English Premier League: Brighton comeback from 2-0 again; draw Saints
By Orri Benatar
Glenn Murray and Brighton did it again. From 2-0 down to a 2-2 draw and now with five points in the Premier League table.
This match wasn’t meant to be this exciting and jaw-dropping. It was though because that is what the Premier League will give you. Southampton and Brighton & Hove Albion both entered their Monday night encounter with some positives results before the international break. Brighton came back from 2-0 down to draw Fulham and the Saints beat Crystal Palace.
The beginning of this match looked like the Saints win over the Eagles. The first 34 minutes saw little chances and efforts until Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg scored one of the goals of the season to give Southampton the lead. The grass cutter was his second of the season and sent the St. Mary’s fans into dreamland.
The Saints momentum continued when they were awarded a penalty in the 65th minute. New signing Danny Ings comfortably placed it past Mathew Ryan and gave Southampton the 2-0 lead. Chris Hughton and Brighton were getting flashbacks of their match against Fulham. Sometimes when you get flashbacks, you can recreate the events you remember.
The Seagulls began that process two minutes after Ings penalty when Irish defender Shane Duffy brought one back and scored Brighton’s first away goal of the season. In their untraditional green away kits, Brighton kept pushing for the equalizer and accomplishing the unthinkable once again. The 90th minute came and the Seagulls got a penalty. Glenn Murray stepped up and converted to earn the point.
Glenn Murray puts himself in the company of Aleksandar Mitrovic, Romelu Lukaku, and Sadio Mane in second-place in the Golden Boot race. The draw keeps Brighton in the middle of the table with five points and two straight comeback draws.
Chris Hughton will head back home for a late afternoon clash against Tottenham on Saturday. Hughton will also be smiling with the extra rest since Brighton don’t have to worry about a Carabao Cup match after matchday six.
As for Southampton, they were minutes away from sneaking into 10th place. The draw has them in 13th with an even goal difference. Danny Ings and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg are in-form and will try to stay that way at Liverpool on Saturday. Southampton is one of the lucky teams also because their Carabao Cup match against Everton is set for October 2nd and not the 25th or 26th of September.