Southampton 1 Brighton & Hove Albion 2
This was a huge Seagulls performance and one in which they went back in front after being pegged back.
After a strong start, Albion went ahead from a Pascal Gross corner, although the ball looked to be about as far away from the quadrangle line as is legal.
Lewis Dunk met the ball and powered a header home from the edge of the penalty area.
Albion looked comfortable for a while and tried to fashion some chances. A goal-mouth scramble saw Adam Lallana almost fire off a half volley.
On the half hour, good work from James Ward-Prowse and Ryan Bertrand presented Che Adams with a close-range volley that he blasted past Robert Sanchez for 1-1. Dunk was not quite able to cut out the cross.
Albion had chances to go back in front before the interval including a glorious one for Gross who, after work from Dan Burn and Leandro Trossard, found himself one-on-one with Fraser Forster.
But the keeper managed to deflect the shot away after Gross appeared to lose his balance while shooting.
It was by far Burn’s most useful contribution as the tall wing back gave the ball away several times.
Trossard also had a clear-cut chance just before the interval but Forster was equal to that as well.
Andi Zeqiri replaced Burn as the second half started and looked accomplished at wing back, having a shot from a wide angle that just flew wide.
Albion’s winner came from a great move – Lallana strode through the midfield and picked out Welbeck on the edge of the area.
He flicked the ball into the path of Trossard who fired his effort high into the roof of the net to put Albion back in front.
Albion had to weather a few storms including Kyle Walker-Peters’s claim for a penalty that was checked by VAR late on.
The Seagulls now move back above Newcastle by a point into 16th – and next Saturday (20 March) Brighton host the Magpies at the Amex.
