Seagulls Soar in Sweet Revenge at the City Ground
Brighton & Hove Albion exorcised the ghosts of a painful past on Sunday, securing a convincing 2-0 victory away at Nottingham Forest. The win served as a perfect response to the humiliating 7-0 defeat the Seagulls suffered at the same venue back in February, a result that had clearly lingered in the memory.
Under the guidance of manager Fabian Hurzeler, Brighton delivered a professional performance that not only cleansed the bad memories but also propelled the club up to fifth place in the Premier League table, marking a significant climb.
De Cuyper and Tzimas Seal the Deal for Brighton
The breakthrough for the visitors came at a crucial moment, right on the stroke of half-time. After dominating the first period with 13 shots, Maxim De Cuyper finally broke the deadlock, calmly slotting home for his second goal of the season. The timing was a blow to Forest boss Sean Dyche, whose half-time team talk would have required a drastic rewrite.
Nottingham Forest emerged with more intent after the break, putting Brighton under sustained pressure. However, the Seagulls' defence, which has recently found a new resilience, stood firm. The points were sealed in the 88th minute when substitute Stefanos Tzimas capitalised on a defensive error from Morato to score his first league goal of the campaign.
Hurzeler's Delight and Dyche's Frustration
Speaking after the match, a pleased Fabian Hurzeler admitted that avenging the previous season's thrashing was a key motivation. "We arrived here with some memories regarding last season," the German coach stated. "But we came here to clean the air, not only for ourselves but for the fans, and I'm happy they can have a good weekend."
He praised his team's character, especially during a difficult second half. "We suffered in certain moments... How you stick together and suffer through this period was impressive, and on top of that we created a lot of chances," Hurzeler added.
The victory also highlighted a marked improvement in Brighton's defensive solidity. After failing to keep a clean sheet in their first nine games, this shutout means they have now achieved three in their last four matches. Hurzeler attributed this to his squad developing better habits on the pitch, a process he acknowledges takes time.
For Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche, the defeat was a story of a poor start. He pinpointed the opening 20 minutes as where the game was lost. "We didn't start right," Dyche lamented. "After weathering a storm, to give away a soft goal was disappointing." While he found positives in his team's second-half response, he conceded that a late error made the scoreline look more comfortable for Brighton than the reality of the match perhaps suggested.
