Ruiz: We showed our character

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

Head coach was pleased with his team's second-half fightback against Watford.

Bruce Talbot

2026-11-11T22:15+00:00

Arturo Ruiz acknowledges the crowd after watching his team beat Watford 3-1. 📷Kyle Hemsley.

Head coach Arturo Ruiz expressed his pride in his squad’s character following a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Watford in the Subway Players Cup on Wednesday.

After a testing first half which ended with Albion 1-0 down they delivered a dominant second-half display to secure three crucial points at the Broadfield Stadium.

Despite generating a host of clear opportunities in the opening 45 minutes, Brighton struggled to find the breakthrough and Ruiz acknowledged that conceding the first goal temporarily unsettled the team. “Since the moment we conceded, our confidence was not perfect,” he reflected. “We stopped our intentions and felt uncomfortable, but we held it well enough to stay super alive in the game.”

Taylor Warren gets in a shot. 📷Kyle Hemsley.

The turning point came at half-time. Ruiz told his players to occupy the right spaces in the final third, maintain an aggressive counter-press and win the second ball.

“If you press very well and are very aggressive... you will feel super comfortable without the ball, and that will mean we have the ball most of the time,” Ruiz said.

He was delighted with the second-half shift, praising his substitutes and the squad's overall effort. “The players were balanced and having that consistency was very good. They gave 100 per cent, and that is what I value the most.”

Focus immediately shifts to managing a demanding three-game week. Albion are eager to cap off the week with another victory against Liverpool at the Amex on Saturday.

Ruiz offered a final message to the fans ahead of Saturday’s game: “Thank you very much to the fans. We are really looking forward to it, and we will prepare to give our 100 per cent.”