Brighton & Hove Albion set up a Fourth Round tie with Manchester United after recording their first ever win at Deepdale to beat Preston North End in the Carabao Cup.

Having not won in Lancashire in 16 previous attempts, goals from Ali Jahanbakhsh and Alexis Mac Allister saw the Seagulls prevail 2-0 against the Championship side.

It could have been more for Albion, who were in charge of the tie from the moment Jayden Stockley was thwarted by Jason Steele early on for Preston.

Strength in depth

Graham Potter made eleven changes from the Premier League win at Newcastle – or two changes from the team that beat Portsmouth in the previous round – with Haydon Roberts and Max Sanders starting for their full debuts.

Preston, showing nine changes themselves, started on the front foot but Albion’s defending was resolute.

And the Seagulls nearly broke the deadlock when Viktor Gyokeres did well to find Mac Allister who passed to Jahanbakhsh but the Iranian saw his shot turned around the post by Connor Ripley.

At the other end, Stockley had a chance to put his side ahead only to be denied by a great stop from Steele, who reacted sharply to tip the ball behind before Patrick Bauer saw his header flick the bar on its way over from the resulting corner.

For all their first half possession, Albion couldn’t manage to pass their way through the Preston defence too often. Dan Burn went long early in the second period for Bernardo, but his angled effort was deflected just wide of the far post with Ripley beaten.

Breakthrough

However, the breakthrough came – and in some style just before the hour mark. Pascal Gross found Bernardo on the left, and his cross beat everyone except Jahanbakhsh beyond the far post who thumped a volley back across Ripley and inside the far corner.

The Seagulls were well worth their lead, and great play from Gross helped them double their advantage shortly after.

A slick passing move in the final third saw the German produce a Cruyff-turn near the byline and he looked up, picked out the run of an unmarked Mac Allister and the playmaker swept home from close range.

And that proved enough for the Seagulls to reach the Fourth Round for only the second time in 41 years.

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