February 26, (THEWILL) – Danny Welbeck netted the decisive goal as Brighton and Hove Albion continued their impressive form with a 2-1 triumph over Bournemouth at the Amex Stadium on Tuesday. The substitute striker required just four minutes after entering the pitch to fire home the winner, connecting with Georginio Rutter’s pass and finishing clinically via the inside of the post with 15 minutes remaining.
Brighton had taken an early advantage when Joao Pedro converted from the penalty spot in the 12th minute, after being fouled by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga. The hosts dominated the first half but were pegged back when Justin Kluivert equalised with a spectacular strike just after the hour mark.
Bournemouth appeared to be gaining momentum until Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made a crucial intervention, denying Dango Outtara from close range with the scores level. That pivotal moment proved significant as Welbeck soon delivered the winning strike, recording his 30th League goal for Brighton to match Pascal Gross as the club’s joint-highest scorer in the competition.
The victory propelled Fabian Hurzeler’s team into eighth position, drawing level on points with seventh-placed Bournemouth as both clubs continue their pursuit of European qualification. For Welbeck, the goal marked his seventh of the current campaign, approaching his best EPL seasons of 2011/2012 and 2013/2014 when he netted nine times.
Despite his exceptional individual achievement of becoming the first Bournemouth player to score 10 away goals in a single EPL season, Kluivert ended on the losing side. The defeat represented unwanted milestones for Bournemouth, who suffered consecutive league losses for the first time since November and have now been defeated three times in their last four matches, matching their total from the previous 18 fixtures.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
