Post-match report for our last game: Liverpool, Saturday, 28th November 2020
PREMIER LEAGUE 20/21: Brighton v Liverpool - 28/11/20, P10.
ALBION FAILURE TO WIN SHOWS CRACKS IN LEVELS
RESULT: 1-1 ~ Gross . (h-t 0-0) . SHAPE: 5-2-3
VENUE: the Amex, Falmer - fifth home match of ten fixtures to date . Saturday 12:30pm k-o.
No fans in attendance as per current second covid lockdown rules & regulations.
BUILD UP: after restart we last welcomed Reds here as champions, when our third Prem season petered out at empty stadia during midsummer. Late November became a replay for background off the pitch and possibly on it as well.
WEATHER: sunny & mild . KIT: first colours.
GRAHAM POTTER revealed characteristic empathy with opponents supposed woes, knowing his job was to formulate increase in their troubles and ease his own as a result.
Lamptey was suspended, while Lallana took a seat among subs. Veltman & Connolly stepped up.
TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Ryan
. 34 Veltman, 3 White, 5 Dunk, 4 Webster, 20 March
. . . . . . . . . . . 13 Gross, 8 Bissouma
. . . . . 9 Maupay, 18 Welbeck, 7 Connolly
BENCH: 23 Steele, 33 Burn, 17 Alzate, 49 Molumby, 11 Trossard (26), 14 Lallana (63), 16 Jahanbakhsh (76).
GOALS: 0-1 – 60 . Quality from Reds forward movement gives them the lead while locals just chase around.
1-1 – 93 . GROSS puts BHAs second penalty kick down the middle, after Welbeck fell in the area.
INCIDENTS: 10 - Connolly goes one on one but off target . 19 - Connolly brought down... penalty, put wide by Maupay . 22 - Maupay goes off with injury . 35 - VAR confirm travellers strike o/s . 62 - Trossard brought down... o/s . 81 - from a set piece Reds second score is chalked off . 90+ VAR award spot kick to hosts.
YELLOWS: 44 - Veltman, high boot . 81 - White, foul.
SUBS: 25 - Trossard for Maupay . 63 - Lallana for Connolly . 70 - Jahanbakhsh for Lallana.
SYNOPSIS: Potter was forced to make an early alteration following injury to one of three strikers. He introduced another attacker in order to maintain forward momentum against toiling visitors. At the interval it remained goalless, although not without talking points, reviews and some controversy.
After turnaround both sides played football, Reds pressing more without the ball. Further decision making from hosts revealed a steep learning curve at this level as current champs turned up the wick. Albion next chased the game yet again.
Entering later stages, locals struggled to up the ante and appeared a floundering force physically, tactically and in game knowhow. Potter had rolled the very unbalanced and wobbly dice set but his lucky number failed to come up.
Travellers almost ground out victory, understanding how to win, while hosts merely exposed frailties and inexperience.
NUMBERS: poss 40%-60%, on target 3-2, off target 8-4, corners 4-3, fouls 9-13, yellows 2-1, subs 3-3.
CONCLUSION: the campaign first quarter completed and interim report for Potter was words to the effect; tries hard but must do better.
FS
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