Sheer luck often goes unnoticed in football, but it played a significant role in Brighton's victory over Newcastle. On a day when Brighton seemed to have an abundance of good fortune and Newcastle very little, these 102 minutes on Tyneside could serve as the foundation for a thesis on the unpredictable nature of the game's fortunes. Danny Welbeck's 35th-minute goal for Brighton was a stark example of this. Until then, Fabian Hürzeler's side had been largely confined to their own half as Newcastle stifled their attempts to build from the back. With Alexander Isak missing a couple of promising opportunities and Hürzeler seemingly reluctant to alter his tactical approach, it seemed inevitable that Eddie Howe's side would score. However, Welbeck had other plans.
After controlling a long ball from Lewis Dunk with his chest, the former England striker, who is two years older than Hürzeler, destabilized Newcastle's defense with a clever one-two with Georginio Rutter, outmuscled Tino Livramento, and slotted the ball past Nick Pope. This was Brighton's first shot of the afternoon and Welbeck's fifth goal of the season. Howe's players, who had previously shown intelligent pressing, impressive possession retention, and slick passing, were suddenly dealt a blow following what might have been their best 45 minutes of the season. Their response to falling behind was less than convincing.
As the crowd's frustration grew and Brighton's counterattacking became bolder, Howe began making tactical changes. Harvey Barnes and Joe Willock were brought on to replace Jacob Murphy and Sandro Tonali, but unfortunately for Brighton, Welbeck was also forced off due to injury. The striker collapsed clutching his lower back after a routine aerial challenge with Fabian Schär and, after prolonged treatment on the pitch, was carried off on a stretcher with an oxygen mask. Despite Brighton's lead remaining intact, Howe withdrew his captain, Bruno Guimarães, along with Anthony Gordon, and brought on Sean Longstaff and Miguel Almirón. However, Brighton's backline and their excellent goalkeeper, Bart Verbruggen, held firm.
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