Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 Southampton: Seagulls secure European football with win

Evan Ferguson took his tally to 10 goals for the season after scoring twice against Southampton

Evan Ferguson scored twice in the first half as Brighton beat Southampton in the Premier League to secure European football for the first time in their history.

The 18-year-old forward opened the scoring with a powerful low shot past Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy before doubling the Seagulls’ advantage with a first-time finish from inside the area.

Mohamed Elyounoussi’s glancing header offered the visitors brief hope of a comeback but Pascal Gross fired in a third to seal victory for the hosts.

Brighton strengthened their grip on sixth place in the table and have all-but qualified for next season’s Europa League because of their superior goal difference over seventh-placed Aston Villa.

A point from their two remaining matches will confirm a sixth-placed finish but victory over their south-coast rivals assures Brighton of a Europa Conference League spot at the very least.

Southampton, whose relegation was confirmed with their defeat by Fulham last time out, will finish their top-flight campaign against Liverpool at St Mary’s next Sunday.

‘We’re all going on a European tour’

The Brighton fans were in buoyant mood as the game kicked off in the sunshine at the Amex Stadium.

The Seagulls, one of the success stories of the campaign, were heading for Europe and their fans enjoyed every moment by taunting the visitors, who in contrast will be watching their side in the Championship next season.

On the pitch, the hosts were quickly into their stride and Kaoru Mitoma should have put them ahead when he drove into the area only to shoot wide from close range.

McCarthy nearly handed Brighton an easy second as the Japanese forward latched on to the keeper’s loose pass but could only hit the post with his lifted attempt.

The deadlock was eventually broken when Alexis Mac Allister teed up Ferguson, who took a touch to set himself before smashing the ball through the legs of Lyanco and under McCarthy, who will be disappointed not to have kept it out.

Ferguson took his tally to 10 goals for the season 11 minutes later when the vibrant Mitoma shrugged off Romeo Lavia’s challenge and picked out the Irishman, who found the corner of the net with a composed strike.

Southampton were boosted by Elyounoussi’s header from a corner but Gross equalled Glenn Murray and Neal Maupay’s Premier League club record of 26 goals with a fierce swipe of his left boot.

Brighton fans cheered the final whistle with renditions of “We’re all going on a European tour” – something they can look forward to for the first time ever next season.

Struggling Saints turn attentions to fresh start

Saints arrived at the Amex with their fate already sealed. In reality, their relegation has seemed inevitable for some time and defeat by Brighton was a 12th top-flight game without a win.

The visitors looked bereft of ideas and intensity but they could have taken the lead before the Seagulls took control when Carlos Alcaraz fired wide after a brisk counter-attack.

It meant Brighton could make their dominance count through Ferguson’s double and Elyounoussi’s goal just before the hour mark was Southampton’s first attempt on target.

However, minutes later Theo Walcott thought he had beaten the offside trap to stun the hosts with an equaliser – with an initial burst of pace to run clear followed by the composed finish which has typified his career – but the goal was chalked off by the tightest of margins following a video assistant referee review.

Gross’ goal killed Southampton’s challenge and meant a fourth away game in a row in which they had conceded at least three goals, for the first time since 2012-13.

On a bright note for the visitors, right-back Tino Livramento made his return after 13 months out with an anterior cruciate ligament injury he sustained in the corresponding fixture last season.

Saints will want to end their stay in the Premier League on a high against Liverpool but work will already have begun behind the scenes as they prepare to launch a promotion bid at the first time of asking, with Swansea boss Russell Martin heavily linked to lead the charge.

Speaking about his future, current Saints boss Ruben Selles said he “expects respect” from the club.

“If the club want to make a a decision before the end of the season, I expect some respect and communication before or I will be very disappointed,” said Selles.

Player of the match

FergusonEvan Ferguson

Brighton & Hove Albion

1. Squad number28Player nameFerguson

2. Squad number5Player nameDunk

3. Squad number22Player nameMitoma

4. Squad number10Player nameMac Allister

5. Squad number13Player nameGroß

6. Squad number25Player nameCaicedo

7. Squad number30Player nameEstupiñán

8. Squad number6Player nameColwill

9. Squad number18Player nameWelbeck

10. Squad number21Player nameUndav

11. Squad number34Player nameVeltman

12. Squad number20Player nameEnciso

13. Squad number29Player namevan Hecke

14. Squad number23Player nameSteele

15. Squad number40Player nameBuonanotte

16. Squad number27Player nameGilmour

Southampton

1. Squad number14Player nameBree

2. Squad number53Player nameBallard

3. Squad number21Player nameLivramento

4. Squad number65Player nameDoyle

5. Squad number8Player nameWard-Prowse

6. Squad number26Player nameAlcaraz

7. Squad number2Player nameWalker-Peters

8. Squad number45Player nameLavia

9. Squad number20Player nameSulemana

10. Squad number7Player nameAribo

11. Squad number4Player nameLyanco

12. Squad number32Player nameWalcott

13. Squad number24Player nameElyounoussi

14. Squad number35Player nameBednarek

15. Squad number1Player nameMcCarthy

16. Squad number17Player nameS Armstrong

Line-ups

Brighton

Formation 4-2-3-1

23Steele

34Veltman5Dunk6Colwill30Estupiñán

13Groß25Caicedo

20Enciso10Mac Allister22Mitoma

28Ferguson

• 23Steele
• 34VeltmanBooked at 71minsSubstituted forUndavat 74′minutes
• 5Dunk
• 6ColwillSubstituted forvan Heckeat 89′minutes
• 30Estupiñán
• 13Groß
• 25Caicedo
• 20EncisoSubstituted forBuonanotteat 45′minutesBooked at 90mins
• 10Mac Allister
• 22MitomaSubstituted forGilmourat 88′minutes
• 28FergusonSubstituted forWelbeckat 65′minutes

Substitutes

• 18Welbeck
• 21Undav
• 26Ayari
• 27Gilmour
• 29van Hecke
• 38McGill
• 40Buonanotte
• 49Moran
• 51Peupion

Southampton

Formation 4-1-4-1

1McCarthy

14Bree35Bednarek4Lyanco2Walker-Peters

45Lavia

32Walcott8Ward-Prowse26Alcaraz24Elyounoussi

7Aribo

• 1McCarthy
• 14BreeBooked at 67minsSubstituted forLivramentoat 77′minutes
• 35BednarekBooked at 14mins
• 4Lyanco
• 2Walker-Peters
• 45LaviaSubstituted forDoyleat 84′minutes
• 32Walcott
• 8Ward-ProwseBooked at 64mins
• 26AlcarazBooked at 34minsSubstituted forS Armstrongat 71′minutes
• 24ElyounoussiBooked at 43minsSubstituted forSulemanaat 71′minutes
• 7AriboSubstituted forBallardat 70′minutes

Substitutes

• 3Maitland-Niles
• 6Caleta-Car
• 12Onuachu
• 17S Armstrong
• 20Sulemana
• 21Livramento
• 31Bazunu
• 53Ballard
• 65Doyle

Referee:

Paul Tierney

Attendance:

31,507

Live Text

1. Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 3, Southampton 1.

2. Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 3, Southampton 1.

3. Attempt missed. Danny Welbeck (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from the left side of the box is too high. Assisted by Alexis Mac Allister.

4. Attempt blocked. Pervis Estupiñán (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the left side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Danny Welbeck.

5. Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton and Hove Albion) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

6. Foul by Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton and Hove Albion).

7. Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton) wins a free kick on the left wing.

8. Attempt saved. Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the right side of the box is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Pascal Groß.

9. Foul by Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton and Hove Albion).

10. Jan Bednarek (Southampton) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

11. Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Stuart Armstrong.

12. Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Jan Paul van Hecke replaces Levi Colwill.

13. Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Billy Gilmour replaces Kaoru Mitoma.

14. Attempt missed. Danny Welbeck (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the left side of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Pervis Estupiñán.

15. Attempt missed. Deniz Undav (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is close, but misses to the left.

16. Attempt missed. Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton and Hove Albion) right footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high.

17. Substitution, Southampton. Kamari Doyle replaces Roméo Lavia.

18. Attempt missed. Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Moisés Caicedo.

19. Attempt missed. Levi Colwill (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from the centre of the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Pervis Estupiñán with a cross following a corner.

20. Corner, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Tino Livramento.

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Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65586962