Wolves 1-0 Brighton: Barco and Enciso excite in player ratings
In amongst the disappointment of Brighton exiting the FA Cup with a whimper in a 1-0 defeat to Wolves, the player ratings do at least offer two positives from an otherwise sorry evening at Molineux.
Namely, Julio Enciso and Valentin Barco. The young South American duo were only on the pitch for 20 and 10 minutes respectively, but both did enough in that time to secure the top two spots in the ratings.
For Enciso, it was his second cameo appearance after six months out with a meniscus injury. Not only did he look the same lively player he was back in August, but he happily took some hefty challenges from home defenders.
Enciso displayed no fear of getting injured again, which was one of the concerns with his return from such a lengthy absence.
Barco meanwhile had an encouraging Albion debut after replacing Igor late on. Roberto De Zerbi had previously said the £7.8 million January signing from Boca Juniors would need time to adapt to English football.
A combination of this showing down the left and the season-ending back problem picked up by Kaoru Mitoma may well lead to a change of thought. Plenty of Seagulls supporters were left clamouring for Barco to be involved in Premier League action going forward.
Lewis Dunk was the only other Albion player to join Enciso and Barco in scoring above a six in a set of ratings which reflect Wolves 1-0 Brighton being amongst the meekest displays of the campaign so far.
Jason Steele – 3.78
“I’m giving Jason Steele a 10/10 on humour factor alone,” wrote one Seagulls supporter on Twitter. And we could not agree more. Gifted Wolves their goal. Made a two-footed last man tackle Bobby Moore would be proud of. Then to cap it all off, the last (and best) Brighton chance to score had to fall to him in the six yard box when up for a corner. Which he missed. Wonderful stuff.
The Streets won't forget Jason Steele v Wolves
Highest xG of any Brighton player ⚽
Best tackle of the game 💪
Assist for the winning goal 😱Entertainment guaranteed ✔️ #BHAFC pic.twitter.com/e8hxzb0G9p
— We Are Brighton (@wearebrighton) February 29, 2024
Jan Paul van Hecke – 4.44
A couple of surges forward in possession were eye catching. Most other comments relating to Van Hecke surrounded the frequency with which he kept slipping over like a granny on ice during the first half.
Lewis Dunk – 6.44
The only Albion defender who did not have at least one moment which left you scratching your head and wondering what he was thinking.
Igor Julio – 5.78
Brighton never look great when Roberto De Zerbi opts for a back three, but Igor in particular has real issues with the system. Owes Steele a beer as that aforementioned Bobby Moore-esque challenge prevented Wolves punishing Igor’s woefully under hit back pass.
Cameron Peupion – 4.44
Considered an attacking midfield, Peupion found himself thrown in for his full Albion debut as a right wing back. The Wolves goal coming inside of 180 seconds down the side of the pitch he and Van Hecke were covering was not a great start. It is hard to read too much into his performance though seeing as he was out of position.
Pascal Gross – 5.78
The lack of scoring opportunities created by Brighton is testament to Gross having an unusually quiet game. Seemed to miss having the suspended Billy Gilmour alongside him, which does not bode well for the other two games the Scottish midfielder is banned for.
Jakub Moder – 5.89
Moder’s display has totally divided opinion. Seems Albion supporters either thought he useless and anonymous or viewed him as one of the more competent performers.
Pervis Estupinan – 4.78
The fact Estupinan’s only noteworthy contribution to the game was completely cocking up an acrobatic volley attempt from a cross he could have met with a simple header sums his evening up.
Facundo Buonanotte – 5.44
Showcased his dribbling skills with several positive runs attempting to break through the Old Gold defence. Needs to work on his acting skills though if he wants his theatrics to convince referees he has been fouled. Andrew Madley was falling for none of it.
Ansu Fati – 4.44
Never really happened for him as false nine. Fati’s ability means De Zerbi has used him in numerous roles across the front line this season. Looks like he needs a run in his favoured left wing position over the next few months if his loan spell from Barcelona is going to be categorised a success.
Simon Adingra – 5.00
Adingra is at his most effective when he hugs the touchline in a 4-2-3-1. A back three with wing backs forces him slightly more central, making him less of a threat. Or no threat, in this case.
Danny Welbeck – 5.44
Introduced at half time and gave the Brighton attack more of a focal point than Fati. That helped the Albion rack up increasing amounts of possession, but made little difference when it came to actually testing Jose Sa in the Wolves goal.
Carlos Baleba – 5.11
Gilmour suspended, five changes for the FA Cup and still Baleba cannot get a start. Average when he came on, although he probably would have claimed an assist had his downwards header in the final seconds dropped to anyone other than Steele.
JULIO ENCISO – 7.00
It felt like Enciso won about 27 free kicks in his short time on the pitch as the only way Wolves could stop him was by fouling. Looks a stronger, more robust player than before his injury.
Benicio Baker-Boaitey – 5.11
Bit of a surprise Baker-Boaitey did not start ahead of Peupion. Limited impact when he did eventually enter proceedings.
Valentin Barco – 6.89
Second place in the Wolves 1-0 Brighton player ratings on his first appearance for the Albion. Very, very early days… but could he go onto be as much of a success as the last youngster from Argentina to make his Seagulls debut away at Wolves?
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.
