Brighton 1 – 2 So’ton

Brighton is still without a Premier League home win this season after Danny Ings scored the winning goal from the spot, awarded by VAR, in a 2-1 win for Southampton.

With the game 1-1, Kyle Walker-Peters received a foul from Solly March right on the edge of the area that was awarded as a free throw until VAR intervened to show that the foul had occurred in the area. However, it was a decision that Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher called “extremely tough.”

Ings, who came into halftime after his return from a knee injury, was not wrong from the spot, as 2,000 home fans expressed frustration from the stands over the VAR intervention.

Graham Potter’s men had started off with great enthusiasm and Pascal Gross hit home from the penalty spot after James Ward-Prowse was penalized for handball.

Southampton had been flat in the first half but scored in a vital moment just before the break when Jannik Vestergaard brilliantly headed home on a Ward-Prowse corner kick.

The victory puts Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side in fifth place in the Premier League and they have now won 10 of their last 17 away games.

How Hasenhuttl’s men marched …

In a battle between two intriguing and far-sighted coaches, the game had all the ingredients to be an entertaining watch and the pace was high in the early stages.

Danny Welbeck really should have opened the scoring in the fifth minute when March put one on a layup for him, but his effort was tame and too close to Alex McCarthy. Southampton continued to give Brighton plenty of space, but Gross couldn’t take advantage of the rear when Vestergaard came back for a big last minute challenge.

Lewis Dunk then freed himself from a set piece, but directed his header into the empty stands behind goal. Southampton were quite in possession, but Hasenhuttl was getting frustrated on the touchline with a lot of his passes to the sides and back.

They were punished in the 25th minute when Ward-Prowse handled the ball after a pinball in his own box. Gross, who scored the last-minute draw against Liverpool from vantage point, maintained his composure to send McCarthy down the wrong path.

Brighton sank further after taking the lead but seemed comfortable in his form with Dunk winning most of the balls flying into his area. However, the one that did not reach just before the break resulted in a draw.

A typically graceful corner kick from Ward-Prowse was met by a brilliant header from Vestergaard, who managed to find the top corner. It was Southampton’s first shot on goal.

Ings returned to action after the interruption from the bench, having missed last month with a knee injury. His influence was immediately felt when he instigated a play pass that ended with Theo Walcott curving inches wide from 20 yards. Ings then deflected a Stuart Armstrong cross into goal, but Ryan was up to the task.

Brighton charged with a threat of their own from the right with Tariq Lamptey showing great deception and pace, but his last ball missed in the 67th minute when Welbeck called out for a touch.

With the game seemingly running out, VAR came to the fore to take the game in the direction of Southampton. Walker-Peters took out the March foul and was awarded a free throw. However, the VAR took a look and decided that the infraction started right inside the area. Although it didn’t seem clear and obvious, a penalty was awarded.

Ings stepped up and sacked Southampton for another away win.

Man of the match: Oriol Romeu

Romeu was the driving force in Southampton midfield with and without the ball. No Southampton player had more ball touches, as his clever passing sent his team forward on the field. But his main job was out of possession, facing challenges, especially in the final 10 minutes when Southampton had to defend deeply. His association with Ward-Prowse is fast becoming one of the best dynamics in the Premier League.

Carra: It is extremely tough.

Jamie Carragher from Sky Sports on the Southampton Penalty Incident:

“It’s a foul … it’s only if there are two fouls or one.

“The first one: you can see it’s out of the box. I don’t know how you can tell it’s a foul or if it’s March crossing his leg or Walker-Peters kicking him in the back of the leg.

“I think it’s extremely tough. I don’t think it’s a penalty.”

What the managers said

Brighton Chief Graham Potter said: “It seems that the first challenge is outside and I do not know if there was a second challenge. It is what the referee seemed to think and it is.

“From our perspective, we are a bit disappointed with our overall performance in the second half. Having said that, I thought it was a pretty close game. There wasn’t much, Southampton had some chances and so did we, so we are disappointed with the result.

“I think that’s what they’re talking about, if in fact the offense is considered to be in and it shows that it is, then I guess that’s what we’re using it for. It’s just one of those things you have to accept.”

Southampton boss Ralph Hasenhuttl said: “The longer the decision took, the more convinced I was that it was a penalty. It is the correct decision, I was inside the area. For decisions like that, it is difficult for the referee to see but it is easier for the VAR.”

Opt for statistics

• Brighton has gone 10 Premier League games without a win at home (four draws and six draws), its longest streak without a home win in the league since a streak of 12 in the fourth division that ended in February 1998.
• Only Leicester (7) have sent more Premier League goals from set pieces (excluding pens) than Brighton this season (6).
• Vestergaard has scored three goals in his last seven Premier League appearances, having scored just one in his previous 45.
• Ward-Prowse recorded his 25th Premier League assist for Southampton, a loot enhanced by just three players (Le Tissier 63, Tadic 27, Dodd 26).

Whats Next?

Brighton returns to action on Sunday at Leicester City, as is Southampton, which host Sheffield United for a kick-off at 12pm against the Sky sports cameras.