Mitoma double gives Brighton win over Bournemouth and puts them third

Their Europa League debut might not have gone to plan, but keep playing – and, crucially, scoring – like they have been and Brighton might just find themselves in the Champions League next season.

For 45 minutes in this game, Roberto De Zerbi’s side looked bereft of ideas as they struggled to threaten a Bournemouth team whose promising performances this campaign have largely belied their lowly position in the league.

But few sides have been able to halt Brighton’s free-scoring ways this season – with Newcastle and Manchester United among their victims – and their three goals here in the Sunday afternoon sun catapulted them into the top four and they remain the Premier League’s top scorers with 18.

Three days after losing 3-2 on their European bow against AEK Athens, it was perhaps understandable that a much-changed Brighton took time to get going in this encounter, only levelling in first-half injury time after Dominic Solanke’s opener for Bournemouth. They required an element of fortune, with the unfortunate Milos Kerkez nodding Billy Gilmour’s whipped cross from the left past Neto and into his own net.

Eager for an improved showing after the break, De Zerbi introduced Kaoru Mitoma and Ansu Fati at half-time. Incredibly, it took just 15 seconds for those two substitutes to combine to put the hosts in front.

Mitoma drove at pace to the edge of the visitors’ box, played a one-two with the Barcelona loanee and finished neatly low into the far corner. Half an hour later, the Japanese forward doubled his individual tally, nodding in Pervis Estupiñán’s pinpoint cross from the left.

It all felt a long time since Bournemouth had taken the lead in a manner that had all the hallmarks of a goalkeeping clanger, but only materialised as the result of what was ostensibly a fascinating footballing chess match.

Aware of the De Zerbi blueprint of passing acutely and expertly through teams from the back, Bournemouth refused to play to the Italian’s tune, resolutely declining to press and frequently leaving Bart Verbruggen resembling a conductor pleading for life from an unresponsive orchestra.

Continually bringing the ball out of his penalty area and waiting impotently while assessing his non-existent options, he dawdled for too long on 25 minutes, allowing Ryan Christie to intercept and Solanke to lift over the prostrate Brighton goalkeeper into an empty net.

The visitors twice went close in the dying stages, but despite another performance that contained frequent hints of encouragement, they are now without a Premier League win in 10 games, since the end of April under their previous manager Gary O’Neil.