Brighton & Hove Albion finally snapped a six-match winless streak in the Premier League with a commanding 2-0 victory over relegation-threatened Burnley at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, 3rd January 2026.
Seagulls Soar After Frigid First Half
On a bitterly cold afternoon in Sussex, the home side dominated proceedings from the outset. Brighton, who had taken just three points from their previous six games, made four changes from their midweek draw at West Ham, including a first Premier League start for forward Charalampos Kostoulas. He thought he had an early opener, only for it to be ruled out for a marginal offside.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 29th minute. After a deflected effort from Yasin Ayari, the ball fell kindly to Georginio Rutter, who slammed home his second goal of the season from a tight angle to give the Seagulls a deserved lead. Burnley, who had made three changes after their loss to Newcastle, almost equalised just before half-time, but Bart Verbruggen's smart save kept the visitors at bay.
Ayari Seals the Deal for Dominant Albion
Any hopes of a Burnley comeback were extinguished within two minutes of the restart. Capitalising on a costly error by Clarets midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu on the edge of his own box, Sweden international Yasin Ayari sidestepped a defender and drilled a low finish into the bottom corner to double Brighton's advantage.
The visitors' best chance to reduce the deficit came in the 67th minute. Substitute Loum Tchaouna headed towards an open goal after a goalkeeping error, but Ferdi Kadioglu produced a miraculous goal-line clearance, heading the ball onto his own crossbar to preserve the clean sheet. Brighton substitute Maxim De Cuyper later rattled the post with a free-kick as the Seagulls pushed for a third.
League Table Implications and Looking Ahead
The comprehensive win sees Brighton soar from 14th to 8th place in the Premier League table, providing a significant boost to their campaign. The match also marked a popular return for Pascal Gross, who came on as a substitute after rejoining the club from Borussia Dortmund.
For Scott Parker's Burnley, the outlook remains bleak. Their wait for a top-flight victory now stretches to 11 games, and they remain stuck in 19th place, six points from safety. The Clarets' dismal record of failing to win any of their last 40 Premier League matches when conceding first was extended in emphatic fashion at the Amex.
