Brighton Defeat Bournemouth: Fabian Hürzeler Responds to Europe Hype Fabian Hurzeller is not bothered by Brighton fans’ incessant song about qualifying for Europe after moving up to fifth in the Premier League following a 2-1 win at Bournemouth. Brighton controlled the game throughout, with Joao Pedro and Kaoru Mitoma scoring early in each half. However, Carlos Belba’s 59th-minute red card put Bournemouth back in the game.
Bournemouth substitute David Brooks scored three minutes into stoppage time but Brighton held on for their fourth win in six league games despite a late strike from Antoine Semenyo.
With away fans chanting about European football in wet and windy weather, Hürzeler did not want to dampen their enthusiasm. “I don’t listen, so they sing at will,” Hürzeler said. “I didn’t hear it. I was focused on the game, but I think it’s always important to make the supporters feel proud because in the end, they pay a lot of money, and spend a lot of time to support us. It’s our responsibility to give something back to them.” Hürzeler stressed it was not just about winning, but also about representing the club’s values. “It’s more about how you represent the colours and the values. It’s important because you can’t win every game.
Brighton got off to the ideal start when Joao Pedro opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Danny Welbeck exchanged passes with Georginio Rutter, whose shot was saved by Bournemouth goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, and Pedro tapped in the rebound.
Despite Bournemouth’s efforts, including a goal by Evanilson ruled offside just before half-time, Brighton doubled their lead in the 49th minute. After some great passing in the penalty area, Pedro set up Mitoma, who fired a shot into the bottom corner.
Hurzeler praised Joao Pedro’s contribution, saying, “When he has the ball, he is amazing. Today he made the difference for us. It is also very important to see how he plays without the ball. When he doesn’t have the ball, he invests a lot and does a lot of things that are not visible. So it’s great to have him as a leader on the pitch.
Despite a nervy finish after Balba received a red card for a late tackle on Milos Kerkez, Brighton held on very well. A powerful volley from Antoine Semenyo hit the crossbar after Brooks’ poked shot.
Hürzeler commented on Balba’s sending off: “It can’t be a second yellow card. It wasn’t our best football, but when we look at it in a different way, we really worked hard. We all stuck together, protected ourselves and followed the principles, and suffered as a team.
Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola reflected on the narrow defeat, their second in a row after a 3-2 loss to Brentford. “It was a game of small margins. I’ll probably check the statistics, and in the statistics, we look better than them, but in the end, they made the difference by playing more clinically. We could have deserved more today, but it happened again. When it’s two in a row, you need to improve yourself,” he said.
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