Report and free highlights as Brighton finish season with record points total in the Premier League
Monday 27 July 2020 09:07, UK
Brighton produced a solid 2-1 win over Burnley at Turf Moor on Sunday to set a new club-record points haul in the Premier League.
The game started with a sluggish tempo and disjointed possession as Burnley looked to maintain their solid defensive line and help goalkeeper Nick Pope record his 16th clean sheet of the campaign to claim the Golden Glove.
Burnley could have been awarded a penalty in the 14th minute when Dale Stephens appeared to haul down Jay Rodriguez, although Jonathan Moss waved play on before VAR confirmed his decision.
But the game plan was ripped up with 20 minutes on the clock when Brighton midfielder Yves Bissouma made amends for a poor touch by reclaiming possession and firing his side into the lead with power and precision from range.
The Seagulls maintained a superior share of the ball but were punished five minutes before the break after left-back Eric Pieters clipped a delicious long pass over Lewis Dunk for Chris Wood to take one touch and level the scores.
Brighton burst from the blocks in the second half and Neal Maupay threaded a ball for the energetic Aaron Connolly, who beat Kevin Long in the race and found the perfect angle past Pope to secure the win, a 15th-place finish, and a club-record season total of 41 points.
Sean Dyche's men will feel aggrieved after Rodriguez had a second equaliser chalked off by VAR - with Johann Gudmundsson adjudged to have interfered with Brighton stopper Mat Ryan. However, the hosts still finish the season in tenth with a joint club-record of 54 points on the board.
Burnley wanted to see their in-form stopper over the line for the Golden Glove but Bissouma dashed Pope's hopes with his first Premier League goal in 50 appearances - opening his account with a sensational stunner.
Brighton had made three changes from their goalless draw with Newcastle on Monday and, among those entering the fray were youngsters Connolly and Alexis Mac Allister, with the former wrecking havoc with his relentless bursts.
And while the Irishman will rightfully receive the plaudits after his match-winning performance, it was regular recent starter, 19-year-old Tariq Lamptey, who shone in equal measure - providing a brighter outlook for the south-cost club next term.
As Burnley looked to grind out their outstanding ability of keeping a tight defensive shape and capitalising on every chance at the other end, Brighton oozed with an intention to impress - but the result could have gone either way.
Indeed, Brighton could have doubled their lead thanks to a Lamptey cross and Maupay header, which bounced straight back off the crossbar, followed by a Connolly overhead kick which strayed wide.
Dyche's men look rattled but, in typical fashion, in-form Wood converted their first shot on target to level the scores, in what can only be described as route-one football at its best, with a deft pass, take and shot.
However, Brighton's youngsters hit top gear after the break. Lamptey combined with Connolly within a minute of the restart, only for Pope to block his effort. But just three minutes later, the Irishman restored the visitors' one-goal advantage after leaving centre-back Long for dust - slotting past Pope with the perfect angle.
Burnley's best hope of levelling the scores and surpassing their current club-record points haul of 54 points came from an Ashley Westwood corner, which was headed backwards by Rodriguez and looped over a crowd into the goal.
But replays showed Gudmundsson - who was blocking Brighton stopper Ryan - was offside when the header was made, and VAR chalked the goal off.
The game somewhat petered out with a whimper after that decision until Pope ran the length of the pitch for a Burnley corner in the final few seconds, but the England stopper ended up on his back as his Golden Glove slipped away, too.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche
"He's impeding the keeper, but the keeper is never going to get there. But I thought the other decisions were clearer.
"[Neal Maupay's] running gait changes to take his foot away and outside to try and take the ball from outside and back onto the pitch, so that's a throw-in at source.
"And then Jay Rodriguez gets in behind, he gets his run across the player, like many forwards do, the player brings him down and we don't get a penalty. So three went against us today."
Brighton manager Graham Potter
"Really important for us to finish as strongly as possible and three points is fantastic, here against a team where it's not easy to get points against. So I'm delighted for the players, it's a good reward for the work we've done.
"[Bissouma] has the potential to score from there, so I'm happy for him and delighted for the team. The only chance they had in the first half was the one they scored from. Overall, I think we deserved the win and delighted wit the win."
Aaron Connolly was the brightest spark on the pitch at Turf Moor, while team-mate Tariq Lamptey was not far short from pipping him to the accolade.
The Republic of Ireland international had endured a nine-month duck in the Premier League before his match winner on Sunday, which will come as some relief after his explosive emergence in the first months of the season.
