“Brighton’s Youngest Manager Makes History with Dominant Win Over Everton”
Fabian Hurzeler praised Brighton’s resilience in overcoming a “real intense” atmosphere at Goodison Park to secure a commanding victory over Everton.
Hurzeler’s tenure as the Seagulls’ head coach began with a 3-0 triumph over the Toffees on the opening day of the 2024-25 Premier League season. Although Everton started strongly, Brighton weathered the pressure before Kaoru Mitoma opened the scoring in the 26th minute.
After a VAR review overturned a penalty for Everton, goals from Danny Welbeck and Simon Adingra sealed all three points for Brighton. Sean Dyche’s side finished the match with 10 men after Ashley Young was sent off.
Hurzeler, the youngest Premier League manager in history at 31, commended his team’s performance, saying: “It was a good result. It was a tough game, especially in the first few minutes. The atmosphere was intense and loud. We suffered at times, but we did so together. We defended well, created good chances, and once we scored, it helped us control the game. A clean sheet is crucial to winning in the Premier League, and everyone contributed to that.
“I’m very happy; it’s a good start, but it’s just the beginning. We need to stay humble and keep working.”
Dyche expressed frustration over the decision to overturn Everton’s penalty, which could have leveled the game. Dominic Calvert-Lewin went down under a challenge from Lewis Dunk, and referee Simon Hooper initially awarded a spot-kick but changed his mind after the VAR review.
However, Hurzeler stood by the decision, stating: “When it’s a clear, incorrect call, it should be overturned, and this was a clear mistake. Calvert stepped on Dunk’s foot, so it couldn’t be a penalty.”
Yankuba Minteh made his Brighton debut after joining from Newcastle United for £30 million. Everton had also shown interest in signing the winger, who played a key role in Brighton’s first goal by bypassing Vitalii Mykolenko and setting up Mitoma. Minteh was substituted before halftime due to concussion protocol.
Despite his debut being cut short, Hurzeler was not surprised by the Gambian international’s performance. “He had a great impact, of course,” said Hurzeler. “I assess my attacking players on their work off the ball, and they were excellent today. They all have the ability to score and contribute in possession and out of possession. Minteh, in his first game, showed what we’ve seen in preseason. If you work hard and strive to be your best every day, it pays off. His performance wasn’t surprising because it was a continuation of what we’ve seen from him in training.”