When Jeremie Frimpong went onto the pitch at The AMEX on Saturday, he would have known that he was in for a tough game, especially with Yankuba Minteh as his opposing winger.
In fact, Minteh was so good that it forced Arne Slot’s hand into making a substitution, taking him off, and moving Curtis Jones into right-back.
Liverpool would’ve thought their work was done when Minteh came off, until the number 22 was held up, and Karou Mitoma entered the pitch.
The value of “Mintoma”
The Reds arguably had it even worse as Mitoma drove with the ball directly at them, causing chaos and almost extending Albion’s lead on more than one occasion, had it not been for an unfortunate miscue from Jack Hinshelwood and a good save from Mamardashvilli, too.
You see, playing against two of the most direct wingers in the league is not an easy task, which Mr Slot’s men found out the hard way. Frimpong was constantly hounded by Minteh throughout the game, and Mitoma picked up on where his Gambian counterpart left off on the Liverpool backline. It marked a return to good form for the Japanese international and provided the Albion joy, with many chances coming down that left-hand side throughout the 90 minutes.
But just how important are these two to Brighton’s season?
Last week, Yankuba Minteh was put straight into the starting lineup after returning from injury against Arsenal, and marked it with the only goal in a crucial 1-0 victory against Sunderland. Combined with a tireless performance against Liverpool, constantly creating chances, and crossing the ball for Danny Welbeck’s second goal. The cross, an absolute peach.
It’s not a surprise that his return to the lineup has coincided with an upturn in form for the Seagulls, either, with 4 wins in the last 5 matches, the same number as in the previous 18. Following the dark and dismal December-January period, it seems that the club have moved out of that poor patch, and are starting to look up the table again.
Mitoma hasn’t had the easiest of seasons this year. Picking up a major injury back in September, there have been few glimpses of him showing his true ability, but on the weekend, he showed us that his precise dribbling and agility remain, making fans excited again that the output can come back and become one of the best wingers in the league again.
One thing that can be said in Mitoma’s regard, his quality is always obvious to see. From the moment he is on the pitch, you can tell.
In Albion’s best lineup, we can see the two of them starting together, with Mitoma on the left and Minteh on his favoured position, the right.
However, with Minteh’s dangerous left foot, it means he can play either side, which creates space for Diego Gomez to fit in the team on the right, and gives head coach Hürzeler a lot of options tactically with two high-quality left wingers.
If we go back to three seasons ago, when Kaoru Mitoma was having his breakout season for Brighton, he showed what a player he can be. With 7 goals and 5 assists that season, and an average rating of 7.32 on Fotmob, he was a huge part of why the squad finished in 6th place and achieved European football.
The dream remains the same this season for many fans, with the gap currently being just 3 points to Brentford in 7th place. His technical ability was far superior to that of many other players in the league, and it remains the same case now. If he can go back to the same heights he was at just a few years ago, there’s no telling how important he can be again.
Yankuba Minteh, on the other hand, was known as a rising star during his time in the Netherlands. For Arne Slot’s Feyenoord, he achieved 10 goals and 5 assists in the Eredivisie, as they finished in 2nd place in the league. He was also a part of the team when they won the KNVB Cup, putting himself on many clubs’ radars.
In the summer of 2024, Newcastle suffered issues with FFP, forcing them to sell many talents, including Yankuba Minteh, which led Brighton to pick up the young star for just £30 million. At the time, it was a lot of money for someone with no Premier League experience. Now, nobody really remembers the price tag, only the quality of the player that he is.
With 6 goals and 4 assists in the Premier League in his debut season for Brighton, he has carried on this form, with 4 goals and 2 assists this season so far. There’s no telling how far this young man can go, game by game. He looks more confident to attack the backline, force the ball into the box and create chances.
Both of them don’t just attack, but are key in defence as well. Time and time again, both of them track back and put in tackles, win headers, and dispossess their opponents to help their team out where they can, and never give up.
After all, Kaoru Mitoma was originally a left-back when bought in under former boss Graham Potter!
If Fabian Hürzeler seriously wants to push on for Europe this season, both Yankuba Minteh and Karou Mitoma will be integral to the squad, and keeping both of them fit, healthy and happy is the best scenario for all parties.
