Sometimes it is a relief to supporters when a story breaks that distracts attention from a below-par performance by their team. And so it was for the Seagulls faithful looking through Tuesday morning’s sports pages. The reaction of West Brom boss Slaven Bilic to the loss of his defender Ahmed Hegazi grabbed the headlines after the 1-1 draw in the battle of the Albions at the Amex on Monday evening.
Bilic’s post-match revelations that Hegazi had been allowed to leave The Hawthorns without his agreement led most reports, and reactions to the Seagulls’ performance took second place. But most writers agreed that Albion could and should have had the game won long before the visitors equalised late on.
John Cross of The Mirror summed up the consensus when he wrote that “Brighton must feel disappointed they did not get their first home win of the season as they were much the better team in the first half, Adam Lallana was hugely influential and yet it took Jake Livermore’s own goal to give them a 40th minute lead.
“It was all Brighton … and yet they just do not seem able to press home their advantage and West Brom came back well after the restart.
“The turning point was arguably Lallana going off after an hour as Brighton boss Graham Potter continues to manage his minutes and the home side missed the ex-England midfielder’s influence. It finished in more frustration for Brighton as they do not have the points they deserve.”
Daniel Matthews of the Daily Mail agreed. “For Graham Potter's side, this was another day when superiority failed to translate into victory,” he wrote. “Brighton should have been out of sight by half time and those fans who joined the PPV boycott can't have many regrets.
“Neal Maupay had an early goal ruled out for offside before Sam Johnstone denied the striker soon after with a brilliant save. There was nothing he could do to prevent his side slipping behind, however, after Lallana's shot was blocked and Tariq Lamptey's low cross was met by Ivanovic… and then Livermore.”
Tom Barclay also referenced the game’s appearance on Pay Per View in The Sun. “The opener came five minutes before the break via an amusing cock-up,” he wrote. “Presumably comedy was not the kind of the entertainment the Premier League had in mind when asking fans to shell out £14.95 for pay-per-view.
“But that is what their paying customers got as Branislav Ivanovic smashed a goal-line clearance into the unwitting Livermore’s face and the ball crashed in.
“Based on how they have taken on the big boys this season, you would have thought grabbing the opener would have encouraged Brighton to kick on and dominate.
“But Graham Potter’s side have a history of making heavy weather [of] the league’s weaker sides at the Amex.
“And so it proved it again as they went into their shells after the break, seemingly hoping that one would be enough.
“Then with seven minutes to play, Callum Robinson sent in a low cross which flicked off Adam Webster’s heel, wrong-footing the covering Ben White. That allowed Grant to seize onto the ball, controlling it with one touch and blasting it past Ryan with another.”
Ed Aarons of The Guardian liked what he saw of Albion’s formation, but not what it produced. He wrote: “With Ben White playing in midfield when in possession and dropping into a back three alongside Adam Webster and the Dutchman Joel Veltman – in for the suspended captain Lewis Dunk – when they lost the ball, Potter’s hybrid system looked designed to give the twin playmakers Leandro Trossard and Adam Lallana time and space in dangerous areas.
“After three home defeats Potter must have hoped that his side were on their way to a first home win of the season at half-time. Yet in the absence of Dunk, they looked vulnerable as West Brom started the second half on the front foot. A sweetly struck effort from just outside the box from the Chelsea loanee Conor Gallagher looked goal-bound had it not been for Veltman’s block, and Grant was immediately more of a menace having managed a meagre four touches in the first half.”
In The Times, Gary Jacob pointed out that “Bilic was preparing to substitute Karlan Grant, the £15 million signing, with seven minutes left before a pass found its way into the striker’s path thanks to a deflection from Adam Webster that wrongfooted his Brighton & Hove Albion team-mate Ben White. Grant cleverly stepped inside and rifled home his first goal since signing from Huddersfield Town this month, to secure West Brom a hard-earned draw.
“Bilic’s team were unthreatening until he made two changes after the hour mark, bringing on Kyle Edwards and Callum Robinson. Matheus Pereira curled two efforts from range just wide and Filip Krovinovic hit a fierce drive that was pushed behind by Mat Ryan. Pereira also latched on to a loose ball and struck over, but Grant made sure they earned a share of the spoils.
“Brighton should never have been in that position and will again curse dropped points, having been unfortunate to lose to Manchester United and Chelsea this season.”
The BBC website is sometimes an outlier in its opinions on Albion games, but not this time. Luke Reddy wrote that “Brighton boss Graham Potter must have believed his side were set to secure a first win since an eye-catching 3-0 triumph at Newcastle over a month ago. Since then two defeats and now two draws in the league have prompted questions as to when his side will marry results with an easy-on-the-eye style.
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“A 15-minute first-half spell saw them find a rhythm which looked like it may (sic) prove decisive. Adam Lallana unselfishly set up Maupay to force West Brom keeper Sam Johnstone to save with his legs and Leandro Trossard brought another stop shortly after.
“Livermore's unfortunate own goal arrived when the energetic Tariq Lamptey slammed the ball across the face of goal and gave the Seagulls reward for their spell of endeavour. However, they offered little after the break and ultimately only had one shot on goal in the second period.
“There are promising signs in that they appeared well organised even without the suspended Lewis Dunk but their lack of desire to finish West Brom off ultimately contributed to Slaven Bilic's side comeback.”