Joao Pedro Shines for Brighton as Seagulls Strike Four Past Struggling Southampton

Brighton & Hove Albion continued their impressive form with a 4-0 victory against Southampton following their earlier 3-0 Premier League success against Chelsea. This defeat marked an unfortunate milestone for the Saints as they became the fourth team in Premier League history to suffer eight consecutive home losses.

Sitting at the bottom of the table and adrift from the start, Southampton found themselves on the defensive from the opening whistle at St Mary’s Stadium. Their early troubles included an opportunity for Georginio Rutter, whose determined run resulted in a close-range shot that was saved by Aaron Ramsdale.

A landmark 250th appearance in English football was soon cut short for Jan Bednarek, compounding Southampton’s difficulties, shortly before Carlos Baleba had a free-kick deflected over the bar.

Brighton kept pressing, with Kaoru Mitoma narrowly missing the target with a first-time effort and Yankuba Minteh stumbling just as he was about to shoot on goal.

The Saints’ resilience finally crumbled in the 23rd minute when Joao Pedro seized on a loose ball, staying cool under pressure to delicately lift the ball over Ramsdale, marking his 50th goal in English football.

Aside from a cross-shot from Wellington that required a save from Bart Verbruggen, Southampton struggled to make any meaningful threats before half-time, trailing by a solitary goal.

A strong beginning to the second half saw Mateus Fernandes set up Cameron Archer, who found the net in a one-on-one situation, but his celebrations were cut short as the linesman raised his flag for offside.

As the hour mark approached, Brighton extended their lead through quick interplay between Rutter and Minteh, with Rutter sliding in to finish.

Minteh was heavily involved throughout the match but missed a clear chance to seal the match when he turned past both Kyle Walker-Peters and Ramsdale, only to take too long and miss the open goal.

Fortunately for Brighton, that miss did not prove costly. Following a similar attacking move, Mitoma sprinted through the middle and expertly lifted the ball over a stranded Ramsdale.

As the match drew to a close, 19-year-old Jack Hinshelwood secured the scoreline with a well-timed finish from a corner delivery.

Baleba struck the upright in stoppage time, but it mattered little as Brighton’s consecutive wins elevated Fabian Hurzeler’s side to eighth in the league, just three points shy of fifth-placed Bournemouth, with a European return now a genuine possibility.

As for Southampton, their search for a win continues as they remain without victory in their last seven encounters against Brighton (D3, L4), now sitting a bleak 13 points adrift of safety with only nine points on the board.