Burnley vs Brighton and Hove Albion. Premier League.
Turf MoorAttendance16,910.
Report and free highlights as Brighton complete a second-half comeback to stun Burnley with a 2-1 win at Turf Moor, set up and scored by substitutes Jakub Moder and Alexis Mac Allister, respectively
Saturday 14 August 2021 19:47, UK
Brighton produced a remarkable second-half comeback to beat Burnley 2-1 at Turf Moor with two substitutes creating and scoring, five minutes apart - who had both been on the pitch for only two minutes combined.
Burnley's season got off to a flying start when James Tarkowski powered into the box from a corner and bowled Neal Maupay out of his way to fire a darting header past Brighton stopper Robert Sanchez with just one minute and 43 seconds on the clock, which was cleared by VAR.
Brighton were off the pace for almost the entire first half as Graham Potter's team struggled to cope with Burnley's physicality, aerial dominance and counter attacks - epitomised by Johann Gudmundsson pouncing on Brighton ceding possession and running the entire Seagull's half before firing onto the left-hand post.
Burnley could have easily doubled their lead after Sanchez flapped and missed a corner, only for Ben Mee's headed attempt to hit the bar and rebound onto the line, with a flying half-volley from Tarkowski soaring over the woodwork.
Brighton switched to a back five after the break and began to reimpose themselves on the hour mark, working the flanks and with substitute Adam Lallana pulling creative and progressive strings.
The equaliser still came against the run of play in the 73rd minute, with Yves Bissouma striding through the centre of the park, feeding substitute Jakub Moder down the right, with his cross finding Maupay - who latched on to fire past Nick Pope.
Merely five minutes later, Pascal Gross fired a diagonal, low cross from the touchline into space and onrushing Alexis Mac Allister charged into space and connected perfectly to complete the comeback - after just one minute and 42 seconds on the pitch.
Brighton primarily struggled to cope with Burnley's physical power in the first half, with the early opener revealing the brute force Sean Dyche's side applied from the get-go. Tarkowski threw Maupay aside with both hands to connect with his headed goal and the early signs of a lighter approach from referees and VAR this season were confirmed with the goal.
Gudmundsson also made a reckless challenge on Bissouma and earned a yellow, but there were calls it should have been red. Tarkowski also flattened Maupay for a second time - this time with an elbow - with referee David Coote brandishing a yellow.
But Potter applied his customary tactical nous during the interval and his side emerged as a back five after the break, with Lallana making a notable impact in achieving greater, more meaningful penetration deeper in Burnley's half.
The Seagulls gradually nullified the counters with their altered system and imposed dominance, but that turnaround still came against the run of play when Bissouma strode through the centre of the park, feeding substitute Moder - who had only been on the pitch for 23 seconds - and found Maupay in the box to level the scores.
Just five minutes later, fellow substitute Mac Allister - who had been on the pitch for just one minute and 42 seconds and was fresh from his exploits with Argentina at the Olympics - latched onto an almost carbon-copy build-up of his side's first goal but, this time, darted into ample space to connect with Gross' cross and net the winner.
The substitutes and Maupay will grab the headlines, but Potter once again revealed his shrewd ability to flip a game on its head and the Brighton boss will be pleased with a clinical edge for the season opener after his side struggled to take chances last term.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche: "Very strong performance in the first half, we asked lots of questions and created enough to be one up, as we were, probably two and could have been three on a different day.
"They started brightly in the second half, but only for five or so minutes and then we calmed the game down. Really, they've got two great goals from their point of view - but two really ugly goals from ours."
Brighton boss Graham Potter: "The subs, absolutely, played their part. It was a fantastic team performance, especially in the second half. We got off to the worst possible start and then Burnley made it difficult for us - we probably rode our luck a bit, to be honest.
"If you look at the first half, the things they do well, they did well, and we suffered a little bit. But we managed to stay in the game, and played well as a team in the second half, controlled things better… but it's a fantastic three points off the back of a challenging pre-season."
Sky Sports' Sue Smith:
"Burnley in the first half were the better of the two sides; they were pressing Brighton and very much on the front foot. Gudmundsson and McNeil did well, Wood was causing problems. They had opportunities to go further ahead and looked in control but Brighton were a different side in the second half.
"The subs made a difference; Lallana really upped the intensity, and Mac Allister and Moder obviously made an impact. Sean Dyche will be disappointed because he'll feel he could have got something out of the game. He just seems to produce miracles every year. He will hope to keep his key players fit - they're solid when they have their strongest XI out - but he needs help in the transfer market."
Burnley have six days to dust themselves down before they go again for a tough tie with Liverpool at Anfield next Saturday, while Brighton head back to the AMEX to host newly-promoted Watford.
