That draw at Villa can be turning point in Brighton season
With Brighton not having won for six games, the trip to Aston Villa had a particularly daunting look to it. Which is why it feels like coming away with a hard earned point thanks to an 82nd minute equaliser could be a turning point in the Seagulls’ 2024-25 season.
The Albion showed spirit and fight to draw 2-2 against a Villa side who are playing in the Champions League this season. They have a World Cup winning goalkeeper in Emiliano Martinez and Brighton’s poor record at Villa Park was spoken about at length before kick off.
Seeing as everything was stacked against Brighton, coming from behind should do wonders for confidence levels which must have taken a recent bruising.
Campaigns can turn on such moments, when bad runs of form are ended by a positive result. Following up with a 1-1 draw at home to Arsenal now leaves the Albion in what we hope is a good place moving into a busy January of Premier League and FA Cup action.
The Brighton travelling faithful could be heard loudly and clearly over the BBC Radio Sussex airwaves as the game kicked off.
Wearing all yellow, the Albion were not intimidated by kicking towards the famous Holte End in the first half. In fact, it was Brighton who took the lead with only 12 minutes played.
Lewis Dunk played a superb long ball up the middle towards Joao Pedro and Simon Adingra. It clipped Pedro and fell for Adingra, who cut inside and left a right-footed rocket go from outside the shop.
Martinez might have won the Best FIFA Men’s Goalkeeper Award for 2024 last month, but he had no hope of stopping that strike from Adingra.
Dunk has faced his critics since coming straight back into the starting XI on his return for injury at the expense of Igor Julio.
However, he was superb at Villa Park. The Albion captain followed up his magnificent pass by cutting out a dangerous Villa break when Jan Paul van Hecke lost the ball.
Igor was back in the side with Pervis Estupinan ill and showed his worth at left back, getting out of a tight spot by the corner flag.
The ball was worked up the pitch and found Julio Enciso, who made Martinez work to save a curling shot which looked to be heading into the top right corner. It was a great shot and an even better save.
Villa had a penalty appeal waved away when Van Hecke clearly got a foot to the ball when tackling Morgan Rogers. There were further appeals a minute or two later after Bart Verbruggen made a save which did not go out of play.
The ball bounced around from Verbruggen and as Pedro went to clear, he caught the ankle of Rogers. Referee Craig Pawson was asked to attend the VAR monitor, leading to a penalty.
I thought the decision was highly dodgy. Ollie Watkins was not bothered, stepping up to send Verbruggen the wrong way. A lovely 29th birthday present for the Villa and England striker, I am sure.
The score remained 1-1 going into half time. Could Fabian Hurzler egg the players on with his team talk to retake the lead and subsequently win the three points? Short answer… no.
Villa came flying out the traps and won an early corner. Brighton then lost possession when trying to break, leaving three Villa players unmarked in space.
Rogers was the man the chance came to. He brought the ball under control with his chest and rifled in to put the home side 2-1 ahead.
The Albion paid the price for leaving a player as good as Rogers (not to mention the other two Claret-clad shirts) unattended.
Brighton though responded well to the setback. Pedro had a big opportunity to score but decided, as Warren Aspinall would say, to send it to the pie man at the back of the stand.
Yankubu Minteh put a reasonable effort just past the far post before the equaliser arrived via a goal which should what the Albion can really do.
Tariq Lamptey started the move with a run up the right. The ball went to Pedro, then wide to Kaoru Mitoma. In came a cross from Mitoma which Pedro flicked onto Lamptey, whose thunderous low drive flew into the back of the net.
Brighton deserved their point – but might it had been all three if the Albion stopped slipping over at crucial times? The subject has come up frequently on recent BBC Radio Sussex commentaries with Johnny Cantor and Warren reporting at least once or twice per game that players have slipped.
When I was a lad playing the game back in the 1960s, Mr Edwards of the Edwards Sports Shop in New Church Road, Hove, always ensured the studs in the boots were good enough not to slip over.
We know Buzz in the Albion Boot Room does fantastic work. Maybe he can can find a way to find out what Mr Edwards’ secret was to cure the problem for this Albion squad? It must be worth a try!
Tony Noble @Noble1844Tony
