Brighton & Hove Albion ended their eight-game winless run in the Premier League with a comprehensive 2-0 victory against Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
The Seagulls bossed possession in the first half but were made to wait until the second half to break the deadlock, as Kaoru Mitoma struck to put the visitors into a deserved lead.
Ipswich tried their best to find an equaliser, but their resistance was finally broken as Georginio Rutter scored a second for the visitors to seal a much-needed win for Albion.
The result leaves the hosts in the relegation zone in the standings, just below Wolverhampton Wanderers on goals scored.
SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT
© Imago
The question surrounding Ipswich heading into the season was whether they would be competitive at Premier League level, having won back-to-back promotions to earn their place at the top level.
For just under an hour, like many other times this season, they showed that they can give anyone a good game in this league.
However, Brighton's performance in the second half was a joy to behold, as their class eventually showed against the Tractor Boys, to move the Seagulls up to ninth in the standings in the Premier League table.
IPSWICH VS. BRIGHTON HIGHLIGHTS
Kaoru Mitoma goal vs. Ipswich (59th min, Ipswich 0-1 Brighton)
The deadlock is broken as Kaoru Mitoma gives Brighton the lead at Ipswich 🎯
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 16, 2025
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/vMrgGUznO6
Brighton take a deserved lead at Portman Road - the visitors had cranked up the pressure at the start of the second half, and their persistence has paid off.
A lovely ball by Joel Veltman plays in Yasin Ayari down the right and he finds Matt O'Riley in the box, and the former Celtic man unselfishly plays the ball to Mitoma to fire Brighton in front.
Georginio Rutter goal vs. Ipswich (81st min, Ipswich 0-2 Brighton)
What an impact! A lovely swivel and finish from sub Rutter doubles Brighton's lead ⚽️
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 16, 2025
📺 @tntsports & @discoveryplusUK pic.twitter.com/cE3tqyQi8x
That should seal the win! After a long VAR check to see if Lewis Dunk was offside, Rutter's strike from an Ayari free-kick looks to have secured the three points.
MAN OF THE MATCH - GEORGINIO RUTTER
© Imago
Rutter capped off a fine cameo display with a lovely strike to seal the victory for Albion tonight.
He put in a commanding performance as he helped change the game from the bench, with the visiting fans showing him some love by singing his name throughout course of the evening at Portman Road.
IPSWICH VS. BRIGHTON MATCH STATS
Possession: Ipswich 47%-53% Brighton
Shots: Ipswich 5-11 Brighton
Shots on target: Ipswich 3-5 Brighton
Corners: Ipswich 1-9 Brighton
Fouls: Ipswich 13-14 Brighton
BEST STATS
Mitoma becomes the joint top Japanese scorer in Premier League history. 💪🇯🇵 #BHAFC 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/sXOylBapsE
— Seagulls Central (@SeagullsCentral) January 16, 2025
WHAT NEXT?
Both teams have a short turnaround with fixtures against the two Manchester sides coming up on Sunday.
Brighton make the long journey north to Old Trafford to take on Manchester United, aiming to complete a double this season against the Red Devils, while Ipswich host Manchester City, hoping to cause an upset against the champions.
Tom Humphrey
