Last season Brighton were caught on the rails by Newcastle United as Rafa Benitez stole past them on the final day to take the Championship title in dramatic fashion. In Brighton, they said it didn’t really matter but to some extent it did.
Here on the south coast on Sunday, there was once again barely a cigarette paper between these two teams. But this time it was Chris Hughton’s Brighton who withstood another late push from their rivals to hold on for an important Premier League win.
After an uncertain start to their Premier League season, Brighton are now feeling a little bit more settled on the back of two wins in three games. Newcastle, meanwhile, saw a winning run of three league victories end here.
Tomer Hemed’s goal proved the difference as Brighton picked up a crucial victory against fellow promoted side Newcastle
Despite being surrounded by Newcastle defenders, Hemed acrobatically hooked the ball past Rob Elliot in the visitors goal
The Israeli forward salutes a record home crowd after opening the scoring only six minutes into the second half on Sunday
MATCH FACTS, RATINGS AND PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Brighton (4-2-3-1): Ryan; Bruno, Duffy, Dunk, Suttner; Stephens, Propper; Knockaert (Murphy 80), March, Gross; Hemed,
Subs not used: Hunemeier, Izquierdo Mena, Schelotto, Rosenior, Krul, Brown
Goals: Hemed 50
Yellow cards: Knockaert 13, Duffy 76
Newcastle (4-2-3-1): Elliot; Yedlin, Lascelles, Clark, Mbemba (Gamez 83); Hayden (Shelvey 68), Merino; Ritchie, Perez, Atsu; Joselu (Gayle 71)
Subs not used: Murphy, Diame, Manquillo, Darlow
Yellow cards: Lascelles 90
Attendance: 30,468
Referee: Andre Marriner
- Premier League
- Premier League
- Championship
- League One
- League Two
- Scottish Premiership
- Scottish Div 1
- Scottish Div 2
- Scottish Div 3
- Ligue 1
- Serie A
- La Liga
- Bundesliga
Hemed scored the only goal of the game early in the second half after reacting quickest to Dale Stephens’ header across goal.
For more see Sportsmail’s excellent MATCH ZONE.
Newcastle were marginally the better team in the first half but couldn’t score, striker Joselu spurning the visitors’ best chance. And once Brighton’s Israeli forward Tomer Hemed capitalised on some poor Newcastle defending to hook his second goal of the season past Rob Elliot five minutes after the break Benitez’s players could not find a way back.
There was plenty of pressure late on as Newcastle found some momentum on the back of three substitutions. But they found real chances hard to come by and Brighton saw the game out on the back of the kind of resolute defending they may need more of if they are to ensure their residency in the Premier League lasts more than nine months.
At their smart out of town stadium there was indeed a feel of a football club just happy to be in the Premier League. That will dissipate eventually but for the time being it should be enjoyed. It will only get harder from here.
Newcastle, too, were here carrying the air of a side very happy – and maybe even surprised – about their early season progress. Victory here for either team would only turn a decent start in to a very good one indeed.
Both teams set up the same way – a lone striker supported by three – and both teams were keen to get on the front foot. Having fought each other so furiously for last season’s Championship trophy, they certainly knew all about each other and the only real surprise was that an opening half of mutually aggressive football didn’t yield a goal for somebody.
Newcastle captain Jamaal Lascelles makes a crucial intervention at the near post to deflect a cross away from Hemed
Brighton defender Markus Suttner is put under pressure during the goalless first half by Newcastle forward Ayoze Perez
Anthony Knockaert puts his head in his hands after inadvertently deflecting Pascal Gross’ goal-bound shot past the post
Hemed unleashes a right-footed shot during the first half at the Amex. Both sides created but wasted good chances early on
Newcastle actually came close in only the second minute after forcing a corner on the right. When the ball was headed clear of the penalty area it dropped to Mikel Merino and his volley was heading for the bottom corner before Brighton goalkeeper Mathew Ryan dropped to his right and turned the ball away.
It was a decent save, coming at a time of the game when a goalkeeper can be caught cold. And if the incident served to indicate Newcastle’s intent then it wasn’t long before Brighton were doing likewise at the other end.
Striker Hemed flicked a header over the crossbar after finding some space in the sixth minute before Brighton managed to get in their own way — quite literally — when they seemed set to take the lead soon after.
French winger Anthony Knockaert was causing Newcastle some discomfort with the directness of his running and it was the former Leicester player who led the charge down the right. But when the ball eventually fell to team-mate Pascal Gross ten yards from goal Knockaert had advanced ahead of his team-mate so that the ensuing shot struck him square on the back just as it looked to be heading in to the net.
Knockaert – the EFL Player of the Season last time round – compounded his embarrassment soon after by driving a shot in from distance that actually disappeared for a throw-in. Soon he was in good company as Ayoze Perez did exactly the same at the other end.
Summer signing Joselu, who missed a glorious early chance, goes down under the challenge of Brighton’s Shane Duffy
The striker found space to shoot from just outside the six yard box. But, under pressure from Davy Propper, fired wide of goal
Joselu lies on the floor after missing the glorious first-half chance. His side had only two shots on target before half-time
In between, meanwhile, Newcastle could have scored. Benitez’s team were enjoying more of the possession and territory but lacked a clinical edge. When Perez crossed low from the left in the 21st minute, the ball ricocheted off a Brighton leg and when striker Joselu turned round to accept the gift he could only pull a low left foot shot across goal and inches wide.
Joselu has impressed since arriving from Stoke at the back end of the transfer window and is keeping some decent forwards out of the Newcastle team. But he really should have scored here, as indeed Perez may have done just after the half our mark. This time the creator was Chancel Mbemba down the left, the Congolese international beating two men to make the chance only for Perez to toe-poke the ball over the bar from around about the penalty spot.
Newcastle did look to have a little more up front than their opponents, especially when moving the ball down the left where the mobile Christian Atsu was trying to put pressure on Brighton right-back and captain Bruno whenever possible.
But within five minutes of the second half starting, Newcastle were set back on their heels as Brighton scored a very straight forward goal. A driven free-kick by Gross on the left reached Dale Stephens at the far post and when the midfielder headed the ball down in to the ground and across goal, Hemed demonstrated athletic skill to hook it over his shoulder and in to the goal above Elliot from seven yards.
Replays suggested the ball may have come off the goal scorer’s shin but that didn’t matter. It was still a fine finish and the second of the Israeli centre forward’s league season. As for Newcastle manager Benitze, he would have been horrified by his team’s defending.
DeAndre Yedlin climbs well above Brighton midfielder Solly March to win a header during the eventful but goalless first half
Tim Krul, who joined Brighton on loan earlier this week, was left on the bench for the clash with his former side on Sunday
March and Yedlin battle for possession later in the first half. Brighton were looking for only their second win of the season
Suttner challenges Newcastle’s Matt Ritchie. The home side had most of the ball in the first half but could not break through
Lifted by the goal, Brighton came again. There was more energy and direction to their play than there had been in the first half and when a Knockaert backheel sent Bruno free, Newcastle were carved open again. Once again the cross reached the far post and this time Solly March met it only for his first time bundled shot to be hacked off the line by the goalkeeper.
Newcastle had to find a way to respond at a stadium where they won last season. A shot from Merino was inches wide after taking a deflection and the visiting team did at least began to enjoy some possession again, something they had lacked early in the second period.
Benitez also tried to bring about a chance of emphasis by throwing on Jonjo Shelvey. The midfielder was supposed to be his team’s talisman this season but has not started a game since being sent off on opening weekend. This would have been a good time to make amends.
Newcastle boss Rafa Benitez — who is renowned for squad rotation — named an unchanged side for the Premier League clash
Brighton central midfielder Dale Stephens tumbles to the floor after colliding with Newcastle forward Perez in the first half
Newcastle midfielder Isaac Hayden tries to battle past March. He was replaced by Jonjo Shelvey during the second half
A further change was made five minutes later as Dwight Gayle was sent on for Joselu. Gayle was prolific in the Championship but has been slow to make his mark this season. Indeed it was Shelvey who worked Brighton goalkeeper Ryan first, forcing him to save low at his near post direct from a corner kick.
That at least served to rouse the Newcastle travelling support and it appeared as though Brighton may have to dig in if they were going to see the game through.
Shelvey was getting dog’s abuse from the Brighton fans – as he does wherever he goes – and had a chance to quieten them in the 77th minute. A lunge by Brighton defender Shane Duffy earned a booking and conceded a free-kick in a dangerous area but Shelvey could only lift the ball over from 25 yards.
In to the last five minutes and Shelvey was involved again. Running on to a cute pass from Merino he only had to cut the ball back to find a colleague and Newcastle would have been back in the game. But Brighton defender Lewis Dunk read his intentions and the interception he made on his own six-yard line effectively earned his team two vital points.
Brighton boss Chris Hughton, who made only one chance for Sunday’s clash, instructs his side during their crucial victory
Shelvey, brought on during the second half to help Newcastle turn the game around, collides with Bruno and Stephens
Joselu is left disappointed after another chance goes begging for the away side. The forward was replaced by Dwight Gayle
The former Liverpool midfielder fires a free kick at the goal during the second half as Newcastle failed to level the match