Brighton have started 2025 well, picking up a magical point against Arsenal’s Arteta, crushing their cup rivals, and now ruthlessly outpowering newly promoted Ipswich Town. The Portman Road boys returned eager to surprise, having beaten Chelsea and drawn with Fulham in the Premier League, but they came up against the impressive and inflexible organizational structure of Hürzeler’s side.
The ‘Seagulls’ arrived at Portman Road with a mission to get back on track in the Premier League, and they executed it to perfection. From the first whistle, Hürzeler’s men marked their territory, although the final quarter of the first half was duller, almost tactical, as both teams cautiously assessed their positions. Ipswich almost took the lead with dangerous shots from outside the area by Broadhead (23′). Five minutes later, a weak shot from Delap was caught by Verbruggen, who signed his fourth clean sheet. At the end of the first half, Hutchinson threatened the Belgian goalkeeper with a ‘Nathan’ style shot.
Read more:
Friday Recap: Diallo’s Hat-Trick at the End of the Match, Brighton’s Triumph and the Announcement of New MOTD Presenters
Everything changed after the break. They say quiet people often have surprises, and Brighton was the perfect example. Shortly after the second half kicked off, Kaoru Mitoma appeared like a shy student who suddenly steals the show during the final exam. He received a perfectly measured pass from Matt O’Reilly, adjusted his body and shot, leaving Christian Walton without a chance. This goal opened the game, but above all, it freed the visitors, who began to play with relentless fluidity.
-From then on, Ipswich struggled to respond. As nerves took over, mistakes began to pile up. Meanwhile, Brighton turned up the volume, as if remembering they hadn’t won in eight league games and this was their chance to roar. Georginio Rutter confirmed it eight minutes before the end, collecting a ground ball in the area and converting it – with a trick – into the goal that sealed the evening. VAR checked, yes, but even technology couldn’t deny justice to a Brighton team who had done everything right.
The ‘Seagulls’ have clearly shown that you have to be wary of teams that may appear timid. They may take a while to get going, but when they do, they unleash all their artillery. Hürzeler’s men are dreaming of European places while Ipswich look towards potentially imminent relegation.
In football, as in life, don’t underestimate those who are silent at first. They often scream the loudest at the end. Therefore, it is not wise to cross Ipswich Town off the list, not only for their displayed hunger ‘in every game’ (today was an exception) but because they have a complete squad. Brilliant performances from Walton in goal, who avoided a heavier defeat today; a reliable defender like Godfrey, ready to step in if Jacob Greaves has a bad day; and finally, former Aston Villa star Jaden Philogene, who is set to make history with Kieran McKenna.
