Brighton defeated Wolves, who have already been relegated, 3-0 at home, raising their hopes of qualifying for Europe.
Headers from Jack Hinshelwood and Lewis Dunk within the first five minutes quickly put them at the bottom of the Premier League, and Yankuba Minte added a third goal in the second half to lift Brighton into seventh place.
However, with Bournemouth’s win over Fulham, the Seagulls remain two points clear of sixth-placed Cherries with two games remaining, and sixth place could be enough to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
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Sky Sports’ Dave Reid looks at the permutations and combinations that could see up to nine English clubs playing in Europe next season.
The difference in motivation and hunger between South Coast side Brighton and Wolves was evident just 35 seconds later when Hinshelwood headed home Maxime de Kuiper’s cross to make it his third successive goal.
It was Hinshelwood’s opening goal and was also historic, making it Brighton’s fastest ever Premier League goal, surpassing Alexis Mac Allister’s 49-second strike against Aston Villa in November 2022.
Brighton captain Dunk marked his return to the starting lineup in the fifth minute when he headed De Kuiper’s corner kick into the back post, increasing their lead to two points.
Lewis Dunk celebrates after scoring Brighton’s second goal
A limp Wolves failed to make any shots in the first half, with Soccer Saturday’s Michael Dawson calling it “pathetic”.
However, Rob Edwards’ side threatened more in the second half, hitting the woodwork twice and managing to put a shot on target.
Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma suffered a hamstring injury in the second half and the winger was substituted in the 58th minute, the only sour note for the home side on a comfortable afternoon.
The Japan national team’s injury occurred just a month before the World Cup, and Hürzeler said: “We have to wait for the tests. It didn’t look good, but I’m a positive person and I’m thinking positively about this.”
But there were smiles on the faces at the Amex Stadium in the 86th minute when Minte curled home from inside the box to give Seagulls manager Fabian Haseler the ultimate congratulations, having signed a new three-year contract in midweek.
Edwards plans summer clean-up after ‘terrible’ loss
Wolves manager Rob Edwards said this in his post-match press conference.
“It’s incredibly frustrating. For the first five minutes it looked like we were still in a nice hotel,” Edwards said.
“We had a terrible start to the game, we were down 1-0 before we took the kick and then our defense in the corner was terrible. Some guys didn’t do their job.
“You’re 2-0 down in five minutes against a team that’s already better than you. Little to no chances.”
Yankuba Minte scores Brighton’s third goal.
“It wasn’t planned, it was just a decision they made in the moment,” Gomez, a midfielder, said when asked about scoring the second goal from the tall centre-back Dunk.
“I can’t take the blame, but we’ve been through a lot and that’s why we’re where we are. It’s a crazy decision.
“There was a lack of focus from the beginning, and people didn’t feel valued about doing their jobs.”
Asked if he gave up some members of the team, he said: “Yeah, definitely. Some guys have to go. We’re at the bottom of the league. It’s embarrassing. They have to go.”
“We’ve got two games left so we just have to keep our heads down, keep our heads down and do whatever we have to do over the next few weeks and then we can really get to work. We know there are going to be big changes.”
Hürzeler praises attitude and mindset
Brighton head coach Fabian Hürzeler said in the post-match press conference.
“We haven’t practiced this, but it’s a matter of attitude, having the right mindset and having the right approach to the game.
“We had the right mindset all week so we got off to a great start in the game and that definitely helped us control the game and dominate the game.
“I’m really happy to be working with this group of players and I’m looking forward to the future as it has the potential to be very exciting and very bright.”
Analysis: Seagulls soar towards European qualification
Jack Hinshelwood celebrates after scoring first goal 35 seconds into the game
Brighton are dreaming of playing European football for the second time in the club’s history.
Seagull’s lightning start showed their focus and determination to take advantage of the open European qualifying race.
Hinshelwood holds the key to Europe’s rapid advance. Scoring his third goal in as many games, he performed well from his number 10 position.
Another bright spot in the victory was De Kuiper, who Soccer Saturday’s Michael Dawson described as a “breath of fresh air” for Brighton in his first start since February.
The Belgium international, who started at right-back in place of the injured Mats Wiefer, took the chance with both hands.
De Kuiper became the third player to assist two goals in the first five minutes of a Premier League match, after Andrei Arshavin (Arsenal in February 2011) and Islam Slimani (Leicester in December 2016).
The 25-year-old’s Champions League experience with Club Brugge could help him qualify for Europe’s top club competition against Brighton.
If the Seagulls continue this way, they will be aiming for a sixth place finish, which is good enough to qualify for the Champions League. Next Sunday they face Leeds, who are already considered safe, live on Sky Sports, before heading into their final home game against Manchester United, who have little to play.
And with Hürzeler committing his future to Brighton earlier this week amid growing interest from Bayer Leverkusen, it’s exciting times on the south coast.
