Brighton 2-1 Blackpool: Bissouma tops ratings to add more to his price tag
Yves Bissouma added a few more million to his price tag with a blockbuster goal and a place at the top of the player ratings for Brighton & Hove Albion’s 2-1 FA Cup fourth round success over Blackpool.
It was by no means a classic and the Albion performance could best be described as below par. Good teams though tend to find a way to win when they do not play well and Brighton managed to do that, thanks largely to the brilliance of Bissouma.
The midfielder’s rocket into the stanchion of the Blackpool goal in the first half was one of the most spectacular strikes seen at the Amex.
Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal, Real Madrid and anyone else watching will have been impressed by the world class goal from a player who has the potential to be world class.
That Bissouma was playing will have come as a surprise to some. Brighton face Fulham on Wednesday night in a relegation six pointer and Graham Potter could not be blamed if he had one eye on the midweek action in the bread and butter of the Premier League rather than an FA Cup tie against League One opposition.
Potter though named a very strong team to take on the Seasiders – and here is how they rated in Brighton 2-1 Blackpool.
Christian Walton – 6.45
After five seasons on a loan odyssey around the four divisions of English football, Walton finally pulled on a Brighton shirt again in a competitive game for the first time since May 2015. Other than an excellent stop to turn a Luke Garbutt free kick around the post, he was rarely troubled. Some supporters felt he could have done better with the goal, but that seemed harsh as it was a smart finish from Gary Madine.
Adam Webster – 6.45
Continued his recent good run of form by being the Brighton defender who scored highest in the ratings for the 2-1 win over Blackpool. Looked a threat from Alexis Mac Allister’s pinpoint set pieces, even after he had taken a whack to the head which needed patching up once it started bleeding.
Lewis Dunk – 6.36
Allowed Madine to nip in front of him a little too easily for the Blackpool equaliser. Like Webster, he was a danger from attacking corners and was unlucky to see one header in the first half shave the visitors’ crossbar.
Dan Burn – 5.82
Clipped some lovely balls out of defence. Went through a bit of a funny period in the second half where he gave away a lot of unnecessary free kicks. Luckily Blackpool were unable to make much of them but in the Premier League, that carelessness would have been punished.
Joel Veltman – 7.73
The Flying Dutchman was pipped by just 0.09 points to top spot in the Brighton 2-1 Blackpool player ratings by Bissouma. He did his job defensively and was a constant threat when frequently charging forwards, only to be denied what would have been a well-deserved assist by the bluntness of the Albion’s finishing.
YVES BISSOUMA – 7.82
His goal has pretty much wrapped up the WeAreBrighton.com Goal of the Season Award already and proved to be the icing on the cake of another midfield masterclass. Broke up Blackpool’s rare attacks and put the Albion on the front foot as he and Veltman were head and shoulders above anybody else on the pitch.
Davy Propper – 6.45
An unusually sloppy performance in possession for the handsome midfielder. Once Neal Maupay, Solly March and Leandro Trossard arrived into proceedings for the final 30 minutes he perked up a bit. Should have scored and might have had an assist if Maupay had been a little more alert to him scampering to the by-line and cutting a low cross back into the box.
Steve Alzate – 5.73
Returned after illness but this was another off day in an inconsistent, stop-start season. He did however make it onto the score sheet when Mac Allister’s shot from distance smacked into his back and deflected into the opposite corner of the Blackpool goal from where it had initially been heading.
Alexis Mac Allister – 7.27
The only player other than Bissouma and Veltman to score more than seven. It was his decision to try his luck from range that led to the winner deflecting in and as already mentioned, his set pieces were excellent all afternoon. Brighton have had to be patient with Mac Allister since his arrival last January and it really is starting to pay off now.
Percy Tau – 5.45
After the encouragement taken from strong performances in his first two games against Manchester City and Newport County, he struggled to make much headway against a League One defence. One Brighton fan wrote on Twitter, “It has only taken three games for Brighton to turn Percy Tau from a winger who wants to run at people into a player who always passes sideward.”
Andi Zeqiri – 5.64
Managed to work himself a couple more opportunities than Tau managed. Looked very much like a raw player with promise rather than somebody who is ready for the Premier League, especially when he managed to put a free header from a decent position in the first half harmlessly out of play for a goal kick.
Solly March – 6.91
No surprise that Brighton went from struggling to find a way through for the first hour to racking up countless opportunities in the final 30 minutes once he had been introduced from the bench in place of Alzate.
Neal Maupay – 6.55
Offered a much greater threat than Tau had managed and got into some promising positions. His finishing let him down though, especially when Trossard’s cross found him eight yards out with just Chris Maxwell to beat and he managed to place his effort straight at the Blackpool goalkeeper.
Leandro Trossard – 4.64
Aside from the cross which teed up Maupay, he did very little. Frustrating given that he seemed to be rediscovering some form after promising showings at The Leeds United and Manchester City.
Pascal Gross – 5.73
Another substitute who should have scored in the short time he was on the pitch. Could not get enough connection on a low sweeping pass across the box when the goal was gaping.
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.
