Brighton 6-0 Wolves: Sensational Seagulls send records tumbling

So, yes, the Albion do have an outrageously good record against the team who rocked up to the Amex on Saturday. But Brighton 6-0 Wolves? Come on, who saw that coming?

Certainly nobody who looked at a Seagulls starting XI missing Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo and Kaoru Mitoma. Not to mention the injured Evan Ferguson, Adam Lallana and Tariq Lamptey. It was a line up which screamed “Brighton need more squad depth“.

Yet, here we are. The likes of Billy Gilmour, Julio Enciso and Deniz Undav – all outstanding – can now proudly write on their CVs that they were part of the biggest win Brighton have ever recorded in the top flight of English football.

Before we go too overboard, it should be stated that Wolves were awful. Safe from relegation, unlikely to challenge for the top 10, they were not so much on the beach as on the beach having enjoyed 20 all inclusive cocktails, eaten an entire squid and suffering with so much sunstroke that the Spanish emergency room is calling.

But you can only beat what is in front of you. And in the Premier League, there should never be a six goal winning margin, even if one team does not give a toss. Brighton deserve all the credit that has come their way for being utterly majestic on their way to hammering Wolves 6-0.

It was only the second time the Albion had plundered six goals at the Amex, following the 6-1 victory over Blackpool in 2013.

In terms of victories, it was the biggest Brighton have managed since Northwich Victoria were turned over 8-0 at Withdean in the 2006-07 FA Cup by Dean Wilkins’ homegrown Seagulls side.

Roberto De Zerbi described Brighton 6-0 Wolves afterwards as the best game of his coaching career. No wonder. He rotated, put his faith in back up players and then watched them deliver a performance which was the epitome of DeZerbiBall.

It took just five minutes for Undav to open the scoring. From the opposite end of the West Upper, it appeared as though a blue and white shirt had been a mile offside.

Referee David Coote seemed to think so too as he went trotting over towards his assistant after Undav hit the back of the net, just waiting for the flag.

VAR had a look, and the Amex believed it was going to confirm what the naked eye had seen. A chorus of “Fuck VAR” rang out in anticipation.

Then it turned out Undav was not offside when clinically finishing from a Danny Welbeck backheel. Strangely, nobody sung “Thank VAR” when the Albion’s lead was confirmed.

Six minutes later and it was 2-0 via a goal built on sublime passing. Gilmour fed Enciso. The days of the Paraguayan teenager making questionable decisions are long gone as he squared perfectly to Pascal Gross, who fired home.

Gross was clearly determined to enjoy himself back in midfield and it was Der Kaiser who added the third in spectacular style.

Enciso squared across the area to Gross, who flicked the ball up with his first touch to set up his own thumping volley from 25 yards into the top corner.

Wolves fans began leaving at that point, 26 minutes played. Which, as someone who abandoned ship with Brighton 3-0 down at West Ham after 12 minutes on their way to a 6-0 defeat, I can fully sympathise with.

Why stay at the Amex when you could be in one of the many brilliant pubs the city of Brighton & Hove is lucky to he home too or on the beach in the sunshine?

Goal four on 39 minutes led to a further exodus. Welbeck was having the time of his life playing as a number 10, being a creator rather than the guy doing the donkey work of off-the-ball runs and creating space for others as the focal point of the attack.

Dat Guy’s first of the afternoon was a direct result of this new-found freedom, drifting to the back post to head a Pervis Estupinan cross home following more good work from Enciso.

Not to be picky, but it could have been more than four at half time. Welbeck had fired over when gifted possession front and centre of the goal by a loose pass from Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa.

Undav also managed to cock up a really good opportunity when the ball hit the back of his foot. Moments like a simple piece of control going awry only to be followed by a spectacular second half goal to complete a deserved brace make it particularly apt he is the new recipient of the Neal Maupay song.

Wolves made a triple change at the break. It made the sum total of sod all difference as within four minutes of the restart, Brighton had their fifth.

Enciso looked for an incision through ball cut out by Nathan Collins, only for Welbeck to pick up the pieces and lash past Sa.

The game was clearly done by this point. It had been probably been done after 30 minutes. The Albion could ease up, properly save themselves for the revenge mission to come against Manchester United on Thursday night, 11 days after that FA Cup semi final heartbreak.

De Zerbi was not having any of that. He turned to his bench and introduced the rested Mitoma, Caicedo and Mac Allister for the final half hour.

Wolves were already 3-0 down and now faced with arguably the Albion’s three best players this season coming off the bench. It was an act of cruelty not seen in this country since Archie Mitchell was in EastEnders.

Mitoma did not take long to make an impact by getting involved in the sixth Brighton goal. Max Kilman lost possession to the Japanese Bullet Train and the ball spun out to the right.

Undav collected out wide and at a very tight angle. Nobody thought he could go for goal from there, but he did… with a chip consisting of the perfect height, dip and back spin to beat Sa and creep under the bar.

A superb finish for a player who clearly needed goals to boost his confidence. One swallow does not make a summer, but Undav breaking his Premier League duck (twice) could not have come at a better time ahead of an intense final month of the campaign.

There were still the best part of 25 minutes to go at this point with Brighton leading Wolves 6-0. Could the Albion eclipse that 8-0 FA Cup win against Northwich?

Might they secure a biggest home league win since Darren Freeman hit a hat-trick in the first game at Withdean 24 years ago when Mansfield Town were vanquished 6-0?

No and no. Mitoma squandered a late chance and Gross came close to a hat-trick, despite playing the final 20 at right back after a concerning injury to Joel Veltman.

Wolves were spared any further embarrassment and Brighton walked off happy, 6-0 writing a piece of club history and it being achieved with several of their big guns rested.

De Zerbi was clearly prioritising Thursday night against United with his selection. And Erik ten Hag should be looking at Brighton 6-0 Wolves with worry.

The buzz is back around the Amex. Mac Allister, Caicedo and Mitoma are tested and refreshed. The back ups have proven themselves to the point some might even start against the Red Devils.

And most powerful of all, Brighton are out for retribution after Wembley. Bring it on. Let us have 30,000 Seagulls fans singing “You’ve seen the Albion, now fuck off home…” come 10pm on Thursday, please.