- Opening goalscorer Joao Pedro was the standout for Fabian Hurzeler’s team
- Mitoma doubled Brighton’s lead but David Brooks gave the visitors a late fright
- Will Ruben Amorim be Man United’s saviour? LISTEN NOW: It’s All Kicking Off! Available wherever you get your podcasts. Episodes every Monday and Thursday
For 64 exceptional minutes, Joao Pedro was virtually untouchable, ghosting his way to a goal and assist in Brighton’s 2-1 win over Bournemouth.
Pedro was magnificent; silky back-heels, elusive runs and masterful passing – he was the key for Brighton, his pass for Kaoru Mitoma’s goal in particular a touch of genius.
The Brazilian seemed to have more time on the ball than anyone on the pitch before making way after Carlos Baleba’s red card, cruelly robbing the Vitality Stadium of another half hour of magic.
‘He has special quality… it’s the truth!’ Fabian Hurzeler said.
‘Every [team] has that one key player. In possession he’s unbelievable, he makes the difference for us today.
‘I think it’s also important to see how he works [without] the ball. He does a lot of work in the shadow, work that is unseen.’
Carlos Baleba was handed his marching orders just before the hour mark against Bournemouth
Joao Pedro (centre) had opened the scoring after only four minutes on a wet day at the Vitality
Kaoru Mitoma doubled the visitors’ lead with a sublime strike fed by team-mate Pedro
Bournemouth had several chances, but only David Brooks could make the breakthrough, and then only in the 93rd minute, firing through a melee of bodies to threaten a monumental comeback – one which ultimately never came.
‘It was a game of small margins. Probably now we’ll check the stats and we will look better than them, but at the end they were more clinical,’ admitted Andoni Iraola.
He added: ‘We had the same quality of chances on the other side but we didn’t take them, that’s probably the main reason.’
Not even the deluge could stymie Brighton’s irrepressible build-up play, and within four minutes they were ahead.
Danny Welbeck, Pedro and Georginio Rutter were all involved before Kepa Arrizabalaga parried the latter’s strike into the path of Pedro to tap home.
Bournemouth had their own chances, but after holding onto their lead, Brighton made another blistering start to the second half, and once again it was all about Pedro.
The Brazilian seemed to have an age to pick his head up on the edge of the box and slide an inch-perfect pass behind the defence.
It arced perfectly into the path of Mitoma, who opened his body and caressed it into the bottom corner on 50 minutes.
Pedro was a shining light for the travelling side and a standout amid a raft of attacking stars
The feisty south coast derby saw a number players pick up cards during the testy clash
David Brooks’ added-time strike might have mounted a comeback for the hosts on Saturday
The substitute found the back of the net minutes before Bournemouth struck the bar
But Andoni Iraola was unable to claim a solitary point against the team’s depleted visitors
The Seagulls have been able to keep pace with the chasing pack and now sit in fifth level with Chelsea and Arsenal
Baleba looked to have gifted Bournemouth a route back into the game after earning a second booking on 59 minutes.
Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert and Evanilson all had opportunities to capitalise, the latter’s header straight at Bart Verbruggen from a yard out the most glaring miss.
Brooks eventually got one back before Semenyo volleyed against the crossbar on 96 minutes, but Brighton held on for three Pedro-inspired points.
