Graham Potter speaks of pride in his team but gap to the drop continues to close for Brighton
Graham Potter again spoke of pride in his team after they fell to Manchester City. The gap to 18th, though, is now just 2 points.
Last Updated: January 14, 2021 3:40 pm
Brighton on the brink
Brighton’s loss to Manchester City has left them in a precarious position. Having won just twice all season, the Seagulls have been left dangerously close to the relegation zone. Fulham’s draw with Spurs means that the West London club are now within two points of their south coast relegation rivals, whilst boasting two games in hand.
Despite the situation, though, Brighton boss Graham Potter remained positive after Wednesday’s match, again reiterating how proud he was of his players:
“Well we are disappointed to come away with nothing. In any game you want to try and get something from the match, but we were playing against a top team, a top opponent,” he said.
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 26: Graham Potter, Manager of Brighton and Hove Albion looks on prior to the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Everton FC at American Express Community Stadium on October 26, 2019 in Brighton, United Kingdom. (Photo by Charlie Crowhurst/Getty Images)
“I thought our players were fantastic they gave everything, left everything on the pitch, which is ultimately all you can ask for and if the opponents are better on the day then that’s how it is.”
“But our boys gave everything, they showed good personality and good character when we had the chance. I think sometimes you have to suffer here of course because they are so good and we did that and defended with out lives, defended as a team and tried to attack them.”
Brighton’s next two league games are crucial, as they face Leeds, who are in a poor run of form, and then host Fulham in a relegation six-pointer. Should Brighton come out of these two matches with nothing, Potter could see his job very much on the line.
Percy Tau’s long-awaited debut
One of the more interesting stories of Wednesday’s matchup at the Etihad was the debut of Percy Tau. The South African was recalled by Brighton from his loan spell at Anderlecht, after being granted a work permit due to new regulations surrounding minutes played for his country.
“It’s been a long time. Percy’s had some really good experiences in Belgium and he wants to take the next step. “He joined us this morning, trained this morning. It’s his first day, exciting for him,” said Graham Potter.
Graham Potter on Tau: “It’s been a long time. Percy’s had some really good experiences in Belgium and he wants to take the next step.
“He joined us this morning, trained this morning. It’s his first day, exciting for him.” #BHAFC— Andy Naylor (@AndyNaylorBHAFC) January 7, 2021
Tau’s debut came on the right flank, with Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Trossard making up the front three. Playing against Manchester City was always likely to be a tough task, with extra defensive effort required of attack-minded players, but Potter believes that the South African did well on his debut:
“Difficult game for him to start in because you have to defend a lot. He grew and grew and grew.”
Graham Potter on Percy Tau’s @OfficialBHAFC PL debut: “Difficult game for him to start in because you have to defend a lot. He grew and grew and grew.”
— Simon Stone (@sistoney67) January 13, 2021
Tau could prove to be the goalscoring spark that Brighton are in desperate need of if they have any hopes of remaining in the Premier League beyond this season.
Graham Potter provides updates on Lamptey, Lallana & more ahead of Man City
The latest on Brighton pair Lamptey and Connolly ahead of Crystal Palace
This article was edited by Conor Laird.
Football Live streaming: Featured matches on January 27, 2020
| Game | Time | Predicted Score | Live Score Prediction/Live Score | How to Watch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Burnley FC vs Aston Villa FC | 59' | 1-2 | 1-1 | |
| Chelsea FC vs Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 54' | 2-1 | 0-0 | |
| Brighton & Hove Albion FC vs Fulham FC | 27 January, 19:30 (In 12 minutes) | 1-0 | 1-0 | |
| Everton FC vs Leicester City FC | 27 January, 20:15 (In 57 minutes) | 1-0 | 1-0 | |
| Manchester United FC vs Sheffield United FC | 27 January, 20:15 (In 57 minutes) | 2-0 | 2-0 | |
 Celtic Glasgow vs Hamilton Academical FC | 27 January, 19:45 (In 27 minutes) | 4-0 | 4-0 | |
| Hibernian FC vs Glasgow Rangers | 27 January, 19:45 (In 27 minutes) | 0-3 | 0-3 |
Brighton betting odds, next game:
Brighton vs Fulham odds: result, both teams to score, correct score & goalscorers
| Brighton vs Fulham Result/Both teams score | Yes | No |
|---|---|---|
| Brighton | 15/4 | 21/10 |
| Fulham | 7/1 | 5/1 |
| Draw | 4/1 | 15/2 |
| Brighton vs Fulham Goalscorers | First | Last | Anytime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neal Maupay | 13/5 | 13/5 | 8/5 |
| Aleksandar Mitrovic | 11/4 | 11/4 | 2/1 |
| Percy Tau | 3/1 | 3/1 | 7/4 |
| Aaron Connolly | 7/2 | 7/2 | 11/5 |
| Aboubakar Kamara | 7/2 | 7/2 | 13/5 |
Brighton's latest videos
Brighton latest news
| # | Team | MP | D | P |
| 1 | Manchester City FC | 19 | 23 | 41 |
| 2 | Manchester United FC | 19 | 11 | 40 |
| 3 | Leicester City FC | 19 | 14 | 38 |
| 4 | West Ham United FC | 20 | 6 | 35 |
| 5 | Liverpool FC | 19 | 15 | 34 |
| 6 | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 18 | 16 | 33 |
| 7 | Everton FC | 17 | 7 | 32 |
| 8 | Arsenal FC | 20 | 6 | 30 |
| 9 | Aston Villa FC | 17 | 13 | 29 |
| 10 | Chelsea FC | 19 | 10 | 29 |
| 11 | Southampton FC | 19 | 3 | 29 |
| 12 | Leeds United | 19 | -3 | 26 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace FC | 20 | -12 | 23 |
| 14 | Wolverhampton Wanderers FC | 19 | -8 | 22 |
| 15 | Burnley FC | 18 | -12 | 19 |
| 16 | Newcastle United FC | 20 | -15 | 19 |
| 17 | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 19 | -7 | 17 |
| 18 | Fulham FC | 18 | -12 | 12 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 20 | -33 | 11 |
| 20 | Sheffield United FC | 19 | -22 | 5 |
| Player | Team | Goals |
|---|---|---|
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 13 |
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 12 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 12 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 11 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 11 |
| Calvert-Lewin, Dominic | Everton FC | 11 |
| Bamford, Patrick | Leeds United | 10 |
| Zaha, Wilfried | Crystal Palace FC | 9 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United FC | 8 |
| Lacazette, Alexandre | Arsenal FC | 8 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 7 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 7 |
| Watkins, Ollie | Aston Villa FC | 7 |
| Maupay, Neal | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 7 |
| Gundogan, Ilkay | Manchester City FC | 7 |
| Soucek, Tomas | West Ham United FC | 7 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 6 |
| Mane, Sadio | Liverpool FC | 6 |
| Maddison, James | Leicester City FC | 6 |
| Barnes, Harvey | Leicester City FC | 6 |
| Player | Team | Red Cards | Yellow Cards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bellerin, Hector | Arsenal FC | 0 | 7 |
| Gallagher, Conor | West Bromwich Albion | 0 | 6 |
| Bissouma, Yves | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 1 | 5 |
| Egan, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 5 |
| Hayden, Isaac | Newcastle United FC | 0 | 6 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 5 |
| Reid, Bobby | Fulham FC | 0 | 5 |
| Doucoure, Abdoulaye | Everton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Romeu, Oriol | Southampton FC | 0 | 5 |
| Dunk, Lewis | Brighton & Hove Albion FC | 1 | 4 |
| Phillips, Kalvin | Leeds United | 0 | 5 |
| Cash, Matty | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 5 |
| Evans, Jonny | Leicester City FC | 0 | 5 |
| Lundstram, John | Sheffield United FC | 1 | 4 |
| Kante, N`Golo | Chelsea FC | 0 | 5 |
| Milivojevic, Luka | Crystal Palace FC | 1 | 4 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 0 | 4 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 0 | 4 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 0 | 4 |
| Tielemans, Youri | Leicester City FC | 0 | 4 |
| Player | Team | Assists |
|---|---|---|
| Kane, Harry | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 11 |
| De Bruyne, Kevin | Manchester City FC | 9 |
| Grealish, Jack | Aston Villa FC | 8 |
| Fernandes, Bruno | Manchester United FC | 7 |
| Son, Heung Min | Tottenham Hotspur FC | 6 |
| Rashford, Marcus | Manchester United FC | 5 |
| Ward-Prowse, James | Southampton FC | 5 |
| Robertson, Andrew | Liverpool FC | 5 |
| Cresswell, Aaron | West Ham United FC | 5 |
| Digne, Lucas | Everton FC | 5 |
| Vardy, Jamie | Leicester City FC | 4 |
| Sterling, Raheem | Manchester City FC | 4 |
| Werner, Timo | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| Adams, Che | Southampton FC | 4 |
| Harrison, Jack | Leeds United | 4 |
| Chilwell, Benjamin | Chelsea FC | 4 |
| McGinn, John | Aston Villa FC | 4 |
| Salah, Mohamed | Liverpool FC | 3 |
| Wilson, Callum | Newcastle United FC | 3 |
| Ings, Danny | Southampton FC | 3 |
