Brighton 2-0 Watford: player rating
Brighton cruised to a second consecutive victory to start the new Premier League campaign with a 2-0 victory over a relegated Watford.
As a sign of what was to come, Brighton started the game in commanding style, dominant possession and territory in open play. However, it was from a simple but brilliantly executed corner kick from which Shane Duffy opened the scoring ten minutes into the match.
#BHAFC has the lead and it’s a magnificent headline from the returning Duffy? pic.twitter.com/ZhigvJifCt
– Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) August 21, 2021
The Seagulls passed around Watford with such speed and precision that they left the visitors out as red training shots deliberately placed around the pitch by Graham Potter. Exception in midfield and swarming on after each turnover, Watford looked very much like the bookmaker’s favorites to be relegated.
As the first half approached, the brilliant Yves Bissouma struck on a slow pass from William Troost-Ekong to a dull Tom Cleverley, who beat Neal Maupay 2-0 with Brighton’s second chance to score on an uncharacteristic clinical afternoon for the hosts.
Watford really improved in the second half – which ended the competition with more center-forwards than natural midfielders – but their starting standard was so far below the hosts’, it was not enough to turn around.
7 – Among central defenders since the start of the 2018-19 season, only Lewis Dunk and Virgil van Dijk (both 10) have scored more Premier League goals than Shane Duffy (7). Source. #BHAWAT pic.twitter.com/no9WJgxqIQ
– OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 21, 2021
Robert Sanchez (GK) – 6/10 – Gets scared with the ball at his feet but hardly necessary to use his hands.
Adam Webster (CB) – 8/10 – Performed a complex shifting role comfortably.
Shane Duffy (CB) – 7/10 – Marked his return in front of the Brighton crowd with an excellent goal but was perhaps lucky to get away with a yellow card for a risky tackle in the second half.
Lewis Dunk (CB) – 8/10 – Shifted to the left of Brighton’s back-three, no doubt with Ismaila Sarr’s potential threat in mind. Dunk was hardly worried and completely composed all the time.
Bissouma was almost unplayable on an afternoon that underlined his enormous importance to Brighton / Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA / Getty Images
Pascal Groß (RWB) – 7/10 – The natural playmaker delivered the set for Duffy’s delicious opener and ensured that his creative influence was equally widespread even from the broad in open play.
Yves Bissouma (CM) – 9/10 – Wherever you looked, the blur in Brighton’s number eight was practically ubiquitous; snap at tackles, read the play effortlessly and build on the depth.
Adam Lallana (CM) – 7/10 – Restored to start XI, Lallana filled the match with sensitive elements and flicks to knit Brighton’s game together.
Solly March (LWB) – 7/10 – Tirelessly trawled up and down the left side, March emerged largely unharmed from his quarrel with Sarr.
Neal Maupay celebrates his second goal in as many games this season / Eddie Keogh / Getty Images
Leandro Trossard (RW) – 7/10 – Heavily involved when he swung menacingly with Groß down Brighton’s right but faded after the break.
Neal Maupay (ST) – 8/10 – A sharp finish took his score after two games a quarter on the way to his total last season (eight). Although his afternoon was alarmingly limited by injury.
Alexis Mac Allister (LW) – 6/10 – Tried to take up threatening positions between the lines, the former Boca Juniors forward was the least threatening of Brighton’s front line.
46 ‘: Back out for the second half with a change for Albion. Aaron Connolly replaces Neal Maupay.
[2-0] ? https://t.co/S3j1TIedJv ✘ #BHAFC? ⚪️ pic.twitter.com/X2rsR0GwSm
– Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) August 21, 2021
Aaron Connolly (ST) – 6/10 – Missed a great chance shortly after coming after more superb play from Bissouma in the build-up.
Enoch Mwepu (CM) – 6/10 – Took up to solidify the midfield with mixed results.
Jakub Moder (CM) – N / A
William Troost-Ekong (left) was wrong for Brighton’s second goal with a terrible pass / GLYN KIRK / Getty Images
Daniel Bachmann (GK) – 5/10 – Unlike many opposing guards that Brighton faced last season, Bachmann was not presented with many missed chances, but rather left helpless before the clinical conclusion.
Craig Cathcart (RB) – 4/10 – Worked at right-back and it was not surprising that the defender sacrificed when Xisco Munoz tried to renovate a two-goal deficit.
William Troost -Ekong (CB) – 4/10 – Guilty of a weak and dangerous hospital pass in the build-up to Brighton’s second goal.
Christian Kabasele (CB) – 5/10 – Almost completely surrounded by Brighton’s rotating mix of forward.
Adam Masina (LB) – 4/10 – Run over his flank with as many as three Brighton players sometimes floating in his zone.
Tom Cleverley wore the captain’s bracelet in the absence of Troy Deeney / GLYN KIRK / Getty Images
Tom Cleverley (CM) – 4/10 – For a player with as much Premier League experience as the former Manchester United midfielder, Cleverley looked disappointing out of pace, especially in the first half.
Peter Etebo (CM) – 4/10 – Lost something behind his other midfielders and left Etebo and drowned when Brighton overloaded the midfield.
Imran Louza (CM) – 2/10 – In a debut to be forgotten, Louza was so seldom involved that he, almost mercifully, got stuck for half time.
Ismaila Sarr (left) opening day showed that he got a lot of attention from Solly March / Steve Bardens / Getty Images
Ismaila Sarr (RW) – 4/10 – A marked man from off, Sarr starved of the ball and was pushed out when he got it.
Emmanuel Dennis (ST) – 5/10 – Painfully isolated from the rest of his teammates during the first half, the former Champions League goal scorer could only get the ball in the back of the net from an offside position.
Ken Sema (LW) – 5/10 – Left Masina too exposed behind him but improved in a more central position after the break.
A change in pause … # BHAWAT pic.twitter.com/svgYJNY0nQ
– Watford Football Club (@WatfordFC) 21 August 2021
Cucho Hernandez (LW) – 6/10 – Buzzing around the last third, his arrival coincided with Watford’s increase without being the only reason for their improvement.
Josh King (ST) – 5/10
Troy Deeney (ST) – N / A