Brighton 2-0 The Leeds United: Albion shock World’s Biggest Club… again
Is there anything more enjoyable than seeing deluded fans of the World’s Biggest Football Club cry? For the second time this season and the eighth time in the past nine matches, Brighton & Hove Albion shocked 1996 Coca Cola Cup runners up The Leeds United, this time winning 2-0 over the mighty Peacocks at the Amex.
Somehow, miraculously, against all the odds, that means that the Albion have taken six points (and kept Ben White) from Leeds this season. The cliché of can we play you every week has never been more apt.
The result had added significance, aside from the deep joy of beating England’s footballing giants. Barring a quite spectacular cock up, it guarantees that Brighton will be playing top flight football for a club-record fifth consecutive season in 2021-22.
Everyone involved in getting the Albion to the Premier League and then keeping us there deserves a huge amount of credit. From Chris Hughton to Graham Potter, Tony Bloom and Paul Barber and of course all the players who have played a part.
It is a huge achievement, even if it might have been nice not to have spent all four seasons so far in relegation battles. If Potter and his players could deliver performances like their effort against Leeds on a more regular basis, then there is no reason that Brighton cannot avoid that familiar fate next time out.
The Albion were excellent, even if the Amazon Prime pundits were determined to make out that the result was instead due to Leeds being poor.
In fact, there was so little praise for Brighton that I will not be ordering a new toaster for next day delivery for at least a week in protest at the biased coverage.
Potter had the Albion set up perfectly. They allowed Leeds to have possession, defended well and put together some fine moves going forward.
It is maddening that we all know Brighton are a much better side when they play this way, and yet every now and again Potter reverts back to trying to dominate games with results like losing 1-0 at Sheffield United following.
Brighton could easily have won this 3-0 or 4-0. Robert Sanchez did not have a save of any note to make as the defence in front of him were impervious once again.
At the other end, Neal Maupay and Leandro Trossard fluffed a couple of easy chances each to make things safe. Even with those all-too-familiar misses, the Albion were as comfortable as they have been all season, bar when playing Newcastle United.
The opening goal arrived from the penalty spot, which was easily the most nerve shredding moment of the afternoon given Brighton’s recent record from 12 yards.
Ezgjan Alioski took an unorthodox approach to defending by grabbing the ankles of Danny Welbeck in the box, leaving referee Chris Kavanagh with an easy decision to make.
Maupay, Welbeck, Trossard and Pascal Gross have all missed penalties so far this season. It was Gross whose key came out the bowl for this one and although Leeds goalkeeper Illan Meslier went the right way, Gross’ effort was tucked just too far into the corner for Meslier to reach.
It says much about how poor Brighton have been in front of goal that Seagulls supporters worry about a German taking a penalty. Most other football fans know that when a player from the land of beer and sausage steps up, it’s going to be a goal with no questions asked.
The Albion though have somehow managed to create a situation whereby doubt exists when a player from the most successful penalty taking nation on ever is given responsibility from the spot. Thankfully, Gross made no mistake this time.
Leeds had plenty of the ball following Gross’ penalty, but they could not do much with it as the Albion defence stood firm. Dan Burn in particular was everywhere.
A Leeds player ran into his knee because it is six feet from the ground. Burn managed to scramble off the line following a calamitous situation after his initial clearance cannoned into Adam Webster when Sanchez could not reach a cross.
Aerial balls into the box seemed to be Leeds’ best way of causing chaos and confusion, but Burn was the man who headed everything away. One moment that really sticks in the mind is when another Leeds player hit a shot with so much power it looked like it could break a brick wall. It cannoned into Burn, bounced 50 yards back up the pitch and the Albion defender didn’t even wince.
Lots of eyebrows were raised when the team was announced with Burn in it. He was superb though, more than justifying his inclusion over Jakub Moder.
Brighton would not have been anywhere near as comfortable with the more attack-minded Moder starting at left wing back. Something for the Burn haters to ponder over, perhaps.
Even better than Burn was Lewis Dunk. Patrick Bamford is the second highest scoring Englishman in the Premier League this season and yet he barely touched the ball in Brighton 2-0 Leeds before being hauled with 30 minutes still to play.
Dunk produced one moment of real quality in the second half when coolly chesting a cross into the six yard box back to Sanchez. If a Brighton defender tries something like that, then 999,999 times out of a million it ends up in a comical own goal.
To have the confidence to pull it off with your side 1-0 ahead in a must-win game is class. Let us hope Gareth Southgate has Amazon Prime because even he would have been impressed, despite liking Dunk about as much as Carrie Symonds and John Lewis (the shop rather than the ex-Sussex bowler).
Back to first half matters, and Trossard blazed over five minutes before the break from inside the box with an open goal to aim at. Trossard then released Welbeck but his low effort was inches away from the post. Those two chances meant it should have been game over before the half time whistle went.
Instead, the Albion had to wait until the final 10 minutes to make the game safe. Meslier tipped a Welbeck effort over the bar and Maupay dragged harmlessly wide from a good position before Welbeck scored one of the goals of the season to make it Brighton 2-0 The Leeds United.
Leeds made a bit of a hash out of clearing under pressure from Maupay and as the ball dropped down from the sky, Welbeck produced a stunning Gross Turn to take him away from his marker and create a bit of space to work with.
There was still much for Welbeck to do, but do it he did with a ferocious effort drive across Meslier and into the far corner. Brighton’s players charged forward to hail an outrageous piece of skill whilst on the sidelines, Potter and Alireza Jahanbakhsh celebrated as if their mate had just returned from the bar with a bonus tray of Jägerbombs with his round.
To sign a striker who can produce something like that, Brighton would have to pay £30 million at least this summer. It is why Welbeck has got to be worth another year, not to mention that his fifth goal from open play takes him level with Maupay from nowhere near the same amount of minutes.
Attention can surely now turn to planning for next season and decisions like whether Welbeck is offered a new contract. Brighton 2-0 Leeds moves the Albion 10 points clear of the relegation zone with four rounds of fixtures left to play.
Looking up the table, Crystal Palace are now within a point of Brighton. Last season’s top-flight record of 41 points is just four away. And if the Albion do manage to overtake Palace and finish the campaign in 13th, it will equal the club’s best ever finish.
For a season that has been a mixture of the good, the bad and the ugly, that would represent a fine outcome and show further progress towards Tony Bloom’s aim of establishing the Albion as a top 10 Premier League club.
Helped of course by the six points that Brighton have taken from the World’s Biggest Football Club. The Leeds United 0-1 Brighton. Brighton 2-0 The Leeds United. Can we play you every week?
