Brighton fighting spirit can carry the Albion into the top five
Having not been at the Amex since the Arsenal game on December 31st because of a January injury, I was in my seat for Brighton v Bournemouth a good hour and 15 minutes before kick off.
Boy, did it feel good to be back. Watching and listening from home and the football seems to have become even more exciting over the past month. It is truly a fantastic time to be an Albion fan. I wish my dad could have witnessed it.
Could things get even better before the end of the season? Beating Bournemouth – one of the most popular seaside resorts in the country, apparently – leaves Brighton sixth in the table having played 20 games.
Spurs in fifth are five points ahead but we have two games in hand. The tide could of course turn at any time and if it does, we must not get downhearted. But why not dream of finishing in the top five?
This Brighton squad have a genuine and real desire to win. Every game we see determination to get a result with the past three matches against Leicester, Liverpool and now Bournemouth all featuring late goals.
I watched a lot of football whilst stuck at home recuperating from my injury. It is obvious that the Albion put in a great deal more effort than many other teams, which will count for something by the end of the season.
My book on last year’s 2021-21 campaign called The Seagulls Best Ever Season has now sold out in the Amex Superstore, much to my amazement. It can now only be bought online.
And with 2022-23 looking likely to eclipse it, I am beginning to wonder if I need to start preparing for a second volume should we be celebrating Europe or winning the FA Cup come June!
Before facing Bournemouth, I felt a little apprehensive to be honest. The Cherries have won four of their last six visits to the Amex and as Roberto De Zerbi stated in his press conference on Friday, it would be a different game to Liverpool last week.
The sort of game the Albion have struggled with in the past. To win, Brighton would need to be on good form.
De Zerbi was undoubtedly right with his comments, a throwback if you like to when Graham Potter would always say there is never an easy game in the Premier League.
It appeared that Lewis Dunk lost the toss and so Albion were forced to play into the North Stand for the first half.
Joel Veltman started in the back four with Adam Webster taking a place on the bench whilst building back after injury.
World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister was suspended by way of the yellow card top-up system and Moises Caicedo was amongst the substitutes following the January transfer window.
That gave Billy Gilmour the chance to join the midfield. Deniz Undav also stepped in up front with Evan Ferguson injured after the teenager was hacked down by Liverpool’s Fabinho last week.
To win the game with players who have spent the season on the fringes so far shows how strong De Zerbi’s squad is. Another reason to have faith that Brighton could overhaul Spurs in the second half of the campaign.
It took Tariq Lamptey only one minute and 20 seconds to get down the right and cross. Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto looked to have problems as Danny Welbeck went for the header; however, referee Craig Pawson ruled in favour of Neto and denied Brighton a very, very early penalty.
The lively start continued when Chris Mepham flicked a corner into the side netting. It was very close to going in and a reminder of the threat Bournemouth posed.
From the resulting goal kick came a marvellous piece of play by the Albion. Robert Sanchez went short to Lewis Dunk, who passed through the lines to Undav.
Undav moved it beautifully to the right where Speedy Gonzalez Lamptey again raced away and crossed. Undav could not quite get to the return ahead of Neto, but what great football to go from one end to the other.
Then came one of the game’s major talking points, those three shots in 10 seconds from Undav none of which unfortunately went in.
A very poor clearance from Neto saw him pass the ball straight to Undav, who moved immediately towards goal and swerved to the left to have a shot blocked on the six yard line by a defender.
The rebound came straight back to Undav, whose second effort was saved by Neto. With his third attempt, Undav hit the left hand post and Bournemouth survived.
Undav was so unlucky but he did at least cause great excitement. If he keeps going, that first Premier League goal will not be far away.
Jefferson Lerma skied one over the bar at the other end, leaving Brighton fans to breathe a sigh of relief just like Bournemouth minutes earlier with the Undav chances.
Kaoru Mitoma nearly walked the ball in at the near post after some of his incredible dribbling. What a player he is, now a superstar in Japan and introducing Brighton to a worldwide audience.
A caller to BBC Radio Sussex a few days ago said they were on business in Japan recently, visiting several major cities.
After his work, he would go out in his Albion gear and was stopped frequently in the street by people who now knew of Brighton through Mitoma.
Mitoma is regularly shown on Japanese television news for his exploits in the Premier League and there seem to be more wonderful fans visiting the Amex from Japan to support our club every week and spending money in the superstore.
It cannot be long until we have a Brighton shop opening in Tokyo, surely?! Whoever would have thought that the Albion would become so global?
Brighton’s next chance came in the 38th minute when Welbeck headed a good cross from March straight at Neto. March then popped one too high and Welbeck was inches away from converting a ball in from Undav.
Half time arrived with the score at 0-0 and a feeling the game could still go either way. You could not fault the Albion’s effort, it was just that the ball did not want to go in for them.
Brighton kept up the pressure after the break and Welbeck and Gilmour went close. For Gilmour, that was the end of his afternoon as Caicedo came on.
Pervis Estupinan undoubtedly saved a Bournemouth goal with a brilliant sliding block which Sanchez was extremely grateful for.
Bournemouth squandered a couple more chances but as the game wore on, it appeared to be heading for a draw.
Except this is Brighton and in the 87th minute, Mitoma headed in a Jeremy Sarmiento cross to win it for the Albion after all those earlier opportunities had not gone our way.
De Zerbi was off on one of his jubilant runs down the line with his emotion there for all to see. He and the players did not feel like they had played at their best, but that is somewhat due to the high standards they have now set.
Hopefully, that rolls into Crystal Palace on Saturday. Up the Albion.
Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony
