Brighton & Hove Albion finally halted their concerning slide in form with a comfortable 2-0 home victory over relegation-threatened Burnley at the Amex Stadium. The result snapped a six-match winless run in the Premier League for the Seagulls, providing a much-needed boost for Scott Parker's side.
Rutter and Ayari Seal the Points
The breakthrough came in the 29th minute after a period of Brighton dominance. A deflected effort from Yasin Ayari fell kindly to Georginio Rutter, who made no mistake from a tight angle, slamming the ball home for his second goal of the season. Burnley, who have now failed to win any of their last 40 Premier League matches when conceding first, almost equalised in first-half stoppage time, but Bart Verbruggen's smart save denied Lucas Pires.
That miss proved costly, as Brighton doubled their lead just two minutes after the restart. Capitalising on a mistake by Burnley midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu on the edge of his own box, Yasin Ayari sidestepped a defender and drilled a precise finish into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
Burnley's Woes Continue
The Clarets, who made three changes from their midweek loss to Newcastle, offered little consistent threat. Their best chance to get back into the game came in the 67th minute when Loum Tchaouna headed towards an open goal, only for Ferdi Kadioglu to produce a spectacular goal-line clearance, heading the ball onto his own crossbar.
Brighton, who began the day in 14th place, saw out the game with relative ease. Substitute Maxim De Cuyper rattled the post with a late free-kick, but the two-goal margin was more than sufficient. The win also marked Brighton's first ever Premier League home win against Burnley at the seventh attempt.
What the Result Means
For Burnley, managed by Scott Parker, the defeat extends their desperate wait for a league victory to 11 games. They remain stuck in 19th position, now six points adrift of safety after Nottingham Forest's result. Brighton, meanwhile, climb away from immediate danger and will hope this result provides a platform for a more positive run of form. The home crowd were also treated to the return of fan favourite Pascal Gross, who came off the bench to a rapturous reception after rejoining the club from Borussia Dortmund.
