Yankuba Minteh's fortunate second-half goal earned Brighton their first win at Sunderland in 45 years on Saturday, lifting them to 10th in the Premier League table. The 40-year-old James Milner played the entire match in a deep midfield role, helping his side control the game at the Stadium of Light.
Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler praised his team's performance, saying: 'We controlled the game, we defended well, we created danger. We deserved to win. James Milner was a big part of that; when you've played as many games as him you know how to manage them.'
Sunderland had a goal disallowed early in the second half when Omar Alderete was ruled offside by a VAR review, before Minteh's miscued cross looped over goalkeeper Melker Ellborg. The home side protested that Habib Diarra had been fouled in the build-up, but the goal stood.
Sunderland manager Régis Le Bris remained philosophical despite the defeat: 'Our end product is not the best at the moment, but the character is good. We have many injuries and football is sometimes a bit harsh and unpredictable.'
Chris Rigg impressed for Sunderland with a strong performance on the right, while Danny Welbeck received a warm welcome from home fans who remembered his loan spell at the club in 2010-11. After the match, Welbeck gave his shirt to a supporter holding a 'Welcome back Danny' banner.
