Brighton continued their impressive run of form with a commanding 4-0 victory over struggling Southampton, securing their third consecutive Premier League win and climbing to eighth in the table.
The dominant performance keeps their European aspirations alive, while Southampton’s woes deepen as they remain rooted to the bottom with just nine points, two fewer than Derby County’s infamous low tally from the 2007/08 season.
Southampton’s troubles began early when captain Jan Bednarek was forced off with an injury just 10 minutes into the match.
His replacement, Armel Bella-Kotchap, was met with loud cheers from the home fans as he returned to action after a 567-day absence.
Brighton wasted little time asserting their dominance, with Joao Pedro and Georginio Rutter constantly pressuring the Saints’ backline.
Carlos Baleba came close to breaking the deadlock when his free-kick deflected off the wall and landed on the roof of the net. Soon after, Kaoru Mitoma squandered a great opportunity at the back post following an accurate cross from Jack Hinshelwood.
The breakthrough arrived when hesitation in Southampton’s defense allowed Joao Pedro to pounce, effortlessly lifting the ball over the onrushing Aaron Ramsdale to give Fabian Hurzeler’s side a deserved lead.
Southampton rarely troubled Brighton’s goal, though left-back Welington forced Bart Verbruggen into a fine save with a curling effort from the edge of the area.
Early in the second half, the home side believed they had drawn level when Cameron Archer converted a clever pass from Mateus Fernandes.
However, the assistant referee’s offside flag halted celebrations, and VAR confirmed the decision—much to the frustration of manager Ivan Juric.
That disappointment deepened moments later when Brighton doubled their advantage. Joe Aribo protested a potential foul by Rutter in the build-up, but referee Darren Bond dismissed his claims, allowing Yankuba Minteh to square the ball for Rutter, who tapped in his fifth league goal of the campaign.
With the contest effectively decided, Brighton continued to carve out chances. Minteh had a golden opportunity but saw his shot weakly struck, giving Ramsdale just enough time to recover and Kyle Walker-Peters to clear.
However, there was no stopping Brighton’s attacking flow. A sublime touch from Joao Pedro released Mitoma, who effortlessly chipped Ramsdale to extend his impressive scoring run to five goals in seven games, sparking an early exit from many Southampton supporters.
For those who remained, there was more misery to witness. In the closing stages, Brajan Gruda’s corner fell kindly to an unmarked Hinshelwood at the back post, allowing the 19-year-old to slot home his second goal of the season and seal an emphatic win for the visitors.
