25 February 2025
Brighton 2 Bournemouth 1
It was a south coast derby at the Amex Stadium as Brighton welcomed Bournemouth. Both sides have been in good form this season, surprising many in the process, as they looked to continue a charge for European qualification. Questions had been asked as to whether Iraola’s side could even secure Champions League football given their fantastic form of late.
The Cherries created the first chance of the game as they robbed the hosts of the ball in the middle of the park. Ouattara took advantage as he strode towards The Seagulls’ goal. He laid it off to Christie wide in the penalty area. The midfielder fired a left-footed shot off but Verbruggen made a superb save at full-stretch to send the effort wide of the target.
Iraola’s side got themselves into trouble trying to play out from the back. Estupinan lofted a cross into the box from the byline but the visitors managed to half-clear it. As The Seagulls recycled it, Kepa came to punch a cross away but the ball ballooned into the air. Rutter reacted quickest but his header was wayward as he missed the target.
Brighton could take some confidence from the attack as Bournemouth looked all over the shop trying to defend, seemingly unable to deal with the barrage of balls into the box. Kepa has had a good season on loan at The Cherries but always seems to have a moment of madness in him. Brian Clough would call such a keeper ‘jigsaw’ as he goes to pieces when crosses came his way.
Gomez then played a sublime ball in behind the Bournemouth defence for Mitoma to run onto. Kepa looked to close him down but the Japanese winger managed to get there first, poking his shot narrowly wide of the far post. The Seagulls were starting to ask real questions of the visitors and a goal for Hurzeler’s side seemed imminent.
Hurzeler secured the signing of Gomez from Inter Miami in the January transfer window. The 21-year-old is looking to be a shrewd signing by The Seagulls and he was starting to pull the strings for the hosts in the middle of the park. He slotted a pass into the path of Joao Pedro, who took it around Kepa before being hauled down. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot.
The Spanish keeper pleaded his innocence, claiming he could not get out of the way, but once he had committed himself there was only going to be one outcome. Joao Pedro stepped up and sent Kepa the wrong way as he stroked the penalty into the back of the net. The Amex Stadium erupted as the ball nestled in the back of the net.
Bournemouth continued to show their danger on the counter-attack as Semenyo used his pace to run clear. He held off the defenders as he made a beeline for the goal. The winger got a shot off but Verbruggen stood firm as he blocked the effort well with his legs. It was a warning for The Seagulls that they could not afford to switch off at all against this dangerous Cherries side.
Iraola continued to make notes on the touchline for his half-time team talk. Considering the amount Premier League managers are paid, it is weird to see them using those pens from the 1980s, where you can choose what colour ink you use at the push of a button. Maybe the Spaniard had accidently left his etch-a-sketch on the team bus.
Brighton almost doubled their lead as Lamptey got down the right wing. His cross picked out Mitoma at the back post. His volley had Kepa beaten but came thundering back off the post. It was a big let-off for the visitors as they headed into the interval a goal behind. Iraola needed to give his side an inspiring team-talk to turn this game around.
After the interval, The Cherries looked to find an equaliser. Kluivert received the ball out wide and ran at the Brighton defence. He cut inside onto his right foot and unleashed an unstoppable shot that arrowed into the top corner to silence the Amex Stadium. There was nothing any keeper in the world could have done to keep the Dutchman’s effort out.
The visitors grew in confidence from this moment and almost took the lead as Ouattara slid in to get a shot away from the edge of the six yard box but Verbruggen did brilliantly to make himself big to deny him. A goal had seemed certain but the Brighton keeper kept his side in this game. At this point the game was finely poised and could go either way.
Hurzeler’s side pushed forward once again as Rutter slid the ball into the path of Welbeck. His left-footed shot beat Kepa, clipping the inside of the post as it headed in. The Amex Stadium went wild as their dependable veteran striker had come to their rescue once again. This would prove to be a massive victory for The Seagulls as they tried to secure European football.
Bournemouth tried to throw everything at the hosts but The Seagulls stood firm. In the dying stages of the game The Cherries forced a corner. Iraola allowed Kepa to go forward in search of a goal. As the cross came in, it found the Spaniard but his header looped up into the air and was collected by Verbruggen, much to the relief of the home fans.
Brighton held on to take all three points, putting them level on points with The Cherries in the Premier League table. Add to the that, their supporters now had the bragging rights over their rivals. For Iraola, he needed to address the mini-rut his side had got themselves into and get back to winning ways to keep their season on track.
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