Full Match Review and Fan Opinion

It wasn't the easiest of games, to say the least. Despite the excitement of the transfer window signings, very little can be said about the first-half performance. In fairness, very few of the new faces were anywhere to be seen in the starting 11. Only Luka Vuskovic and Malick Yalcouyé started the game, but potentially the slower route is the way that Fabian Hürzeler wants to go. Leeds played well and deserved their lead. Poor defending from everyone, as Bart Verbruggen's parry of Dominic Calvert-Lewin's header fell straight into the path of Tanaka, who cleverly put the ball across for Jayden Bogle to poke home. Calvert-Lewin had a chance to make it two, but for a smart block on the line from Albion skipper Lewis Dunk. Tanaka went close again shortly after hitting the bar, as the ball bounced across the box, and frankly, Leeds should have been two or three ahead. The first half was a strange one from Albion's perspective. Lethargic and outclassed both in and out of possession. Notably, Leeds were very strong in midfield and won most of the battles in that position. The halftime fan talk was along the lines of Where are the wingers?" "How bad can Promise David be?" " How are half of the team injured already?" "Why have I just spent £7.70 on a pint of Moretti poured by a machine?"... As the second half started, it almost went from bad to worse for Albion. A looping long throw fell to Stach, who simply should have scored. Verbruggen was forced into a strong save using his feet. Things started to change, and momentum swung in Albion's favour. Yalcouye and Yasin Ayari were at the heart of all things positive from a Brighton point of view. The Malian midfielder has established himself as one of the most exciting parts of Albion's side. Energetic, but also ball-winning in the middle of the park. Most importantly, he was absolutely everywhere. There was very little that Yalcouyé didn't get himself stuck into, and having Ayari next to him helped balance the midfield a lot better than in the Chelsea game. Ayari adds an element of class, coming on leaps and bounds from the player he used to be. The Swedish international is yet to renew his deal, but could be the next in line for big Albion names. Luka Vuskovic forced home the equaliser with a header at the back post. The Croatian record signing grew into the game after a shaky first half. Pascal Groß should have scored the winner for the Seagulls as the pressure continued to mount, but a rare bad day for the German legend resulted in a 1-1 draw, which, upon reflection, felt like the aforementioned fair result. A lot of learning to be had from today, and not least the excitement for the new incomings and returning injuries from an Albion fan's perspective. Best Newest first Oldest first