On Sunday, 1st March, Red met Blue and White at the Amex Stadium as Brighton hosted Nottingham Forest in match week 28 in the Premier League.
Brighton headed into this clash looking for back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time in 2026, also in the knowledge that victory would seal a first league double over Forest under Fabian Hürzeler. As for the visitors, a win could push them up to 16th and 5 points clear of the relegation zone, whilst also securing new manager Vitor Pereira his first league win.
Fast starters!
It was a fast and impressive start for the Seagulls, which saw the hosts denied by a routine save from Matz Sels, before they did take the lead through a fierce half volley from the right side of the box, courtesy of in-form Diego Gomez.
Brighton’s lead looked controlled until a sharp counter attack from Forest culminated in Gibbs-White latching onto a forward pass from Igor Jesus and rifling a stunning shot into the top right corner, Forest was rewarded for their positive response to going behind in the 6th minute.
A response, however, which would be cancelled out just 2 minutes later through a determined Brighton attack which saw Jack Hinshelwood head Mitoma’s cross back towards Danny Welbeck, who could control, swivel and finish emphatically! Undoubtedly, some questions regarding Neco Williams’ positional defending at the back post, but Brighton didn’t care. Welbeck had his 10th Premier League goal of the season, and the Seagulls had a 2-1 lead to hold onto.
The hosts were unlucky not to have made it 3-1 in the 18th minute when Mitoma found himself in on goal, only to see his effort superbly saved by Sels again. Unfortunately for the neutral, the exhilaration and entertainment of the opening 20 minutes mellowed somewhat as the first half progressed, which allowed Brighton to gain control of the game, and despite the creation of a few chances for both sides, see out the first half with minimal fuss.
After the break, the second half commenced, and the action continued. Similar to the first half, Brighton started the second period quickly and came close to securing the 2 goal lead when Welbeck saw a shot deflected behind for a corner in the 48th minute.
Following the early second-half chance for Welbeck, it’s safe to say that the game became rather uneventful, with neither side boasting any considerable attacking threat. Chances were created, and shots were had, but neither keeper was troubled majorly. For the Seagulls, notable moments included a driven shot from Mitoma, which missed the left post by only a few inches and a cute Gross free kick, which required a strong hand from the Belgian International Matz Sels.
As for Forest, Morgan Gibbs-White carried a consistent threat, making troublesome runs into dangerous areas, and both Sangare and Awoniyi saw shots come close, but neither side could find another goal. As the game entered the latter stages, a perfect opportunity for the return of Albion Legend Solly March arrived, and in the 86th minute, Brighton’s number 7 graced the Amex pitch again, replacing Goalscorer Diego Gomez. After almost 11 months on the sidelines, March’s return was greeted warmly to say the least, as the Winger received a fantastic reception from the crowd.
Late subs won the game?
In addition to March, Baleba, De Cuyper and Veltman all made appearances from the substitutes bench, with the latter contributing with a classy chested back pass to Bart Verbruggen, almost Dunk-esque! The calmness shown by Veltman helped Albion regain composure and see out the 2-1 win.
The victory seemed deserved for the Albion, who were the better team across the 90 minutes and their class displayed in the first half proved enough to gain all 3 points.
Back-to-back defeats for Forest and Pereira are evidence of their concerning position in the Premier League and their difficulty in balancing Premier League and Europa League Football successfully. Meanwhile, for Brighton, back-to-back wins get them back on track, alleviating the pressure on Hurzeler.
