Brighton’s resist Nottingham Forest’s fightback after Lewis Dunk’s red card
When Brighton & Hove Albion take to the field, it's hard to predict what will happen beyond the goals. During their recent match against Nottingham Forest, three players sustained injuries early on after Anthony Elanga scored. Despite this setback, João Pedro managed to score twice, helping the team secure their first win in seven Premier League matches. Even a red card for Lewis Dunk didn't stop Brighton & Hove Albion from ending Nottingham Forest's impressive undefeated home streak.
During an intense last 30 minutes of play, which even included 10 additional minutes, Forest managed to score a goal thanks to Morgan Gibbs-White's penalty. However, they also faced the possibility of Murillo receiving a red card, but this did not come to pass. Later, an impressive save by Bart Verbruggen prevented Ryan Yates from scoring a last-minute header at close range.
Brighton faced a tough challenge as they had several injured players and a crucial game in Athens for the Europa League on Thursday. However, they remained united and determined, and managed to score an equalizing goal through Evan Ferguson. The match was more about perseverance and grit than their usual seamless gameplay. Despite Forest throwing everything they had at them, Brighton managed to defeat them, handing Forest their first home defeat in the Premier League since April. This victory is all the more impressive considering Brighton's current struggles with injuries and their upcoming important engagements.
Brighton has achieved a new feat in the Premier League by scoring and conceding in 17 consecutive matches. However, this instance has been particularly noteworthy due to the high level of excitement it has generated.
Brighton's defense continued to struggle as they were unable to keep a clean sheet within just three minutes. Despite making five substitutions, which included bringing back Dunk, Ferguson, and Tariq Lamptey after their injuries, it seemed that their defensive troubles persisted.
In fact, Lamptey was playing in an advanced position on the left wing which left an enormous amount of space for Gibbs-White to run down the right wing. Gibbs-White was quite surprised that Pascal Gross did not attempt to come after him as guest player Ansu Fati had no plan to defend. Gibbs-White continued to move forward and waited patiently to make a flawless cross over two defenders and Chris Wood, ultimately leading to an open goal for Anthony Elanga to head the ball in easily.
Brighton have modified their initial Premier League lineup 53 times, which is the highest in the league, however, they had to make an additional three modifications before the latter part of the game. Fati felt pain in his calf and was replaced by Pedro, Lamptey was also replaced by Jack Hinshelwood.
When Pedro joined the Brighton team, they instantly got better and managed to tie the game only five minutes after he came on. Billy Gilmour passed the ball to Gross who then moved up the field from midfield and passed it to Ferguson. Ferguson was able to create a clean shot by stepping back from Moussa Niakhaté, taking a controlled first touch, and then hitting the ball low to the bottom corner of the net with his second.
In the last moments of the game, specifically the fourth minute of extra time, Pedro used his head to score a goal for Brighton. With his impressive speed, he outperformed Ola Aina and successfully hit the ball into the net after receiving a cross from Gross. This gave Brighton a boost of energy and advantage over the opposing team.
Adam Lallana was also substituted at halftime. Brighton might have pitied themselves, but instead, they extended their lead before the 60-minute mark. Pedro played a pivotal role once again: first, Wood brought him down, then he coolly converted the penalty kick to score his ninth goal of the season in all competitions.
The impact of the Europa League on Brighton's performance in the league is uncertain. However, it's impossible to anticipate the outcomes of their matches. Nonetheless, there's no denying that their games are extremely thrilling.
The end of the match was absolute confusion and disorder. The game continued for approximately three minutes when Anthony Taylor was summoned to the sideline to confirm that Hinshelwood had committed a foul on Callum Hudson-Odoi. The discussion that ensued lasted so long that Dunk was able to receive a yellow card and be subsequently ejected for his separate displays of disagreement. Gibbs-White kept his composure and successfully scored the penalty, earning his first goal of the season.
Just before the end of the game, there were 10 extra minutes played. During this time, Gibbs-White had a chance to score with his head but missed, while Yates also missed his shot. When the game ended, the Brighton players and coaches were very excited and ran over to their fans to show them how happy they were. This victory was very important to them.