Brighton 3-0 Wolves: Hürzeler's fast starters tighten grip on Europe
Brighton beat Wolves 3-0 at the Amex Stadium, a result that cements F. Hürzeler's side in the Conference League play-off slot with two games left. Jack Hinshelwood scored in the first minute, Lewis Dunk followed in the fifth, and Wolves never recovered from the early double punch.
Hürzeler kept faith with his 4-2-3-1 structure and maximised width from the outset. Maxim De Cuyper delivered both early assists, first picking out Hinshelwood and then finding the captain, and the Belgian full-back finished with six key passes while locking down Wolves' right flank.
Vítor Pereira lined up the visitors in a 3-4-3 but they retreated deep and conceded 72 percent possession. André lacked outlets once Brighton's press closed down João Gomes, leaving Wolves with only 0.49 expected goals and a solitary shot on target. Daniel Bentley made three saves to keep the score down, yet the approach left Adam Armstrong isolated and Mateus Mané dropping off until his withdrawal in the 67th minute.
Kaoru Mitoma collected a booking for a foul in the 24th minute, prompting Hürzeler to introduce Joël Veltman on 58 minutes to close the left lane and restrict Wolves to three offsides as their only threat in behind. Later changes maintained Brighton's energy: Yasin Ayari and Georginio Rutter entered in the 76th minute, with Solly March and Charalampos Kostoulas coming on in the 88th minute to protect key legs.
Yankuba Minteh sealed the victory with the third goal in the 86th minute, capitalising on Brighton's control after Wolves' double change at the 67th minute that brought on Rodrigo Gomes and Jean-Ricner Bellegarde. Minteh's patience out wide and two key passes highlighted his growth, while Pascal Groß and Carlos Baleba balanced midfield by attempting 121 passes between them before Baleba departed in the 76th minute.
Wolves replaced Hugo Bueno with David Møller Wolfe at half-time as the search for stability continued. Hwang Hee-chan's yellow card in the 49th minute and André's booking in the 68th minute summed up their frustration, and late introductions for Angel Gomes and Tolu Arokodare in the 89th minute arrived well after the contest had been settled. The bottom club stays on 18 points and remains winless away from Molineux.
Brighton can now monitor the rest of the weekend confident that seventh place is theirs for the moment, while Wolves must hope for favours elsewhere to delay relegation concerns.
Match Statistics
- Shots on target: Brighton 6, Wolves 1
- Total shots: Brighton 14, Wolves 5
- Possession: Brighton 72 percent, Wolves 28 percent
- Expected goals: Brighton 1.62, Wolves 0.49
- Corners: Brighton 7, Wolves 1
- Pass accuracy: Brighton 86 percent, Wolves 68 percent
- Saves: Bart Verbruggen 1, Daniel Bentley 3
- Yellow cards: Kaoru Mitoma (24th minute), Hwang Hee-chan (49th minute), André (68th minute)
Brighton sit on 53 points, holding seventh with a 10-goal cushion in goal difference as they press for European football. Wolves remain rooted to twentieth with 24 defeats and now face a must-win run-in even before they host Aston Villa.
