19th February 2022
Brighton Hove and Albion-0 V Burnley-3
Burnley came to East Sussex in desperate need of three points as the side find themselves in a fight to secure Premier League status next season. 19th in the relegation zone meant that every win matters.
Brighton have only won twice in their previous seven meetings with Burnley. But as they aim for their best ever finish in the league they knew that had to change today.
The Clarets started well in the 22nd minute when Tyler Roberts cut it back to Wout Weghorst who finessed a shot into Robert Sanchez’s near post to make it 1-0. The seagulls were eager for a response but failed to create many chances as defenders Ben Mee and Nathaniel Michael Collins put in a very disciplined performance.
It was a case of goal scorer turned provider as Weghorst assisted former Bristol City midfielder Josh Brownhill for his first ever premier league goal . He received the ball and cut onto his left foot where he dispatched his strike. With the help of a deflection it doubled their lead.
The second half saw a slightly more attacking approach from Graham Potter, moving fullbacks Marc Cucurella and Tariq Lamptey into more advanced areas in order to exploit their defence. Just as Brighton looked on the brink of scoring ,Leeds academy graduate Aaron Lennon broke through on goal to curl a finish off the underside of the bar. An exquisite strike which broke Brighton hearts.
Speaking on the result Graham Potter was expressive about how his side lacked overall quality throughout the afternoon. “Every second ball or knockdown went to them, the second goal took the wind out our sails, we couldn’t get anything going and we struggled to sustain the ball”. Speaking about the intensity of the performance he said, “We weren’t at the level you need to be to get anything in the premier league.”
That leaves Brighton ninth. The club are only six points away from a Europa conference league position which would be a fantastic achievement for the seagulls. The win for Burnley leaves them five points away from survival, the end of this season could be an interesting affair for both teams.
