Brighton 2-2 Wolves: Baleba leads ratings before Albion collapse
The result of Brighton giving away a 2-0 lead held as late as the 88th minute to draw 2-2 at home against Wolves is a set of player ratings which span from over eight at one end of the spectrum to barely a three at the other.
No prizes for guessing the identity of the two players top and bottom of the pile. Carlos Baleba was magnificent in his role as a midfield disruptor with many Albion supporters arguing Brighton would have seen out the game if Baleba had not been substituted.
Whilst Baleba racked up a rating of 8.23, Mats Wieffer scored just 3.23. The Dutch midfielder led the four-on-one break with 180 seconds remaining.
All he had to do was ensure Brighton kept possession. Instead, Wieffer gave the ball straight to the one Wolves defender back covering.
Straight up the other end the visitors went with Matheus Cunha firing home an equaliser which left the Amex stunned.
Here are your Brighton 2-2 Wolves player ratings.
Bart Verbruggen – 7.15
Some important second half saves and it would be harsh to think he could have done much more with either of the Wolves goals.
Joel Veltman – 5.77
Having done so well against Anthony Gordon when Brighton beat Newcastle United seven days earlier, it was a bit surprising to see Veltman given a torrid time by Cunha.
Jan Paul van Hecke – 6.77
His attempted block as Cunha shot succeeded only in diverting the ball further away from Verbruggen when Wolves equalised. Reasonably assured otherwise and ended the afternoon wearing the captain’s armband for the first time after Danny Welbeck was substituted.
Igor Julio – 6.62
Igor! Igor! Igor! Came into the starting XI with 30 minutes notice after Lewis Dunk was injured in the warm up – something which is never easy to do. Defended well for the most part although his decision to back off Cunha in the build up to the equaliser was questionable.
Pervis Estupinan – 6.31
Whilst Igor backed off, Estupinan was hopelessly out of position to leave his teammate ruthlessly exposed when Wolves countered. Not what you need with three minutes remaining defending a one-goal lead.
Ferdi Kadioglu – 6.62
Played a part in the opening Brighton goal and his passing ability was a useful asset on the right wing.
CARLOS BALEBA – 8.23
Another superb performance in which he frequently turned over possession and got the Albion onto the front foot. A rasping drive tested Jose Sa and he did plenty of other good things before being replaced on 80 minutes by Wieffer.
Yasin Ayari – 6.77
The surprise package of the season so far continues to do well. Hardly wasted a pass and pressed well throughout. No wonder Fabian Hurzeler likes him.
Georginio Rutter – 7.38
Another assist as the Albion’s club-record £40 million signing improves with each game, earning him second spot behind Baleba in the Brighton 2-2 Wolves player ratings. What Hurzeler does when Joao Pedro is fit again will be very interesting.
Kaoru Mitoma – 5.85
Some flashes of his talent in the first half but this was largely a frustrating afternoon for Mitoma.
Danny Welbeck – 7.31
Welbz is Dat Guy. Goal number six for the season was a clinical finish across Sa and he almost had another when the Wolves goalkeeper tipped over a header from a Van Hecke cross. A captain’s performance from the captain in Dunk’s absence.
Brajan Gruda – 5.38
Brought renewed energy into midfield, chasing down and pressing everything as Wolves sought to push forward towards the end. A start in the League Cup against Liverpool on Wednesday will hopefully give Gruda a chance to show what he can do.
Evan Ferguson – 7.00
Ended his 11 month wait for a goal and in some style too, picking out the bottom corner after creating space inside the Wolves area. With the scoring monkey off his back, fingers crossed the goals will flow from this point on.
Tariq Lamptey – 6.38
The lesser spotted Lamptey was a surprise introduction in place of Rutter. Set up the Ferguson goal with the sort of sprint up the right flank which was his calling card during the 2020-21 season.
Mats Wieffer – 3.23
His pressing won the ball back for the Ferguson goal. That though will not stop his afternoon being remembered for nothing other than cocking up the four-on-one. Poor bloke looked devastated at full time.
Julio Enciso – 5.31
Came on late in the day with his only action of note being to watch Wolves level.
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.
