6 things we learnt from Brighton 2-2 Aston Villa
Brighton kicked off preparations for the return of English football in under two weeks time by drawing 2-2 with Aston Villa in Dubai.
All the goals came in the second half in a friendly fixture which rounded off a warm weather training camp in the desert.
The game was streamed in various places and those watching were, after a pretty tepid first half, treated to some wonderful entertainment.
There were goalkeeping errors, defensive errors and four goals scored. Danny Ings notched a double for Villa to continue where he had left off when Unai Emery’s side won 2-1 at the Amex in the final round of Premier League matches before the World Cup.
For Brighton, the lesser spotted Deniz Undav grabbed a brace. Which seems like the perfect place to kick off a look at what we learned from Brighton 2-2 Aston Villa.
Deniz Undav deserves a chance to prove himself
Undav has been afforded little more than a few cameo runs in the bread and butter of the Premier League since his summer arrival from Union Saint-Gilloise.
As a result, there has been talk of a January loan move back to Tony Bloom’s Belgian outfit. That would be risky in the extreme, given the Albion’s striking options already look thinner than Prince William’s hairline even before parting with another forward.
Undav showed with his brace against Villa that he does have something to offer. He was never likely to arrive from a vastly inferior Jupiler League and instantly start banging in goals.
At times, the fanfare hailing the arrival of a bloke who had been playing in the German fourth tier five years ago was bordering on the ridiculous.
Conversely, writing him off after so little game time was equally silly. It is almost as though those who hailed Undav as the second coming of Pele have since done a complete about turn and decided, because he has made them look a little silly by not living up to such unreasonable expectations, that he is shit.
The truth as always lies somewhere in the middle. Villa named a strong line up and their starting defence included Tyrone Mings and Lucas Digne.
For Undav to have looked so threatening against a Premier League standard back line is promising. Both his goals were well taken, the first coming after a perfectly timed run to latch onto a through ball from Andrew Moran and clinically finish into the bottom corner.
Yes, you have just read the word clinical in a sentence describing a Brighton & Hove Albion player. Undav’s second was in a similar vein, hitting a shot on the turn from the edge of the box from a Pascal Gross forward pass after Jan Paul van Hecke won a header.
What will happen to Undav once the transfer window opens remains unclear. It might be nice to see him given an opportunity in the Premier League, so we can judge for ourselves whether he is up to it or not. Until that happens, we will never really know.
Brighton need to be better at the back to play effective De ZerbiBall
Both of Villa’s goals came from Brighton defensive errors, one made when playing a short risky pass across the back line.
De Zerbi wants his side to invite opponents to press. When they do, the Albion suddenly break at pace into the spaces left, ruthlessly sweeping up the other end.
We have seen the tactic put to devastating use already in the short time De Zerbi has been at the helm. But for it to truly work, the Albion need to become better in possession at the back.
Solly March was the guilty party for the first goal, playing a blind pass from the left back area meant for Jason Steele which ended up too far away from the Brighton goalkeeper. Ings could not believe his luck, seizing on the ball and rolling into an empty net.
Lewis Dunk helped Ings’ second cross the line, although Steele was already beaten which is why it has not gone down as an own goal.
That chance had come about when Gross conceded a foul 35 yards out and the Albion fell asleep from the resulting free kick taken short.
With Dunk having also been the man making a completely unnecessary tackle on John McGinn to gift Ings the chance to score from the penalty spot at the Amex last month, the Brighton captain should expect a nice port and stilton hamper from the Villa striker this Christmas.
Injuries will play a part in the second half of the season
A six week break dumped in the middle of the season because of the winter World Cup was always likely to impact on the Premier League season in lots of different ways.
One will undoubtedly be injuries. Those players who have not maintained match fitness by playing in Qatar are being asked to almost start again from scratch but without the lengthy pre-season conditioning process which goes on when they return from their summer holidays.
This may lead to an increase in injuries. The last thing De Zerbi would have wanted to see in Brighton 2-2 Aston Villa was two of his players hobbling from the field inside of the opening 35 minutes.
Danny Welbeck was the first to go, needing treatment on the pitch before being replaced by Cam Cam Peupion. Adam Webster then followed suit with what looked like a muscular problem, his place taken by Van Hecke.
The depth of the Albion’s squad will no doubt be tested in the second half of the season, even if Welbeck and Webster turn out to be fine. Brighton’s fringe players have to be ready.
Does Billy Gilmour have a future at Brighton?
Speaking of fringe players, what is going on with Billy Gilmour? Like Undav, the £9 million summer signing from Chelsea has struggled for game time since his arrival and subsequently been linked with a January departure.
Most Albion fans wrote those rumours off as rubbish, believing the reason Gilmour has not featured to be because Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister have been in such fine form.
But Caicedo and Mac Allister were absent from Brighton 2-2 Aston Villa. Moran was preferred in the starting XI, Peupion took over from Welbeck, young Jack Hinshelwood replaced Adam Lallana at half time and Odel Offiah came on for Julio Enciso for the final 15. Did you know Offiah is the nephew of rugby legend Martin?
Gilmour remained on the bench throughout. That gives credence to those rumours of a January move to Rangers or that De Zerbi does not rate him.
On the flip side, all those youngsters were also sent on ahead of Levi Colwill. Colwill though has at least been given opportunities by De Zerbi, even being preferred to Joel Veltman in the Premier League meeting with Villa.
There is now be a big question mark hanging over Gilmour and his Albion future.
Andrew Moran and Cam Peupion look promising
Moran claimed an assist from his midfield berth and Peupion looked lively in the number 10 role when introduced for Welbeck.
When there is talk of the next young talent to break into the first team, the focus is usually on players like Haydon Roberts, Ed Turns and Evan Ferguson.
Moran and Peupion should be in that conversation. They both look like the sort of confident, technical players who can thrive under De Zerbi.
And the Albion manager must have belief to give them extended runouts against strong Premier League opponents in an important friendly ahead of the second half of the campaign.
Another Hinshelwood in an Albion shirt
Jack Hinshelwood is the 17-year-old son of former Albion defender Adam, the nephew of former Brighton youth team player Paul and the great nephew of one-time Seagulls boss Martin.
Adam had the talent to go far in football, as his call up to the England Under 21s whilst playing for an Albion side struggling in the Championship showed.
Unfortunately, a succession of injuries wrecked his chances. Jack looks well placed to follow in his father’s footsteps with De Zerbi willing to give him first team minutes despite the fact he is so young as to not be able to drink legally.
It would be great to see another Hinshelwood make an impact in a Brighton shirt. And not just because it gives us an excuse to wheel out THAT own goal against Colchester United on Boxing Day 2008.
Kierain Trippier < Adam Hinshelwood pic.twitter.com/EfKQTZnnga
— We Are Brighton (@wearebrighton) February 28, 2019
