Newcastle 0-1 Brighton: Albion beheading home with shock win
Fabian Hurzeler, take a bow. Many Albion fans were sceptical when the Youngest Permanent Manager in Premier League History said he would learn and adapt after the Albion were torn apart defensively at Chelsea three weeks ago. But learn and adapt is what he did for the to St James’ Park, resulting in a full time score of Newcastle 0-1 Brighton.
Hurzeler abandoned the high line, realising after Cole Palmer scored four times in one half of football that there are some places in the Premier League it is suicidal to stick with such tactics. Saudi-on-Tyne is one.
Also gone was 4-2-3-1. In came 4-4-2, Brighton setting up in two banks of four behind Danny Welbeck and Evan Ferguson. One wondered initially whether Hurzeler had hit the Newcastle Brown Ale a little too hard the night before.
Two strikers? No real wingers? One number 10? Three central midfielders? Four if you counted Ferdi Kadioglu? How on Earth was it going to work? It looked a mess on paper.
But it soon became clear Hurzeler had formulated a cunning plan, setting Newcastle the challenge of breaking down the Albion.
It was a pragmatic approach which paid dividends. The polar opposite of when Roberto De Zerbi went to Roma last season, missing numerous players and stuck religiously to his way of playing.
When a little flexibility would almost certainly have meant not getting thrashed 4-0 in the Stadio Olimpico.
The Albion needed some luck of course in Newcastle 0-1 Brighton. They were also indebted to an inspired display of shot stopping from Bart Verbruggen, whom the Toon could find no way past.
And so Danny Welbeck striking at the other end was enough to make Brighton only the second visiting team to win at St James’ Park in 2024 after Manchester City. Not bad company to be in.
Newcastle began the game on the front foot. Anthony Gordon wanted an early penalty when Joel Veltman touched the ball with his hand as he went to ground in the box.
That was the start of a fascinating tussle between Gordon and Veltman. One which the Albion defender came out on top of, helped by Lewis Dunk being switched to the right sided centre back position to double mark Gordon.
Igor Julio – written off by so many Brighton supporters – was superb on the left. Hurzeler has a tough decision to make now over how to get Jan Paul van Hecke back into the starting XI.
Alexsander Isak looked rusty on his return from injury, miss-kicking from six yards out. Fabian Schaar then headed a Gordon delivery wide at the back post.
The Albion goal was leading a charmed life. Isaak looked certain to score when springing the offside trap, only to see Verbruggen stand big and make a superb one-on-one save.
Having done little going forward as a team, Welbeck made it Newcastle 0-1 Brighton with the Albion’s first meaningful attack 10 minutes before half time.
A raking long ball out of defence from Dunk found Dat Guy. A quick one-two exchange with Rutter followed, playing in Welbeck to fire beyond Nick Pope.
There was still time for Verbruggen to make another fine save, flying to his left to turn away a Gordon curler with a strong hand.
Brighton came out for the second half on the front foot to enjoy their best spell of the game. Dunk volleyed a Yasin Ayari corner over and Pope denied Welbeck. Up the other end and Gordon got across Dunk to head an Isak cross off target.
The Albion’s heroic defending in Newcastle 0-1 Brighton was best summed up midway through the second half.
Igor and Verbruggen combined to deny Isak. Veltman and Dunk then stopped Joelinton and Gordon from putting the loose ball into the back of the net at the far post.
As Newcastle began to push forward with increasing desperateness, Hurzeler opted to give them something to think about at the other end.
On came Kaoru Mitoma and Pervis Estupinan in two attack-minded changes within 11 minutes of each other.
The duo soon linked up down the left, combining to cross for Kadioglu now stationed on the right wing after Rutter was withdrawn. It needed a flying block from Schaar to deny Kadioglu his first Premier League goal.
Welbeck was stretchered off with eight minutes remaining with a back problem. He later posted on his social media profiles that he had been checked over in hospital, it was nothing serious and that he would be back in training soon.
Good news for the Albion. If you take away Welbeck’s goals this season, Brighton would be seven points worse off just above the relegation zone rather than sitting pretty in the top six.
Mitoma then robbed Tino Livramento of possession but shot a little too high as Newcastle began to run out of ideas.
Their final roll of the dice saw Pope go up for a corner, the last kick of the game. It was somewhat fitting that Verbruggen came and gathered it, further annoying the hosts with the final whistle blowing the moment the Albion’s number one hit the ground with the ball safely in his grasp.
How many times over recent seasons have Brighton been frustrated at home by well organised opponents who set out to defend with an in-form goalkeeper between the posts?
It feels mighty good when the boot is on the other foot and the Albion beheading home from Newcastle with a shock win over the Saudi Sportswashers.
