Brighton 1-0 Nottingham Forest: Baleba brilliant to top ratings
Has Carlos made a Baleba out of you? The young midfielder took full advantage of a rare Premier League start by topping the player ratings for Brighton in their 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest.
Roberto De Zerbi finally ditched three at the back against the Tricky Trees, returning to the 4-2-3-1 formation which has brought the Albion so much success.
Baleba was one of the chief beneficiaries as he joined Pascal Gross in the defensive midfield two. Jakub Moder also came in for his first start in over two years, securing a decent player rating of his own at number 10.
Both Baleba and Moder presented a strong case for greater involvement going forward. De Zerbi had been reluctant to play either of them in recent months, even going so far as to use Jan Paul van Hecke in midfield for the 3-0 defeat at Fulham.
The other player to impress was the recalled Bart Verbruggen. A couple of big saves from the Dutchman secured a clean sheet for the Albion, adding further strength to his case for being Brighton number one in the event that De Zerbi decides to stop his controversial goalkeeper rotation policy.
All in all, it was a professional performance and a good three points at the end of an 11 day period featuring far too much drama and disappointment. Here are your Brighton 1-0 Nottingham Forest player ratings.
Bart Verbruggen – 7.64
Two important interventions from Verbruggen. The first half save with the legs from Divock Origi was easy enough as it was straight at him. Much more impressive was the second half tip around the post to stop ex-Albion striker Chris Wood notching his traditional goal against Brighton.
Joel Veltman – 7.00
Veltman might not provide the fireworks of Tariq Lamptey at right back, but the Seagulls clearly benefited from his reliability in a much-improved defensive display on the efforts against Roma, Fulham and Wolves.
Jan Paul van Hecke – 6.73
Continued his fine season with a solid marking job on Wood. Amazing really that he has not been called up to the Dutch international squad.
Lewis Dunk – 6.82
Much more like it after his wobbly evening in the Stadio Olimpico. Totally assured and even managed to get in a trademark chest back to Verbruggen.
Pervis Estupinan – 5.82
Had a very funny spell at the start of the second half when everything he tried seemed to go disastrously wrong. It was entertaining to watch but could well have proven costly had Forest had more about them to take advantage.
Pascal Gross – 7.18
Criminal that he doesn’t get an officially recorded assist for the corner which caused Andrew Omobamidele to head into his own net. Other pinpoint set piece deliveries created good chances for Moder and Ansu Fati.
CARLOS BALEBA – 8.18
A powerhouse display in midfield which had shades of Yves Bissouma in the way he drove forward with the ball at his feet looking to turn defence into attack. One good game has invariably been followed by a disappointing performance next time out. The challenge for Baleba now is to string a series of strong showings together… presuming De Zerbi sticks with him, of course.
Simon Adingra – 6.45
Looked a little jaded which should not really come as a surprise as he has barely caught a breath since helping Ivory Coast win AFCON.
Jakub Moder – 7.18
Brighton 1-0 Forest represents Moder’s highest player ratings score since returning from his 19 month layoff with an ACL injury. His presence played a part in the own goal and he would have notched himself had Tricky Trees goalkeeper Matz Sels not kept out his glancing header. We won’t mention the fact he should have been sent off…
Ansu Fati – 5.55
A harsh score maybe? There were a couple of decent moments in the hour he played. Many Albion fans seem to be judging his performances based on his reputation at Barcelona and the sky-high wages Brighton are apparently paying – standards he is never likely to meet, really.
Evan Ferguson – 6.00
One half chance in the opening 45 minutes was his only real sight of goal. Did some good stuff in terms of hold up play in a hardworking showing.
Tariq Lamptey – 6.73
Some positive runs had the Forest defence worried after his introduction. A lively display continues his recent good run of form.
Danny Welbeck – 6.18
Took over from Ferguson and put in a similar shift to his young Irish counterpart.
Igor Julio – 6.27
Igor! Igor! Igor! Much better after a couple of horror shows caused by De Zerbi’s insistence on sticking with that back three.
Julio Enciso – 6.18
Loves a spectacular goal and almost sewed up the three points for Brighton with a distance drive which whistled just past the post.
Adam Lallana – 6.73
Used his experience and passing ability to slow things down late on and help the Albion gain a greater sense of control. An important cameo from the veteran.
The WAB Player Ratings are formulated using marks out of 10 given by Brighton fans via Twitter. To have your scores included, follow We Are Brighton on Twitter and look out for the player rating thread after each game.
