The Media Review: Held by Wolves at the Amex

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The papers report on the 2-2 draw.

Nick Szczepanik

2024-10-27T07:30+01:00

Danny Welbeck looped a header just over with the score at 0-0. 📷 by James Boardman.

The 2-2 draw at home to Wolves will inevitably be seen through the prism of the two late goals conceded, but the reporters in the Amex press box noted plenty of good things in the performance of Fabian Hurzeler’s men.

Not that they could ignore what went wrong for the team, as amusingly expressed by The Sun on Sunday, “Brighton revealed last week that goalscoring legend Bobby Zamora is back at the club, this time helping to coach the club’s attackers.

“On this evidence, they might have done better to bring back defensive stalwarts such as Steve Foster and Mark Lawrenson to coach the rearguard.

“Brighton led 2-0 with two minutes to go thanks to goals by Danny Welbeck and Evan Ferguson, whose first goal since last November seemed to have wrapped up the points.

“But they allowed Wolves to hit back through Rayan Ait-Nouri and Mattheus Cunha to grab only their second point of the season.”

The description of the match action, though, was a reminder of some of Albion’s best moments, “Carlos Baleba chested the ball down and let fly from 30 yards. It looked a goal-of-the-season contender all the way - until goalkeeper Jose Sa flung himself to his left and clawed the ball away.

“But in the final minute of the first half, Sa’s under-hit goal kick went only as far as Ferdi Kadioglu, and he fed Georginio Rutter. Brighton’s record signing played a perfect pass through to Welbeck, who beat Sa with a smart shot on the turn.

“That was Welbeck’s sixth Premier League goal of the season, equalling his best haul since joining Brighton in 2020. You wouldn’t have bet on him playing in this match when he was stretchered off during Brighton’s 1-0 win at Newcastle last week, let alone scoring.

Former Albion man Dan Burn fist bumps Danny Welbeck after the striker is forced off through injury. 📷 by James Boardman.

“Five minutes from time, sub Tariq Lamptey knocked the ball inside to Ferguson and he swivelled to smack a low shot past Sa and that seemed to be that.

“But there was still time for Ait-Nouri to thrash the ball through a crowd after Lamptey had blocked Dawson’s effort. and then a basketball game broke out.”

Tom Prentki also enjoyed some of Albion’s contributions to the match in The Mail On Sunday.

“Incrementally, Albion were taking control of the first half and their brightest moments, unsurprisingly perhaps, were coming from Kaoru Mitoma when he stepped in from the left,” he wrote.

“Amidst a flurry of Brighton corners, one dropped to Carlos Baleba and the Cameroonian struck a fierce 25-yard volley which Jose Sa did well to turn away.

“Mitoma was presented with a chance when Kadioglu’s cross was deflected into his path but Sa was quickly off his line to smother the danger as Brighton continued to push.

Georginio Rutter setup Danny Welbeck for a second consecutive week, after teeing up the striker to score against Newcastle last Saturday. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood.

“Brighton’s press was extremely high and Wolves were struggling to play through it. Just when Wolves seemed to have weathered the storm, a costly mistake from Sa saw them fall behind on the stroke of half-time.

“His clearance went straight to Kadioglu who quickly found Georginio Rutter, he in turn Welbeck who expertly swept the ball into the far corner for his sixth goal of an impressive season.”

In The Sunday Telegraph, Ivan Speck wrote that “for Brighton, this was a wasted opportunity to move into third place in the table – for 24 hours at least.

“All appeared set fair when Danny Welbeck gave a fine move involving Ferdi Kadioglu and Georginio Rutter the finish it warranted.

Evan Ferguson's crisp strike found the bottom corner. 📷 by Paul Hazlewood

“With Kaoru Mitoma and Yasin Ayari roaming at will, they might have been further ahead before Ferguson swivelled sweetly on to a Tariq Lamptey pass.”

The Sunday Times spotted that “it was yet another home disappointment for Brighton against struggling visitors. They have won just 12 of their 46 Premier League fixtures against teams who started the day in the bottom three. Ipswich took a point at the Amex in September and last season relegated Burnley and Sheffield United both came away with draws.

“But they will be kicking themselves especially hard after letting this one slip. They had dominated the first half despite the absence of injured captain Lewis Dunk and went ahead when Georginio Rutter slipped the ball through the Wolves defence for Welbeck to score his sixth goal of the season, already equalling his best total for a season since joining Brighton in 2020.

“Wolves, though, made a fight of it in the second half and were looking the likelier scorers when Tariq Lamptey fed fellow substitute Ferguson, whose shot on the turn found the bottom corner of the net, his first goal since a 3-2 win away to Nottingham Forest last November.

Danny Welbeck expertly slotted home from Georginio's pass. 📷 by Simon Roe.

“Brighton relaxed, probably thinking that the job was done and Wolves made them pay.”

The Observer’s John Brewin felt that “Fabian Hürzeler, Brighton’s wunderkind manager, is learning valuable lessons and will do so from a game that slipped from his grasp. Cunha’s goal immediately followed four Brighton attackers charging forward with abandon towards the Wolves goal. At Brighton, Hürzeler will be given time to learn from mistakes.

“In a hard-fought, intriguing tactical battle of a first half, [Gary] O’Neil, understandably given his employment prospects, was the antsier of the managers. It seemed [Wolves] might see out the first half, only for Georginio Rutter to lay up Welbeck for a simple finish, his sixth goal of the season; the evergreen Mancunian is in the form of his life.

“Ferguson’s goal, assisted by the fellow substitute Tariq Lamptey, could have extinguished Wolves hopes and O’Neil’s chances of still being their manager only for Aït-Nouri to almost immediately scramble home and set up the madness that Brighton failed to cope with.”