
Evan Ferguson scored twice within the first half as Brighton beat Southampton within the Premier League to safe European soccer for the primary time of their historical past.
The 18-year-old ahead opened the scoring with a robust low shot previous Saints goalkeeper Alex McCarthy earlier than doubling the Seagulls’ benefit with a first-time end from inside the world.
Mohamed Elyounoussi’s glancing header supplied the guests temporary hope of a comeback however Pascal Gross fired in a 3rd to seal victory for the hosts.
Brighton strengthened their grip on sixth place within the desk and have all-but certified for subsequent season’s Europa League due to their superior objective distinction over seventh-placed Aston Villa.
Some extent from their two remaining matches will affirm a sixth-placed end however victory over their south-coast rivals assures Brighton of a Europa Convention League spot on the very least.
Southampton, whose relegation was confirmed with their defeat by Fulham final trip, will end their top-flight marketing campaign towards Liverpool at St Mary’s subsequent Sunday.
‘We’re all occurring a European tour’
The Brighton followers had been in buoyant temper as the sport kicked off within the sunshine on the Amex Stadium.
The Seagulls, one of many success tales of the marketing campaign, had been heading for Europe and their followers loved each second by taunting the guests, who in distinction shall be watching their aspect within the Championship subsequent season.
On the pitch, the hosts had been shortly into their stride and Kaoru Mitoma ought to have put them forward when he drove into the world solely to shoot large from shut vary.
McCarthy practically handed Brighton a straightforward second because the Japanese ahead latched on to the keeper’s unfastened cross however might solely hit the put up together with his lifted try.
The impasse was finally damaged when Alexis Mac Allister teed up Ferguson, who took a contact to set himself earlier than smashing the ball via the legs of Lyanco and below McCarthy, who shall be upset to not have saved it out.
Ferguson took his tally to 10 targets for the season 11 minutes later when the colourful Mitoma shrugged off Romeo Lavia’s problem and picked out the Irishman, who discovered the nook of the web with a composed strike.
Southampton had been boosted by Elyounoussi’s header from a nook however Gross equalled Glenn Murray and Neal Maupay’s Premier League membership file of 26 targets with a fierce swipe of his left boot.
Brighton followers cheered the ultimate whistle with renditions of “We’re all occurring a European tour” – one thing they will look ahead to for the primary time ever subsequent season.
Struggling Saints flip attentions to contemporary begin
Saints arrived on the Amex with their destiny already sealed. In actuality, their relegation has appeared inevitable for a while and defeat by Brighton was a twelfth top-flight recreation and not using a win.
The guests regarded bereft of concepts and depth however they might have taken the lead earlier than the Seagulls took management when Carlos Alcaraz fired large after a brisk counter-attack.
It meant Brighton might make their dominance depend via Ferguson’s double and Elyounoussi’s objective simply earlier than the hour mark was Southampton’s first try on the right track.
Nevertheless, minutes later Theo Walcott thought he had overwhelmed the offside lure to stun the hosts with an equaliser – with an preliminary burst of tempo to run clear adopted by the composed end which has typified his profession – however the objective was chalked off by the tightest of margins following a video assistant referee evaluation.
Gross’ objective killed Southampton’s problem and meant a fourth away recreation in a row during which they’d conceded at the very least three targets, for the primary time since 2012-13.
On a shiny notice for the guests, right-back Tino Livramento made his return after 13 months out with an anterior cruciate ligament damage he sustained within the corresponding fixture final season.
Saints will wish to finish their keep within the Premier League on a excessive towards Liverpool however work will have already got begun behind the scenes as they put together to launch a promotion bid on the first time of asking, with Swansea boss Russell Martin closely linked to guide the cost.
Participant of the match
FergusonEvan Ferguson
Brighton & Hove Albion
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Squad quantity28Participant titleFerguson
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Squad quantity5Participant titleDunk
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Squad quantity22Participant titleMitoma
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Squad quantity10Participant titleMac Allister
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Squad quantity13Participant titleGroß
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Squad quantity25Participant titleCaicedo
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Squad quantity30Participant titleEstupiñán
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Squad quantity6Participant titleColwill
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Squad quantity18Participant titleWelbeck
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Squad quantity21Participant titleUndav
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Squad quantity34Participant titleVeltman
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Squad quantity20Participant titleEnciso
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Squad quantity29Participant titlevan Hecke
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Squad quantity23Participant titleSteele
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Squad quantity40Participant titleBuonanotte
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Squad quantity27Participant titleGilmour
Southampton
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Squad quantity14Participant titleBree
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Squad quantity53Participant titleBallard
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Squad quantity21Participant titleLivramento
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Squad quantity65Participant titleDoyle
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Squad quantity8Participant titleWard-Prowse
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Squad quantity26Participant titleAlcaraz
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Squad quantity2Participant titleWalker-Peters
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Squad quantity45Participant titleLavia
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Squad quantity20Participant titleSulemana
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Squad quantity7Participant titleAribo
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Squad quantity4Participant titleLyanco
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Squad quantity32Participant titleWalcott
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Squad quantity24Participant titleElyounoussi
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Squad quantity35Participant titleBednarek
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Squad quantity1Participant titleMcCarthy
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Squad quantity17Participant titleS Armstrong
Line-ups
Brighton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 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 89′minutes
- 28FergusonSubstituted forWelbeckat 65′minutes
Substitutes
- 18Welbeck
- 21Undav
- 26Ayari
- 27Gilmour
- 29van Hecke
- 38McGill
- 40Buonanotte
- 49Moran
- 51Peupion
Southampton
Formation 4-1-4-1
- 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-Automobile
- 12Onuachu
- 17S Armstrong
- 20Sulemana
- 21Livramento
- 31Bazunu
- 53Ballard
- 65Doyle
- Referee:
- Paul Tierney
- Attendance:
- 31,507
Dwell Textual content
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Match ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 3, Southampton 1.
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Second Half ends, Brighton and Hove Albion 3, Southampton 1.
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Try missed. Danny Welbeck (Brighton and Hove Albion) proper footed shot from the left aspect of the field is just too excessive. Assisted by Alexis Mac Allister.
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Try blocked. Pervis Estupiñán (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the left aspect of the field is blocked. Assisted by Danny Welbeck.
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Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton and Hove Albion) is proven the yellow card for a foul foul.
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Foul by Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Kyle Walker-Peters (Southampton) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Try saved. Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the fitting aspect of the field is saved within the centre of the objective. Assisted by Pascal Groß.
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Foul by Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton and Hove Albion).
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Jan Bednarek (Southampton) wins a free kick within the defensive half.
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Nook, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Stuart Armstrong.
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Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Jan Paul van Hecke replaces Levi Colwill.
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Substitution, Brighton and Hove Albion. Billy Gilmour replaces Kaoru Mitoma.
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Try missed. Danny Welbeck (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from the left aspect of the field misses to the left. Assisted by Pervis Estupiñán.
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Try missed. Deniz Undav (Brighton and Hove Albion) proper footed shot from outdoors the field is shut, however misses to the left.
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Try missed. Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton and Hove Albion) proper footed shot from outdoors the field is only a bit too excessive.
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Substitution, Southampton. Kamari Doyle replaces Roméo Lavia.
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Try missed. Facundo Buonanotte (Brighton and Hove Albion) left footed shot from outdoors the field is just too excessive. Assisted by Moisés Caicedo.
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Try missed. Levi Colwill (Brighton and Hove Albion) header from the centre of the field is only a bit too excessive following a nook.
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Nook, Brighton and Hove Albion. Conceded by Tino Livramento.
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