Brighton has rarely seen a more impressive, striking, and powerful start to a Premier League season. In the first 12 rounds of England’s top flight, the Seagulls toppled Manchester United, Tottenham, and Manchester City, held their own against Arsenal, and battled Liverpool. However, in the 13th round, they managed to drop points against the league’s bottom team, Southampton, with a 1-1 draw. In this small South Coast derby at the Amex, the home side had a golden opportunity to temporarily leapfrog Chelsea and Manchester City and claim second place in the standings. Although slightly better overall, this was not Brighton at their best. The team, led by the youngest manager in Premier League history, 31-year-old Fabian Hürzeler, allowed the Saints—who came into this match with just four points from a possible 36—to end their streak of nine consecutive away defeats in the league, thus avoiding a shameful record similar to Aston Villa’s from February 2016 to September 2019.Yet, it could have been a different story… Had the Seagulls been slightly more precise in the 102nd minute of a match with an initial 10 minutes of added time. Kaoru Mitoma did excellent work on the left flank, delivering a dangerous ball into the heart of the box. After a deflection off the visiting defenders, the ball clipped the post.Southampton’s goal faced another scare after the subsequent corner. A sharp cross caused panic among the Saints’ defense. Ryan Fraser clumsily brought down Yasin Ayari, giving the Amex faithful a fleeting hope for a penalty and a chance to secure victory. However, Ayari’s offside position spared Fraser and Southampton.Goal – MITOMAAssist – LAMPTEYBrighton 1-0 Southampton (29 mins) pic.twitter.com/NjtFMoBF3M— dara (@SportzSeries) November 30, 2024 Brighton did not allow the Premier League’s weakest attack a single shot on target in the first half and took the lead just before the half-hour mark. A cross from Tariq Lamptey found Mitoma, who finished with a header. The Seagulls held the lead for nearly an hour, but they were undone by a deep pass from Dibling and a subsequent strike from Flynn Downes. Midway through the second half, Southampton found the net again, but the goal was disallowed due to Armstrong’s interference before Cameron Archer sent the ball in. In the 80th minute, Tyler Dibling threatened the hosts, but Verbruggen made the save. Brighton spent the remainder of the game unsuccessfully chasing their seventh league win of the season.Goal – DOWNESBrighton 1-1 Southampton (59 mins) pic.twitter.com/MwFVEhIefH— dara (@SportzSeries) November 30, 2024 ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE – MATCHDAY 13Friday Brighton – Southampton 1-1 (1-0)/Mitoma 29 – Downes 59/Saturday 18.00: (1.67) Brentford (3.80) Leicester (5.30)18.00: (3.05) Crystal Palace (3.50) Newcastle (2.45)18.00: (1.80) Nott.Forest (3.70) Ipswich (5.00)18.00: (2.85) Wolverhampton (3.40) Bournemouth (2.45)20.30: (7.20) West Ham (4.75) Arsenal (1.48)Sunday 16.30: (1.75) Chelsea (4.10) Aston Villa (4.70)16.30: (1.53) Man.Utd. (4.10) Everton (6.50)16.30: (1.70) Tottenham (4.15) Fulham (4.50)19.00: (2.15) Liverpool (3.90) Man.City (3.25)***odds are subject to change***
