After defeating Southampton 3-1 in the Premier League on Sunday at the Amex Stadium, Brighton made sure they would compete in Europe for the first time in their existence. Teenage striker Evan Ferguson scored twice.
Brighton is assured a berth in Europe next season, either in the Europa League or the Europa Conference League, as they are sixth with 61 points and can no longer be passed by eighth-place Tottenham Hotspur.
After a frenetic opening period in which Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Alcaraz both missed opportunities, Brighton took the lead in the 29th minute on a powerful shot from Ferguson that slid under Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.
Ten minutes later, a brilliant individual effort from Mitoma increased Brighton’s lead. The Japanese international outmuscled Romeo Lavia on the left wing before perfectly placing a cross with the outside of his boot to find Ferguson.
In the 58th minute, Mohammed Elyounoussi restored parity for Southampton, but Pascal Gross immediately put an end to any chances of a comeback. Pascal Gross cut inside onto his left foot and struck a low effort past two defenders inside the near post to secure the victory.
Southampton, the bottom-placed team that has already been demoted, kept their 24 point lead.
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