A relatively comfortable 2-0 win over relegation candidates Burnley ended a six-game winless streak for Brighton, and saw them move up to eighth, just five points off the Champions League places.
Georginio Rutter was somewhat lucky to open the scoring in the 29th minute, finding himself in the right place at the right time when Yasin Ayari's shot deflected off Charalampos Kostoulas directly into his path, allowing him to power it beyond Martin Dubravka.
Ayari got in on the act just after half time, pouncing on some sloppy defending from Burnley and drilling his shot into the bottom left corner. It was a much-needed win for Fabian Hurzeler’s side, but is this a genuine turn around in form or is it a false dawn?
Dismal December form… again
Hurzeler has the unwanted record of failing to win a single game in December since he took over back in June 2024, losing five and drawing six. The festive period is hectic, and Brighton aren’t blessed with depth, but that’s a particularly poor showing.
Looking at Brighton’s December fixtures this time around, there are two that stand out as the most disappointing, and they both came against West Ham. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side are so bad, even Wolves managed to beat them and earn their first win of the season.
Brighton were very fortunate in the first game, a 1-1 draw. Who else but Jarrod Bowen opened the scoring for the away side in the 73rd minute, and it looked they were going to hold on to earn a much-needed three points. It wasn’t to be, though, and Rutter came to the rescue with a 91st minute strike.
They met for a second time at the London Stadium on the 30th, and it was similarly frustrating. Bowen was the man to open the scoring once again before Welbeck converted from the penalty spot after Max Kilman brought down Yankuba Minteh.
Welbeck had the opportunity to make it 2-1 just four minutes later when Lewis Dunk was wrestled to the ground by Lucas Paqueta, but the former Man United and Arsenal striker chipped his effort onto the crossbar. He was then made to rue that chance when Paqueta converted the third penalty of the game.
Thankfully Joel Veltman was on hand to rescue a point.
Key players hitting a rough patch
Throughout December, a number of Hurzeler’s main men hit a rough patch of form. Captain Lewis Dunk was perhaps the worst offender, with his performance in the 4-3 defeat to Aston Villa sticking out like a sore thumb.
Brighton were fifth in the Premier League before the game, and Dunk was making his 500th appearance for the club, it wasn’t meant to end the way it did. He and Jan Paul van Hecke were completely caught out by a ball over the top that left Ollie Watkins one-on-one with the ‘keeper, allowing him to make it 2-2.
He then came very close to scoring an own goal in the 72nd minute, thankfully Bart Verbruggen was there to make a good save. Dunk wasn’t the only player to put in some worrying performances throughout December, however.
We were starting to hear whispers that Danny Welbeck could be given an England re-call after an impressive start to the season. They have since died down a little after he only managed to score on goal in his five December appearances.
Perhaps the most worrying of all, though, is Carlos Baleba. Since he was linked with a £100 million+ move to Man United in the summer, the central midfielder has looked like a shadow of his former self. He managed to play three games before flying off to AFCON, and in his absence, Ayari has put in a couple of impressive performances.
Positive signs against Burnley
Perhaps Brighton have been cursed never to win a game of football in December, because as soon as we enter the new year, Hurzeler’s side put in a strong performance to beat Burnley at the AMEX.
The Seagulls were comfortable throughout. Burnley didn’t create a single big chance, 0.30xG, and were limited to just five shots, three of which were on target and one that came from about 30 yards out.
Brighton had 60% possession, had 15 shots, although only four of them were on target, and completed 546 passes. It was, all in all, a nice day out for Hurzeler and his lads, albeit with the huge caveat that Burnley are very poor.
Verdict
It won’t be easy for Brighton to capitalise on this win over Burnley when they face Man City and Man United in their next two games, although they do have a good record against the latter, so perhaps Hurzeler’s side could get something.
Brighton are currently performing like a mid-table team, so we don’t believe there is too much for the fans to be worried about when looking at their December slump. Currently sitting in eighth is a fair reflection of how they’ve been playing.