Vote now for your May 2021 WAB Brighton Player of the Month

There is every chance that our May 2021 WAB Player of the Month award will be won by an individual who has played his final game for Brighton, such is the demand that certain members of the Albion’s first team squad find themselves in.

Yves Bissouma seems to be the prime candidate for moving on, seeing as he has been linked with all the European Super League greedy six, Paris Saint Germain and Real Madrid. £50 million should get the bidding started for the Malian midfield star.

If not Bissouma, then it could be Ben White who is the big-money summer departure. White has enjoyed an excellent first season as a Premier League regular, culminating in an England call up.

Should he make the Three Lions final 26 man squad and go onto impress at Euro 2020 (in 2021), then he will surely become a man in demand, what with the distinct lack of quality defenders currently playing for clubs in the higher echelons of the the top flight.

Then there is Danny Welbeck. Dat Guy has reignited his career this season at the Amex and Brighton would be mad not to offer him a new deal. His form and return to semi-fitness though is likely to have attracted the attention of other admirers and if somebody gazumps the Albion’s offer, we will be waving goodbye to one of the surprise success stories of the season.

All three had a huge impact on a memorable May. Brighton beat 1996 Coca Cola Cup runners up The Leeds United in one of the biggest shocks of the season, as well as coming from 2-0 down to defeat champions Manchester City 3-2 at the Amex in a slightly less surprising result.

There was a creditable draw against sixth placed West Ham United with defeats against Wolves and Arsenal taking place in difficult circumstances; at Molineux, a silly red card early in the second half from Lewis Dunk left the Albion with an uphill battle. At the Emirates, Brighton looked like they had their minds already on the beach.

And so that leads us to our final Player of the Month vote of the season. Will it be the perfect way for a soon-to-be-departed hero to say goodbye? Or will it be one of those likely to stay – Pascal Gross, Leandro Trossard or Adam Webster – who takes the crown?

The candidates for WeAreBrighton.com May 2021 Brighton Player of the Month

Yves Bissouma
If May 2021 was to the last month of Bissouma in a Brighton shirt, then the Albion’s star player did at least go out on a high. He faced two of his summer suitors in Manchester City and Arsenal and was the dominant midfield force in both of those contests, whilst the WAB Player Ratings scored him as man-of-the-match against Leeds, Wolves and the Gunners. He has a crown to defend being voted as our April 2021 Brighton Player of the Month.

Pascal Gross
For a player who was struggling to get into the starting XI before November, the German playmaker has enjoyed a superb second half of the season. In May, that included a confidently despatched penalty to get the party started at home to The Leeds United and assists against Wolves and Man City. He was used at a central midfielder, a right wing back and a traditional right back at various points and even assumed the role of Der Kapitan for the two games Lewis Dunk missed through suspension.

Leandro Trossard
It is rare that an individual can make a Player of the Month shortlist based on one substitutes appearance that lasted an hour, especially in a month when there were five fixtures played. Take a bow then Trossard, who was utterly unplayable when replacing the injured Welbeck after 30 minutes of Brighton 3-2 Man City. A goal and an assist helped to spark Pep Guardiola’s marvellous meltdown.

Adam Webster
Following a month of struggles after returning from a two month layoff, Webster was back to his best in May. One of the most eye catching aspects of the win over City which seems to have gone a little under the radar in all the excitement is that it was done without Dunk. That Brighton beat the champions even without their inspirational captain was down to Webster stepping up to take control of the back line. His towering header was the least he deserved for his efforts.

Danny Welbeck
Goals against The Leeds United and West Ham meant that Dat Guy finished the season as Brighton’s top scorer from open play with six goals. His strike against the Peacocks was good enough to see him nominated for Goal of the Month and without his cleverness in drawing a foul from João Cancelo, Man City might well have had 11 men on the pitch for longer than nine minutes. Suddenly, the Albion’s clash with the champions becomes a very different game.

Ben White
May 2021 will now forever be remembered as the month Ben White received a shock call up into the provisional England squad for Euro 2020 (in 2021), becoming potentially only the second ever Brighton player to go to a major tournament after Steve Foster at the 1982 World Cup. Gareth Southgate said White’s inclusion was based on his blistering recent form, which included helping take another three points off his former club Leeds and ensuring Phil Foden had one of his quietest games of the season. No mean feat, that.

 Loading ...

Poll closes at 8pm on Sunday 30th May