Brighton 4-1 Luton: Four-midable Albion carry on where they left off

Brighton 4-1 Luton Town was like we had never been away from the Amex and nothing has changed over the summer. Getting to and from Falmer was still a shambles on the trains, once there you had a nightmare getting a beer but it was all worthwhile as the Albion racked up three points via a big victory.

For Brighton to slip so seamlessly into where they left off is impressive because there of course have been changes. The spine of the team has departed, Alexis Mac Allister moving to Liverpool for £35 million and Moises Caicedo heading who knows where for a fee of £115 million.

Levi Colwill too has returned to Chelsea after impressing on loan. Add Colwill’s value of at least £50 million to Mac Allister and Caicedo’s fees and ask yourself this – did there look like there was a £200 million hole running through the middle of Brighton? Absolutely not.

The Albion sat top of the Premier League come 5pm after Brighton 4-1 Luton. And although their time at the summit lasted only for a few hours thanks to Newcastle United hammering Aston Villa 5-1 at Saudi Sportswashing St James Park, it is a good sign for the season ahead.

Three of the Brighton goals came from players aged 21 or under. Two of those were debutants. The football world watches on as the Albion seamlessly introduce Joao Pedro and Simon Adingra to the Premier League, two more talents off the conveyor belt of recruitment.

The abilities of Evan Ferguson are already known after he burst onto the scene in the second half of last season. It is nailed-on that Adingra and Ferguson will all attract the attentions of Chelsea (other European Super League Elite Six Clubs do exist) at some point in the not-too-distant future.

Pedro too, although there was one incredible miss from inside the six yard box when the £30 million record buy side footed wide which had shades of Neal Maupay about it.

Solly March was the other Albion scorer on the opening game of his 11th full campaign in the senior squad. March enjoyed the best form of his life following the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi until his season was ended early by injury during the 5-1 home defeat to Everton in May.

For the coming season, De Zerbi has challenged both March and Kaoru Mitoma to contribute 15 goals each. Should they manage that alongside worthy contributions from Pedro, Adingra, Ferguson, Danny Welbeck and Julio Enciso, the Seagulls could soar even higher than their record-breaking sixth place finish of 2022-23.

Are we getting ahead of ourselves here after one game against a Luton Town outfit most have tipped for an immediate return to the Championship?

Perhaps. But you can only beat what is in front of you. And in the past, the Hatters would have been the sort of banana skin which Brighton would definitely have slipped up on. Not so much anymore with De Zerbi at the helm; careful Roberto, or you might end up making The List redundant.

Brighton racked up 27 shots with 12 on target. They hit the woodwork twice and forced Luton goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski into several fine saves. It could and should have been more than Brighton 4-1 Luton.

Pedro’s miss came from the first chance of the game, engineered by another debutant in James Milner. For all the praise of the Albion’s recruitment of young talent from around the globe, the 37-year-old Yorkshire native was a ball of energy up and down the flank from right back.

Milner’s experience, nous, versatility and remarkable fitness levels will be of huge benefit to Brighton with the challenges of European football to come.

Another shrewd acquisition from the Seagulls based on the standing ovation he received when subbed off ahead of the final 15 minutes.

Welbeck and Pedro were both denied by Kaminski before March opened the scoring on 35 minutes. Mitoma drifted inside and lofted a right footed cross into the box which March met with a towering header to get the Albion up and running for the season.

There were chances to double the advantage before the break. Welbeck hit a post and Pedro had an effort blocked as neither Issa Kabore nor Mads Andersen could get a grip on Mitoma. Don’t worry guys, not all Premier League left wingers are as dangerous as the Japanese Bullet Train.

Unsurprisingly, Mitoma was heavily involved in goal number two on 70 minutes. Mitoma danced his way past Alfie Doughty – introduced to save Kabore following an earlier booking – and slipped in Pedro, who went down in the box under a challenge from Tom Lockyer.

Pedro dusted himself down and converted from the spot despite Kaminski getting a hand to it. In footage from Vicarage Road, Watford fans greeted the news their former captain had scored against their hated rivals as if it were a Hornets goal.

That looked like it was that until a Jacob Brown cross hit the trailing arm of Dunk as he attempted to slide in and block. Luton suddenly had a penalty of their own and when Carlton Morris converted, a lifeline back into the game.

The Albion though were instantly back on the front foot as substitutes Adingra and Ferguson killed the game off. Luton got into all kinds of trouble trying to play out from the back as the aggressive press of first Mitoma earned possession for the outstanding Pervis Estupinan to test Kaminski.

Adingra then put Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu under pressure from the rebound. When the man who has been part of the Hatters’ rise all the way from non league to Premier League attempted an ill-advised piece of skill in the box, Adingra was on hand to volley ruthlessly home.

Goal four arrived in stoppage time. Dunk hit a raking pass up the left wing for Estupinan to gallop onto. How many left backs have the desire, tenacity or fitness to still be charging up and down the flank with 90 minutes gone in a game which is already over?

Estupinan is a special player and his low ball across the face of goal was slid in by Ferguson at the far post, taking Brighton above Manchester City at the top of the table by virtue of goals scored.

De Zerbi said before Brighton 4-1 Luton: “The big clubs can buy our players but they can’t buy our soul and our spirit. That’s not on the market and this is more important than the players when they leave.”

Mac Allister is gone. Caicedo is going. Colwill was not the Albion’s to buy. Trossard went in January. Yves Bissouma and Marc Cucurella last summer.

The good ship Brighton keeps sailing on.