Watford 0-2 Brighton: Saturday Saturday Saturday night’s alright

Unbeaten in seven Premier League games, a team in blue and white are gradually edging closer to the top six. As the Vicarage Road away end emptied following Watford 0-2 Brighton, Albion fans began to wonder if anything can prevent the Seagulls playing in Europe next season?

How about a war? Would it not be Typical Brighton that just as the club qualifies for the Europa League for the first time in its history, all hell breaks lose with Vladimir Putin deciding to invade Ukraine and the entire continent descends into chaos?

With each passing game since the disappointing 1-0 home defeat to Wolves in mid-December, confidence has been growing that this Albion side are on the cusp of something special.

Two draws with European Champions Chelsea, a first ever win at Goodison Park, victory over a tricky Brentford outfit and come-from-behind points from Crystal Palace and Leicester have all been impressive results for different reasons.

An outsider looking at a final score from Vicarage Road of Watford 0-2 Brighton would probably not group it in the same impressive category.

Any club with designs on a top 10 finish should be winning away at opponents who seem certain to be relegated, where managers are hired and fired quicker than Albion fans reel off the Tariq Lamptey Theresastarmanplayingontherighthisnameistariqlampteyandhesfuckingdynamite song. Any chance we can slow it down by 20 beats per minute at Manchester United on Tuesday?

Struggling sides are exactly the sorts of opponents who have tended to pose the biggest problems for Brighton under Graham Potter, however.

Even in what is on course to be a record breaking season, the Albion have failed to beat Norwich City, Newcastle United and 1996 Coca Cola Cup Runners Up The Leeds United. All clubs in the bottom six.

That is what gave Watford 0-2 Brighton the feeling of a big win. The Albion would normally cock up this type of game before pulling off a shock at Old Trafford.

Three points from the Hornets means that Brighton can go to United and play with freedom, knowing anything taking from the Theatre of Dreams is an unexpected bonus to boost the tally of 33 points already on the board. 33 points before Valentine’s Day. Who would have thought that possible in the summer?

The presence of Roy Hodgson in the Hornets dugout also looked like a potential pitfall before the game. Potter had never beaten the friendly grandfather of English football before, the Brighton manager’s progressive brand of football unable to find a way to overcome Hodgson and his cautious, well organised and opportunistic way of playing on the break at Crystal Palace.

Not so on this occasion. Potter said he wore a tie to look smart out of respect to Hodgson. He went onto outsmart the Watford manager on the pitch, a double substitution just past the hour mark securing the three points for Brighton when a lot of Albion fans were expecting a Hornets equaliser to arrive as the hosts began to boss proceedings.

Brighton dominated the first half but despite racking up 71 percent possession, for 44 minutes it looked like they would have nothing to show for it.

Ben Foster kept out efforts from Jakub Moder and Neal Maupay and Pascal Gross and Lewis Dunk both headed over wastefully.

Then with 60 seconds left, Maupay produced a piece of magic. Tariq Lamptey crossed and La Petite Shithouse Française scooped a right footed volley over a dumbfounded Foster and into the top corner.

If it was deliberate, it was an outrageous finish. Even if it was not meant and Maupay had got lucky with the ball spooning into an area of the goal Foster had no hope of reaching, it was still an outrageous finish.

Such is the life of Maupay. One week, he can go through one-on-one and hit an easy chance weakly into the arms of Hugo Lloris to embolden his numerous detractors. The next, he produces a stunning goal out of absolutely nothing which silences those same critics.

What nobody can argue with is his scoring record. The opener in Watford 0-2 Brighton moved Maupay onto 26 Premier League goals for the Albion, tying Glenn Murray. He now sits 11 behind Michael Robinson, the leading Seagulls scorer in top flight football with 37.

Maybe when Maupay becomes the highest ever Brighton scorer at the highest ever level, the ever decreasing number of fans who do not rate him will finally have to admit that actually, our Shithouse Striker is quite good.

Hodgson responded to Watford going behind by switching to 4-3-3 and introducing the Hornets’ star man Ismaila Sarr at half time.

The next 20 minutes as a result belonged to the hosts. Robert Sanchez became increasingly busy and Emmanuel Dennis clattered the bar from close range after tricking his way into the area.

Then came Potter’s intervention. Yves Bissouma and Alexis Mac Allister arrived for Danny Welbeck and Gross to bolster Brighton’s midfield.

The intriguing tactical battle between the bosses continued as Hodgson soon switched away from 4-3-3 but his side’s brief spell on top was done and the Albion finished the stronger.

Hassane Kamara eventually had enough of Lamptey breezing past him as if the Watford left back were not there and so produced a late tackle which wiped his opponent out.

Brighton fans wanted a red card but referee Jonathan Moss deemed it only a yellow. The Hornets were nearly punished beyond a booking for that foul when Mac Allister sent over the resulting free kick, which fell to Moder in the area.

A powerful drive from the Skoda owner was well blocked by Kiko Femenia, leaving the Polish midfielder to continue his wait for a first Premier League goal.

It is getting to the point now where you start to wonder if Moder needs to sacrifice a lamb under a full moon to break his duck or something.

He scores in cup games, he scores in internationals, but he cannot find the back of the net for love nor money in the bread and butter of the Premier League.

Strengthening the feeling that the services of a witch doctor might be required, Moder was denied again as the game rolled into the final 10 minutes.

This time the outstanding Joel Veltman led a sweeping counter which ended with Moder’s effort deflected the opposite way to Foster’s dive but unfortunately inches wide.

Mac Allister swung over the resulting corner and in the subsequent scramble, Adam Webster smashed home at the second attempt to win it for the Albion.

Watford fans began streaming out whilst some of those who remained booed their side off at full time. The Hornets look in trouble largely because of the instability changing managers every three months brings.

Compare their trials and tribulations to the way Brighton are run off the pitch and you appreciate even more the approach of Tony Bloom and Paul Barber.

They have a built a culture of patience and stability, allowing managers and players time to perform. The reward for that is the Albion going from relegation battlers to European contenders under the ever-improving management of Potter and his squad, who were cheered to the rafters come the final whistle.

A job well done and another three points on the road. These really are heady times to follow Brighton and the beers flowed afterwards in celebration.

As a famous Watford fan once sang, Saturday night’s alright. Thursday nights in Kazakhstan would be even better.