Fabian Hurzeler backs match-winner Danny Welbeck to play into his 40s

2 days ago

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Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has expressed his confidence in Danny Welbeck's ability to continue playing into his 40s after witnessing the forward secure a hard-earned win for the team against Newcastle in the Premier League.

The 33-year-old secured a 1-0 victory at St James’ Park on Saturday but had to be carried off the field on a stretcher afterward. The opposing team managed to withstand a strong offensive push in the first half, largely thanks to the outstanding performance of their goalkeeper, Bart Verbruggen.

Seagulls head coach Hurzeler had high words of admiration for the ex-Manchester United and Arsenal striker. He forecasted that the player could follow in the footsteps of his teammate James Milner, who continues to perform admirably as he approaches his 39th year.

When asked about how long he could keep going, Hurzeler replied, “As long as he maintains his current attitude, he could keep playing for quite a while. We have another player who's nearly 40 and is still out there, striving to do his best every day. Danny has that same mentality.”

"When I arrived, I recognized that he possessed amazing skills and was an incredibly supportive teammate. He's not just an exceptional football player; he also has a fantastic personality that makes him a valued member of the team."

"He understands how the team functions and makes an effort to bond with the players. That means a lot to me."

Welbeck's goal, which came just 10 minutes before halftime, followed a missed opportunity for Alexander Isak, who had been thwarted in a one-on-one situation by Verbruggen. The home team squandered several chances before that.

After getting through the first half, Brighton took more control in the second half. They could have secured a more convincing victory if substitute Kaoru Mitoma had stayed calm enough to capitalize on two late opportunities.

Hurzeler mentioned, "He will undergo a scan, and we should have more information soon. It seems he took a knee to his back from the opponent. We’re hoping it’s not too serious, but we can’t be certain just yet. Let's wait for the scan results."

It was a frustrating afternoon for Eddie Howe, as his team suffered a home defeat for the first time since January. This loss also meant they had not scored from open play in nearly seven hours of play.

Howe expressed his irritation, stating, "I'm quite disappointed because I believe we played really well for the first 65 minutes today."

"I believe that's the strongest performance we've had; we've been very commanding in this match. However, despite creating numerous opportunities, we failed to convert them and unfortunately allowed Brighton to score from their first genuine attack, which was quite disappointing from our angle."

"Clearly, we can only hold ourselves accountable for this. It's important for us to reflect on it and evaluate what happened. However, for most of the game, particularly in the beginning, our performance was exceptionally strong."

The Magpies had a request for an early penalty for a handball by Joel Veltman dismissed, prompting head coach Howe to ponder what could have happened differently.

He mentioned, "I haven't had a chance to see it again. However, a few of our coaches have, and they firmly believe it was a penalty."