Brighton and Hove Albion avoided one of several potential shocks in the FA Cup Third Round as João Pedro’s late brace punished Championship side Stoke City.
The Seagulls had struggled to reach their usual standards for much of the contest at the bet365 Stadium and were tested by an expansive Stoke side, but ultimately saw their quality prevail in a nerveless late period.
With players coming back from injury and Lewis Dunk suffering a knock, the afternoon was as much about Brighton becoming more cohesive as it was the result.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side would be thoroughly relieved to make progress, however, in a tie that taught both sides some important lessons.
-
Potters' project is coming good
Amidst all the focus on Brighton, the lasting impact of this cup tie may actually be the flag planted by Stoke.
In their project of bringing attractive football to the Potteries, City’s summer recruitment drew great attention for the amount of European talent brought in for smaller fees, contrasting with their previous big-money signings.
Former Sheffield United and Reading Head of Scouting, Jared Dublin, became City’s Head of Recruitment in July, with relatively unknown talents such as André Vidigal, Ryan Mmaee and Wouter Burger following through the door.
While results were inconsistent under Alex Neil, the decision to replace him with Steven Schumacher was a bold call from the club’s leaders and has the potential to bring great success.
They have drawn three games and won one since Schumacher came in, but the call to make seven changes for this meeting was a bold one, seemingly motivated by the Liverpudlian assessing his squad.
It was interesting that there was more Premier League experience selected in Wesley, Daniel Iversen, Ben Wilmot, Sead Hakšabanović and Lewis Baker, with some recognition of how Brighton’s big guns could teach a more youthful side some harsh lessons.
Nonetheless, Stoke did well for a side that had experienced so much turbulence in the last month.
With five shots on target, a committed physical performance and two goals that exposed Brighton’s vulnerabilities to crosses and set pieces, the hosts did better than many expected.
They showed an ability to balance possession-based football and more direct play, and used the latter to scare a Premier League side in traditional FA Cup fashion.
That made it a classic tie, and with Stoke being level until the final 20 minutes, the afternoon was a huge green light for the work that’s been going on in Staffordshire this season.
-
Brighton will target the FA Cup
In the last few seasons, the recurring accusation lobbied at Premier League sides is that they no longer care about the FA Cup.
Based on their performances throughout that time, though, that school of thought cannot apply at Brighton.
Semi-finalists last season – only a couple of penalties away from beating a sub-par Manchester United – and also reaching the last four in Chris Hughton’s last season in 2018-19, the Seagulls are serious about their commitment to potential silverware.
Faced with the old adage of a cold, wet trip to Stoke, Roberto De Zerbi’s side doubled down on that.
The Italian led that passion, running onto the pitch after the first of Pedro’s goals, and bellowing his team to respond after falling 1-0 down and then being pegged back to 2-2.
Whenever his players could be accused of dropping off too, they atoned for their errors as Jan Paul van Hecke responded to his own goal by running away in a lactic-inducing 80th-minute effort to set up Pedro’s second goal.
Lewis Dunk gave away a penalty for a careless handball but gave everything afterwards, ultimately picking up a knock that forced him off in the 83rd minute.
With senior heads Danny Welbeck, Adam Webster and Adam Lallana first off the bench, De Zerbi’s respect for Stoke and the situation of the tie also showed.
The Seagulls will now hope for a less perilous draw in the next round, but whoever they are tasked with, you can guarantee they will be out to win.
-
Schumacher has depth to work with
To be tempted away from the upwardly mobile Plymouth Argyle, Steven Schumacher needed full belief that his next project would have bigger potential.
Based on their history, Stoke would be the more likely side to make the Premier League, but that possibility currently remains some way off.
In the short term, Schumacher needed to be excited by the players who he could develop over the next two to three seasons, and convinced that they are good enough to finish strongly this season.
He has already been putting his spin on that by bringing in Iversen on loan to compete with Jack Bonham, while other signings are understood to be considered this month.
By introducing Iversen and making the aforementioned six other changes for this match, Schumacher was rewarded with plenty of added confidence in his charges.
Wesley was solid up front as the perfect physical challenge for Dunk and van Hecke, while Burger and Baker signalled they have a future as a midfield partnership by both buzzing around from box to box and firing in a few dangerous shots.
In the age profile of his substitutes, Schumacher also has supreme potential to harness.
24-year-old Luke McNally, 25-year-old Vidigal and 26-year-old Mmaee were followed into the action by England under-19 international Nathan Lowe, ex-Leeds 22-year-old Liam McCarron and 16-year-old Sol Sidibe, with the last change representing a seventh appearance of the season for young Sidibe.
Stoke’s academy will be a huge asset to complement their transfer activity going forward, and based on the success of both in this tie, it is an exciting time to be a Potter.
-
De Zerbi is a proper tactician
For all of his success since joining Brighton in September 2022, Roberto De Zerbi has rarely been praised for his tactical versatility.
He has developed his players hugely, been part of some incredible transfer business and ignited every ground the Seagulls have played in with his incredible passion, but having worked within the confines of a 4-2-3-1 for most of his tenure, he has rarely had to adapt.
Shorn of all of his recognised wingers, the Italian has played with something between a midfield diamond and 4-3-3 in the last two weeks, and came up with something different again in Staffordshire.
A 3-4-2-1 was what he produced, replicating the hosts’ usual set-up as Jack Hinshelwood and Jakub Moder – two men who have given everything under De Zerbi – moved to unfamiliar wing-back roles.
This was clearly something that had been introduced to both players a while ago, with their performances showing very few issues for players usually in central midfield.
Elsewhere, forwards Pedro, Facundo Buonanotte and Evan Ferguson had the enjoyable job of rotating between attacking positions, which required strong tactical discipline to be so successful.
Overall, it was an afternoon where everyone had to be on their toes, with a shift back to a 4-3-1-2 when Moder went off for Adam Webster, and some late adjustments too.
That flexibility and quick-thinking kept Brighton sharp on a tricky afternoon, and was a huge contributing factor to what was ultimately a solid win.