As a farewell to the old year, the 4-2 victory over Tottenham Hotspur could hardly have been bettered. And the reporters, mostly down from London, seemed to enjoy their final visits of 2023 to the Amex.
Matt Barlow of The Daily Mail, for example, who has been with Albion on every step of our first European adventure. “In Brighton, they will treasure 2023,” he wrote. “As they coasted into a four-goal lead against Tottenham, Seagulls supporters might have wished the year would never end. Although, by the time the visitors halved the deficit to spread anxiety through nine minutes of stoppage time, everyone must have been exhausted and ready for a lie-down.
“There had been two penalties, expertly converted as ever by Joao Pedro, a popular goal by home-grown teen Jack Hinshelwood, a screamer by fit-against Pervis Estupinan, goals ruled out, VAR checks galore and then a late wobble.
“Brighton exposed Spurs as they hit the sort of rhythm they have found elusive this season, while coping with their debut Europa League campaign.
“They struck early through Hinshelwood, who is expected to mature into a fine midfielder but is doing an excellent job at right back and charged forward to open the scoring. Pedro was the creator, with a silky run, left to right across the 18-yard line. He pulled Spurs out of shape and found Hinshelwood, who beat Guglielmo Vicario with power.
“Vicario was outstanding, as he was against Everton on Saturday. Without his fabulous series of saves, it would have been embarrassing for the visitors. Brighton could have been out of sight.”
Neil McLeman of The Daily Mirror also relished the Seagulls’ end-of-the-year show: “Brighton blew away Tottenham with a footballing force as strong as Storm Gerrit to end the club's best ever year in crazy style,” he wrote.
“Albion have followed their best ever Premier League finish and highest points tally by reaching the Europa League last 16 on their European debut. And despite 10 players out through injury, Jack Hinshelwood and Joao Pedro scored before half-time.
“When Tottenham were finally threatening to make it a contest after the break, Robert De Zerbi sent on Pervis Estupinan to fire home a thunderbolt into the top corner before a second penalty from Brazilian striker Pedro - giving the hosts a 4-0 lead.
“Brighton have still to keep a first clean sheet in 23 matches after late goals from Alejo Veliz and Ben Davies set up an unexpectedly nervy finish. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg hit the post during nine minutes of second-half injury time.
| Pos | Team | Pld | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
10
|
BOU
|
36 | -11 | 48 |
|
11
|
Albion
|
35 | -4 | 47 |
|
12
|
WOL
|
36 | -11 | 46 |
“But the scoreline did not reflect the one-sided contest between two European contenders as Brighton won only a third Premier League game in 13.”
Jason Burt of The Daily Telegraph, who spent a week behind the scenes at the club earlier in the season, went further, writing: “On this evidence there is one team that should be challenging for a Champions League place. And it is not Tottenham Hotspur. Brighton were simply brilliant and fully deserving of a victory that capped an incredible 2023 and strengthened their own hopes of once again qualifying for European football.
“Brighton scored twice within 13 minutes. They claimed two goals and could have had three or four and, in footballing parlance, gave Spurs a right going over. Spurs were like a punch-drunk boxer fumbling for the ropes and praying for the bell.”
Tom Barclay of The Sun was one of two writers so impressed by Albion’s third goal that he led his report with it: “Pervis Estupinan has had a long, old wait to get back to the game he loves… but with goals like this, perhaps it was worth it.
“The Ecuadorian full-back had been out since September with a thigh problem - save for a 12-minute appearance against Ajax in November which ended up setting him back - before last night’s stellar showing against Spurs.
“Both teams had nine players injured and while that was very noticeable with slack-looking Spurs, you would never have known it with Brighton given how fresh they seemed.
“Roberto De Zerbi’s side completely dominated their opponents for 81 minutes that resembled the Seagulls at their fast-paced, one-touch best during the Italian’s reign. It was only the rock-solid presence of Vicario that prevented the opener coming quicker than it did.”
The other was David Hytner of The Guardian, who wrote: “The strange thing was that Roberto De Zerbi, always such a livewire in his technical area, barely flinched. The Brighton manager had seen Pervis Estupiñán, on as a substitute, sculpt a masterpiece from long-range to put his team 3-0 up just after the hour.
“Perhaps it was simply a reflection of De Zerbi’s comfort. Because at that point, it was easy to write that Brighton had been outstanding, Tottenham outclassed. Estupiñán had taken a couple of touches to set himself after James Milner’s short corner and the shot was angled beautifully into the far top corner, Guglielmo Vicario helpless in the Spurs goal. It was of a piece with the Brighton performance. Jack Hinshelwood and João Pedro had scored their first-half goals and there would be more, another penalty from the excellent Pedro.
“It was Brighton who imposed themselves at the outset and continued to do so, a blur of blue and white, of shifting shapes and they were full value for their two-goal half-time lead. The truth was that they should have been out of sight.
“Brighton missed eight players through injury and two more were fit enough only for the bench, Estupiñán being one of them. You would not have known it. Their first-half fluency took the breath away and Tottenham’s makeshift back four were given the runaround.
“As always, it was difficult to classify Brighton’s system, mainly because Buonanotte was everywhere until his substitution, a menace between the lines. The interchanges all over the pitch were so easy on the eye.”
The Guardian also sent that most cerebral of observers, Jonathan Wilson, who described Albion as “thrillingly quick and direct. João Pedro’s running, rangy and targeted, was a joy. Danny Welbeck is a wise old campaigner these days, good in the air and adept at finding space. And Facundo Buonanotte is yet another member of Brighton’s phalanx of brilliant 19‑year‑olds, rapid, enthusiastic and terrifyingly adept at pressing. By half-time, poor Pierre-Emile Højbjerg had the air of a game septuagenarian struggling to keep up with his tearaway grandkids.
“Whether they have the balance of risk and reward quite right can be debated but, high as the risks sometimes are, the rewards can be magnificent.”
On the BBC website, Callum Matthews highlighted the unusual (for Albion) build-up to the match as well as a very revealing stat. “A week without a game has been a rare luxury in Brighton's season as they experience European football for the first time, but they used the break to their advantage,” he wrote, adding: “De Zerbi has bemoaned Brighton's reliance on youth recently, but 18-year-old Hinshelwood was superb at right-back and took his goal with aplomb.
“His strike was Brighton's 19th by a teenager in the Premier League in 2023 - Manchester United have the second most with four. Brighton's tally has only been bettered twice in Premier League history by Liverpool in 1998 (25) and 1994 (22).
“Pedro was a constant handful, looking to exploit Spurs' high defensive line, and took both of his penalties clinically.
“All in all, this was a display that served as a reminder of what Brighton can do as we reach the halfway mark of the season."