Brighton come from behind to stun Brentford
Perhaps deterred by their respective injury crises and with multiple players lining up out of their preferred positions, it was a tentative start to the match from both sides.
Despite Brighton having apparent control during the opening stages, Brentford were awarded a surprise penalty as makeshift full-back Vitaly Janelt stormed forward and was duly tugged down in the area by a floundering Jan Paul van Hecke.
Club top scorer Bryan Mbeumo stepped up to roll in past Jason Steele’s right, sending the Seagulls behind for a third league game in a row.
Kaoru Mitoma and Pascal Groß had been a considerable source of danger on Brighton’s left-hand side prior to that goal, and it took mere minutes for the duo to generate an equaliser.
The German skipper, also playing out of position at left-back tonight, made the most of Mitoma’s enterprising play to receive the ball and unleash a beautiful dipping strike across goal and into the bottom corner.
Having extended their remarkable scoring and conceding run, there could have been another in the form of a reprieve for Van Hecke before the break, but the Dutchman failed to trouble Mark Flekken in the Brentford goal.
Where the first half had started slowly, the second began with an explosion of activity at both ends. While most of that went the way of the home side, Brentford went agonisingly close to going ahead through Yoane Wissa, as the substitute’s effort beat everyone but Jack Hinshelwood on the line.
And things got even better for the 18-year-old, who almost immediately went up the other end to rise highest nod in Groß’s cross to put his side ahead with a maiden professional goal.
The match reached a lull following the goal with Brighton comfortable with their leading position, and the visitors were perhaps fortunate not to go further behind as Flekken did well to deny Simon Adingra on the volley.
Despite a late flourish which saw Ben Mee unsuccessfully attempt to channel his inner Alejandro Garnacho, time rapidly ran out for Thomas Frank’s side, who have now only won one of their last six PL matches on the road. Brighton, meanwhile, celebrated their UEFA Europa League knockout-stage qualification in midweek with a win to edge closer to the PL top five.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Pascal Groß (Brighton & Hove Albion)
