The Media Review: A point apiece against the Black Cats

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Nick Szczepanik

2025-12-21T10:00+00:00

Maxim De Cuyper was back in the starting XI against Sunderland. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

Great minds think alike, they say, and the writers in the Amex press box for Saturday’s goalless draw against Sunderland were almost unanimous in taking Albion’s traditional woes this month as their main talking point.

As Tara Anson-Walsh wrote in The Mail on Sunday, “they say this is the most wonderful time of the year, but Brighton fans would be forgiven for feeling slightly apprehensive when the Christmas bells start ringing.

“The Seagulls are on the longest ongoing winless run in December in the top flight, having not beaten a team in the month since a 4-2 victory over Tottenham here at the Amex two years ago.

“And it seems to be the same old story again this season. Brighton were only two points off third place heading into December, but that gap has now nearly trebled after they have managed to pick up just two points their last four games.

“Three matches have now passed with Brighton scoring just once – a controversial equaliser against West Ham – and the alarm bells are beginning to sound.

“Danny Welbeck’s seven Premier League goals this season already represent the best return of his career, yet the Seagulls are looking increasingly short of ideas without the 35-year-old.

“Brighton’s second-highest scorer is the absent Jan Paul van Hecke, who withdrew through illness. The centre-back has three goals, while only two other players have managed more than one.

“The hosts struggled to fashion clear-cut chances, with their best opportunity coming from a neat cutback by Charalampos Kostoulas to Yasin Ayari, who blazed his effort well over the bar - a moment that encapsulated Brighton’s lack of composure throughout the afternoon.

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Albion were unable to breach a resolute Sunderland defence as the two teams played out the first goalless draw at the Amex Stadium this season.

“The burden on Welbeck is becoming ever more apparent, and a January move for a striker is starting to feel more like a necessity with each passing game.

“Meanwhile [Bart] Verbruggen was superb, making two really good saves in the second half – first to deny Omar Alderete's header, and then later to deny Dan Ballard’s shot.

“A match both keepers could be proud of, even if it left the fans in the stadium wanting more.”

On The Guardian website, Ed Aarons noted that “Brighton, who last won a Premier League match in December in 2023 – a run of nine matches – had their chances to seal victory late on, but this was another extremely frustrating afternoon for them and there was a smattering of boos at the final whistle.

“Already without their suspended captain, Lewis Dunk, and the influential Cameroon midfielder Carlos Baleba after his departure to Morocco this week, Hürzeler’s plans were further disrupted when Jan Paul van Hecke was ruled out through illness.

Brilliant from Bart! 😮‍💨🧤 pic.twitter.com/UDnAWodoI4
— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) December 21, 2025

"It meant Brighton fielded a new central defensive partnership of summer signings Olivier Boscagli and Diego Coppola that looked edgy at times. Their veteran top scorer Danny Welbeck was also sorely missed against the club where he spent a season on loan in 2008 having been ruled out due to a back injury."

Emily Salley of the BBC Sport website thought that Albion’s scratch centre-back pairing performed well. “Manager Fabian Hurzeler was not helped by high-profile absences, with Lewis Dunk serving a one-game suspension, while illness kept fellow centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke out of the squad,” she wrote.

“Summer signings Diego Coppola and Olivier Boscagli were chosen as their replacements, with just one Premier League start between them this season.

“After some early careless passing that gifted possession back to Sunderland in the middle of the park, the pair held their nerve and stood firm defensively.

“But the biggest miss for Brighton was an outlet up front, with Danny Welbeck - the club's top scorer this season - out with a back issue.

“December gets no easier with two trips away from home, as they travel to league leaders Arsenal next before facing a struggling West Ham side at London Stadium.”

Isabelle Barker, making a return to the Amex after the end of the Formula One season, wrote in The Sun on Sunday that “Brighton continued their woeful trend of no wins in December as they were held to a 0-0 bore draw with Sunderland.

“The first half was as drab as the slate grey skies over the Amex and both sets of fans were getting twitchy. And the home side scuppered a golden chance when Yankuba Minteh sent an inch-perfect cross into the box, but De Cuyper made a mess of his run and didn’t get to it.

“The Black Cats re-emerged from the restart with a spring in their step and after just one minute a bullet Omar Alderete header forced Verbruggen into a blinding save as he tipped it over.

Georginio captained Albion for the first time. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“The hosts responded with a number of wild, long-range efforts but had no joy.

“Fabian Hurzeler had seen enough and hauled off De Cuyper for the big guns in Kaoru Mitoma, who injected some much-needed life into Brighton as he shimmied beyond the Sunderland shirts to create space.

“But Brighton spoiled another peach of a chance as Kostoulas cut back for Yasin Ayari, but he fired it over – which was the story of the night.”

Jo Harston of The Sunday Times was about the only writer who chose not to focus on Albion’s December woes. He wrote that “It is unlikely that this point will be as fondly remembered by Sunderland fans as their scalp of Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. However, they defended well to grind out a result at a stadium that has proved difficult for much more vaunted top-flight sides this season.

“[They] weathered a storm of Brighton & Hove Albion chances in the latter stages, meaning Fabian Hurzeler was the less happy of the two coaches by the final whistle. On three occasions Yasin Ayari sent his efforts over the bar, leaving his side winless in their past four games.”