Brighton’s quest for Europe reached a revival following a dramatic 3-2 victory over West Ham at the Amex Stadium.

Carlos Baleba took two strides with the ball, before attempting the audacious.

In a matter of seconds, his 30-yard stunner had swerved and dipped to hit the bottom corner. All of which was indiscernible, unless from a particular angle on replay, due to the sheer speed of the strike.

What was evident, however, was the roar that erupted from the stands, as flailing arms from hurried hugs and passionate fistbumps toward the aptly blue skies ensued.

Seven minutes prior, the Seagulls had looked set for a 2-1 defeat as Tomáš Souček floated in behind Lewis Dunk and headed the Hammers in front in the 85th minute.

While Yasin Ayari had sealed his first Brighton goal in style with a long-range strike in the 13th minute, it was Jarrod Bowen whose performance soon eclipsed that of the Swedish midfielder.

The Englishman orchestrated both of the visitors’ goals, with Bowen driving down the right flank and cutting the ball for Mohammed Kudus to turn into the net three minutes into the second half.

As the game entered its closing minutes, Bowen whipped in a cross toward Souček at the far post for the Czech international to power past Bart Verbruggen. 

The Seagulls’ frustration saw the side dominate despite nearing defeat, with Fabian Hürzeler’s substitutes combining to kickstart the comeback. 

A series of swift play between Diego Gómez and Brajan Gruda located Kaoru Mitoma in the centre of the box, the Japanese nodding past Alphonse Areola with one minute of normal time remaining. 

Brighton’s Baleba then completed the turning of the tide, his stoppage-time strike rising over the West Ham defence and into the far corner of the goal.

Three points stolen from the clutches of Graham Potter and his crestfallen Hammers, and at the very death.

Brighton must remain grounded amid bid for Europe

In his pre-match press conference, Brighton boss Hürzeler had warned his players must remain “humble”, something of which he admitted the team failed to do during their “high in the season”.

Across February and March, the Seagulls produced an eight-match unbeaten streak including consecutive victories to Chelsea in the FA Cup and Premier League. A turn in form, however, soon saw the side struggle for results as they entered the weekend winless in six across all competitions.

“We talked too much about the long term goals, about Europe… We should have stayed more humble, and understand what makes us strong. That is what we try to do now, to look for the next game and not talk about Europe,” Hürzeler said.

Despite euphoria bursting at the seams of the Amex as Baleba fired the Seagulls into ninth, the German boss’ prior plea was very much discernible in his post-match mannerisms. 

The 32-year-old remained level-headed when questions strayed toward talk of his side finishing in the top eight and securing European football, as he emphasised the importance of togetherness. 

“I really felt it (the belief) on the sidelines that we could win the game. I look at it from that perspective that we showed togetherness… The focus is only on the next game: Newcastle.”

Hürzeler will certainly hope for his team to replicate the same levels of belief in their final four Premier League fixtures, with a stern test of Eddie Howe’s Newcastle fast approaching. If the Seagulls can manage to strike the right balance between belief and staying grounded, Hürzeler’s side may just realise their European dream.

Potter’s Missing Magic as Winless Run Continues

The former Brighton manager made his return to the Amex with just 13 points from the same number of games since relocating to East London. 

Despite being winless in six matches and sitting 17th in the Premier League table, a victory for Potter’s men would have seen them leapfrog three sides and draw level with Manchester United prior to the teams playing later in the weekend. 

An early rocket from Brighton’s Ayari immediately complicated such an outcome, with the Brighton fans taunting their former manager with repetitive jeers of “Potter, Potter. What’s the score?” 

What was more revealing, however, were the chants which ensued from the travelling supporters: “The German’s right, we’re f***ing sh**e.” The self-deprecating lyrics alluded to West Ham striker Niclas Füllkrug, who had made several condemning comments following his side’s 1-1 draw with Southampton last weekend.

Putting his teammates on blast in an interview with Sky Sports, Füllkrug criticised the side’s lack of motivation: “The motivation, sorry, we were s**t. I’m very angry.”

While Potter proved not to respond to the chants from the away end, nor to the home supporters gleefully highlighting the full-time score, it was the commiserating cohort of journalists who evoked a rather intriguing attitude from the boss.

When questioned about the visiting supporters’ chants, the manager responded shortly with “they can sing whatever they want”, before then refusing to praise the attacking influence of his right-back Aaron Wan-Bissaka.

“There’s lots of positives but no one wants to hear positives. Doesn’t matter. I’m sick of talking about positives,” said the 49-year-old.

It was, however, Potter’s silence which provided the most impactful message. When a journalist expressed his concern over Potter being sacked, the manager waved his hands dismissively and puffed out his cheeks before the media executive called time on the conference.

While it may have been a heat of the moment response from the West Ham boss, questions will surely now turn to whether Potter is still devoted to guiding his team. 

Thankfully for the club, they do not face the threat of relegation despite sitting 17th. The fans and club board will, however, wish to see some signs of improvement before the close of the campaign in four fixtures’ time.