Three positives from a tough 2018-19 Premier League season for Brighton
A season full of highs, lows and contrasting fan opinion. It’s fair to say 2018-19 has been indifferent for Brighton and Hove Albion.
On one hand, Seagulls supporters should be happy that the club has secured its Premier League status for another season, putting to bed any fears of second season relegation. But there have been many bumps along the way, with a disappointing 2019 full of dire performances and the side being sucked into a tense relegation battle.
Despite a recent period of below average performances and results, we take a look at the positives in which Albion fans can take away from this challenging Premier League season.
Brighton do the double over Crystal Palace for the first time since the 1983-84 Season
The first fixture that any Brighton fan will look for at the beginning of the season is the matchup with Crystal Palace. After several instances of derby day disappointment for The Seagulls, including a 3-2 away defeat last season in which Brighton were 2 goals behind inside 15 minutes, a play-off semi-final defeat at home to The Eagles in 2013 and a 5-0 drubbing away at Selhurst Park in 2002-03, there were plenty of reasons for Albion fans to fear the worst.
This season’s first victory against Palace came at The Amex in December in dramatic style. Brighton took the lead when James McArthur was adjudged to have brought down Jose Izquierdo, with Murray firing in the resulting spot kick.
Brighton looked to have shot themselves in the foot when Shane Duffy planted his head into the face of Patrick van Aanholt, with the Irishman receiving his marching orders and the Albion having to survive 62 minutes with 10 men.
However, almost immediately after Duffy’s dismissal, Brighton fired in a second when Leon Balogun was left unmarked in the Palace penalty area to volley home. The match then turned into dreamland for Brighton supporters when substitute Florin Andone broke free from the halfway line and scored a brilliant individual effort.
Palace would manage to grab a consolation goal from the penalty spot in the 81st minute but it was all too little too late, with Brighton claiming a memorable victory and Palace fans left to suffer with the embarrassment of losing to a team with 10 men for the majority of the match.
First batch of bragging rights to the Seagulls.
Crystal Palace would have to wait until March to plot their revenge. Brighton fans would not have been optimistic of a victory knowing that their away form had been among the worst in the league but the form book often goes out of the window in these crunch games.
As so often is the case in these derby matches between Palace and Brighton, Glenn Murray had his say, breaking the deadlock early in the first half when the evergreen Cumbrian capitalised on a slip by James Tomkins and finished clinically from a tight angle.
Shortly after half-time, Palace managed to drag a goal back from the spot, when Luka Milivojevic converted.
The scores would remain level until the 74th minute when Anthony Knockaert picked up the ball on the right-hand side before cutting inside and releasing an unstoppable shot into the top corner, sending Seagulls fans berserk and giving Brighton their first win at Selhurst park since 2005 and their first double over their arch-rivals since 1984.
Lewis Dunk & Shane Duffy go up another level
Anyone who follows Brighton will know their foundations of success have been built on the defence, and in Shane Duffy and Lewis Dunk the Albion have two players who live and breathe to defend.
Of course, last season Dunk and Duffy both had strong seasons but like the whole squad, it would be intriguing to see if they could perform at a high level once more with the pressures of second season syndrome.
Apart from a recent run of home games against Southampton, Bournemouth and Cardiff where the whole team were far below par, Duffy and Dunk have continuously gained plaudits in the Premier League. Most recently with colossal performances away at Tottenham and Arsenal.
Perhaps what is most apparent in terms of improvement from last season is that both players have brought goals to their game. Last season they only managed one goal between them, but this season they have scored a total of seven as a pairing, with Duffy leading the way with five.
Brighton’s chances of survival next season will be picked apart by the pundits over the coming months, such as in this sports betting blog, and it remains to be seen whether Dunk and Duffy will both be Brighton players next season with interest in the pair likely to be high.
Yves Bissouma shows glimpses of elite talent
There are certainly questions marks over some of the recent signings made by Brighton but one who has certainly shone is Malian Yves Bissouma.
In a season which has seen little in the way of creativity from midfield, Bissouma has been one of a select few who has shown the quality to create chances, with his driving runs from the centre of midfield and ability to beat players.
Brighton’s recent draw with Arsenal saw Bissouma involved with most of the good Albion moments in the game and the Malian certainly didn’t look out of place on a pitch with world class names such as Mesut Ozil, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette.
It goes without saying that Bissouma still has a lot to learn and improve upon. In certain games, he has shown a naivety in defending and often gifted the ball to opposing players in deadly areas. Maturity and a greater defensive mind should come for the youngster, who is still only 22 years old and should have a very bright future ahead of him.
