Brighton should take confidence from their second half at Newcastle
When looking at this bad run that Brighton are on, we all need to understand that it seems worse than it is because of the high hopes created with the results until mid February.
Four uninterrupted loses and a difficulty to score is the opposite of what we had seen from this squad when they lost that many times from 23 games to spend time around the top eight.
It is not the players or Graham Potter’s fault that we all got carried away hoping for a European ticket. Brighton’s real goal is to avoid the danger zone but the beautiful game they play and results led many of us into thinking for a minute that maybe the goals have changed.
To increase expectations in this way is one of Potter’s biggest successes – and one of his biggest curses because it means the negative results of the past few weeks and not-so appealing performances become difficult to accept.
Thinking Brighton could finish in the top six means problems and uncertainty seem worse than they. That should not lead us to the wrong conclusions though.
Brighton are not going to be relegated. One win will clear the heads of everyone and get us back to realising the good team and manager we have at the Amex.
The Albion can take confidence from the 2-1 defeat at Newcastle that points may not be far away. They demonstrated during the second half that they are getting back on their feet.
After going 2-0 behind, Brighton could have come back to tie the game. They scared Newcastle and not many teams have done that in 2022 as the Magpies are unbeaten this calendar year in the Premier League.
Another reason to be positive is the Seagulls’ set balls play. When goals are hard to come by, corners and free kicks become more valuable.
Brighton took advantage of this against Newcastle with Lewis Dunk heading in a Pascal Gross corner. Goals like this are a product of the training ground, having a taker like Gross and the threat in the air of Dunk and Shane Duffy.
Duffy might have given Brighton the lead with a header before Newcastle had scored. He and Dunk are clever enough to escape their markers, increasing their chances of scoring.
The only side in the Premier League not to have conceded from a corner this season is Arsenal. Brighton will threaten the Gunners when they go to the Emirates in April, it is certain.
Another thing that is certain is that the Liverpool game this weekend will be nothing like the Burnley or Aston Villa matches.
Liverpool are an offensive team and that can give Brighton the chance to have more space and create more chances. It finished 2-2 at Anfield last time and we can expect more goals.
The Albion meanwhile are so unpredictable that it is dangerous for anyone expecting a routine Jurgen Klopp win. Can you imagine Graham Potter and Brighton being the ones to break Liverpool’s 12 win streak in all competitions?
That would change the narrative one again and we would all look back at the Newcastle game and say the amelioration was actually obvious.
Therefore, a positive outcome against Liverpool came as a natural consequence. It would also remind us of how unstable Brighton are.
That might be Potter’s biggest success actually. Not many inconsistent teams who struggles against sides below them in the table compete for a top 10 spot. Brighton still are. Let’s not lose sight of that, even when we are losing.
Dimitris Manakos @dimitris_manakos
