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6 hours ago
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As Brighton’s mix of young hearts ran free, a canny campaigner condemned Newcastle to defeat in a stadium they are yet to win at in the Premier League. Danny Welbeck’s two goals were moments of rare composure in a squall of a contest. Welbeck’s also denied the Toon Army’s latest folk hero. From Lewis Miley’s pass, Nick Woltemade’s backheel flick, a speciality, had levelled the scoring.
Welbeck’s first was a moment of equal delicacy, his second saw him thrash a loose ball home. Brighton snatched a third win of the Premier League season, all against opponents playing in the Champions League, Newcastle following Chelsea and Manchester City.
A flurry of Brighton chances really ought to have killed off the contest but the problem with potential is that it may not always deliver. They passed up multiple chances against an opponent grinding through the gears. Woltemade, beginning to define the football cliche of decent touch for a big man – his touches are often gossamer – has provided thrills, but those around him are missing the high mark expected of them.
Newcastle’s midfield of Tonali, Joelinton and Bruno Guimarães represented a significant test for the callow Brighton duo of Carlos Baleba, 21, and Yasin Ayari, 22. It was passing with flying colours. The Newcastle trio have claims on being the best unit in the Premier League, particularly when Joelinton’s muscle is in full effect and Tonali is dictating play. Not that Bruno is the lukewarm water between their fire and ice; Eddie Howe’s captain has a habit of finding scoring positions and should have done better with an early attempt skewed wide. He would lead his team’s thwarted revival, but in the first half the youthful duo assumed near total control.
Yankuba Minteh, against the club who sold him without playing a single Premier League match, proved a dangerous Brighton outlet, frequently sent away to take on Dan Burn, the hulking full-back also facing former employers.
Woltemade took readily to his personal duel with Albion perennial Lewis Dunk, another of Hurzeler’s veteran class. That included defending his own corners and, on Brighton’s first, his blond mane climbed highest. Georgino Rutter forced Nick Pope’s first save with a skidding drive. A timely Dunk tackle prevented the German getting through on Bart Verbruggen. Woltemade appears to have struck up an understanding with his partner in peroxide, Anthony Gordon, less so Anthony Elanga.
The first-half loss of Diego Gomez clipped Brighton’s wings; the Paraguayan’s direct running had caused Kieran Tripper as much discomfort as felt by Burn. To break the deadlock, Rutter sent Welbeck away to dab past Pope; the striker’s finishing gets better as he ages. A Woltemade header, always rising high, closed the half.
Newcastle’s listlessness brought Howe’s half-time changes. Joelinton, below his best, was replaced by Miley, and the ineffectual Elanga stepped down for Jacob Murphy. Attacking the away contingent briefly lifted Newcastle but they continued to look far more vulnerable. Minteh slipped Burn, and Ayari’s bending shot curled round the post, Pope soon asked to make a sprawling save from Maxim De Cuyper as Brighton went for the throat. Ayari, again, making himself a chance with a Cruyff turn, hurried another chance.
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An inability to kill off opponents has been a Brighton speciality, and when Murphy clanked wide, familiar anxieties began to grow. Howe took off Tonali and Gordon, Jacob Ramsey asked to make an impact at his new club. Hurzeler concurrently replaced Baleba, introducing James Milner in the hope of locking down a game slipping from his team’s control but without the Cameroon player around, the contest almost slipped away.
Bruno, last-man standing of Newcastle’s midfield triumvirate, pirouetted, and forced a save from Verbruggen as his team built the momentum brought to bear with Woltemade’s goal. It would take Welbeck’s guiding hand to coax Brighton to a win that could have been theirs many times over.
