Brentford Vs Brighton: Welbeck and Diego Gomez Secure Vital Win as Milner Breaks Record
The clash Brentford Vs Brighton ended in a confident Brighton victory that halted a six-game winless run and eased pressure on manager Fabian Hurzeler. Diego Gomez opened the scoring and Danny Welbeck added a second late in the first half, while veteran James Milner set a new Premier League appearance mark.
Match overview: two first-half strikes change momentum
Brighton arrived at the Gtech Community Stadium having failed to find the net since a 1-1 draw with Everton on 31st January, and they recorded their first league win since 3 January. Diego Gomez opened the scoring after Ferdi Kadioglu's long-range effort struck the crossbar and fell to Gomez, who finished from the rebound. Danny Welbeck added a second late in the first half when he capitalised on a defensive error by Brentford defender Nathan Collins; that finish was Welbeck's 10th of the season in all competitions.
Brentford Vs Brighton: key incidents and turning points
Brighton began the stronger side with Jack Hinshelwood and Kaoru Mitoma creating early chances. Hinshelwood had a powerful shot that was parried by Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who then denied Mitoma one-on-one. Nathan Collins had only just replaced the injured Aaron Hickey when his mishandled clearance from Hinshelwood's low cross fell to Welbeck for the simple close-range second.
Brentford did register opportunities — Igor Thiago sent a half-volley over the crossbar and Vitaly Janelt missed a delicate left-footed strike from just outside the box — but were described in coverage as far from their best. The closest moment to a second-half comeback came when Joel Veltman inadvertently steered Dango Ouattara's cross towards his own net, only for goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to make a fine save to prevent the ball crossing the line.
Milner milestone and squad context
On a memorable afternoon for Brighton, 40-year-old midfielder James Milner made his 654th Premier League appearance in west London, breaking Gareth Barry's long-standing top-flight appearance record. The victory lifted Brighton 10 points clear of the relegation zone, while Brentford missed the chance to climb into the top six.
Brentford injury and availability update ahead of the match (FPL Gameweek 27)
Recent squad notes for Brentford included Kevin Schade returning from a three-match ban and loanee Reiss Nelson being available again; Nelson had been ineligible to face his parent club in Gameweek 26. Jordan Henderson and Igor Thiago were absent from Monday's FA Cup squad but are expected to return this weekend, having been managed carefully in cup ties. A staff comment paraphrased that everyone had come through the Macclesfield game well and that a few players who missed it for various reasons would come back into the squad, leaving the group in a pretty good place on that front. Josh Dasilva, Fábio Carvalho and Antoni Milambo remain out with knee injuries.
Live coverage note and recent form
An intended live match blog for Brentford vs Brighton was unavailable at the time. Prior to this weekend, only Burnley and Wolves had picked up fewer points than Brighton in their last 13 league games, with Brighton's sole league win in that stretch coming against the Clarets on 3 January. For a side that had appeared increasingly goal-shy, Fabian Hurzeler's players showed confidence in the final third during this match.
What this means next
The result relieves immediate pressure on Hurzeler after a difficult run of results, improves Brighton's buffer above the relegation zone, and denies Brentford a chance to move into the top six. Squad management notes suggest Brentford have returning options available, though three players remain sidelined with knee problems. The situation may evolve as clubs digest this outcome and prepare for upcoming fixtures; details not clear in the provided context may change.
