way to the back post where March was waiting to fire Brighton into the lead.

That goal no doubt had a big say in March adding another Player of the Month second place to go with those he achieved in January 2023 and December 2022.

Although the full time score at Palace was disappointing, March seemed to enjoy himself. The Eagles released him as a teenager, so to score past them would have been particularly sweet – the normally placid winger even went so far as to shush the Sainsbury’s Supermarket Stand.

His 90 minutes at Selhurst was about much more than just the goal. He tormented Palace left back Tyrick Mitchell and also provided a stern examination for both the Bournemouth and Fulham defences before injury ruled him out of the FA Cup fifth round win at Stoke.

It was at the Bet365 Stadium that Dunk joined a very exclusive club which now extends to 10 players who have played 400 times for Brighton.

He marked the occasion with a typically solid defensive showing and a display of his passing range. It was Dunk’s defence splitting through ball which sent Mitoma clear to set up Evan Ferguson for the only goal of the game.

Dunk was paired with Joel Veltman, Adam Webster and Jan Paul van Hecke through February. The lack of consistency alongside him had zero impact on his performances, however.

He ensured Sanchez spent the month rarely troubled – even as Brighton only came away with four points from a possible nine – to take third place in the poll.