Brighton and Hove Albion secured safe passage to the Fifth Round of the FA Cup with a five-star performance against fellow Premier League side Sheffield United.
Roberto De Zerbi’s team made a fast start against their South Yorkshire opponents but were quickly pegged back to 2-2 at half-time.
A spectacular second-half attacking display from João Pedro and Danny Welbeck wrapped up a commanding victory, however, and left the travelling Brighton fans in raptures.
There was plenty to learn from an afternoon of unrelenting action, with key players returning to fitness and a new signing also being evaluated, so there was plenty to asses – starting with the hosts.
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Sheffield United
Ivo Grbić – 5
As far as debuts go, this was about as unforgiving as they come.
Grbić is an experienced goalkeeper who has spent the last three years as a back-up for Atletico Madrid and the Croatia national team, and the misfortune of facing a ravenous Brighton side on his Blades debut probably summed up the reason he has never kicked on to become a regular.
There was little he could do about Facundo Buonanotte’s opener, and being beaten twice from the spot was more of a testament to João Pedro’s quality.
He could have done better with Danny Welbeck’s late goal, but it did not change the result.
Jayden Bogle – 7
On a day where United conceded five, Bogle at least came out with some credit for his offensive contributions.
Bogle was given greater licence to attack in the absence of James McAtee and showed why he is better suited to being a wing-back with surging runs upfield, including a great move where he was only kept out by a Lewis Dunk deflection.
Unfortunate to concede a penalty for his second-half handball, too.
Anel Ahmedhodžić – 6
The final scoreline of 5-2 distorted Sheffield United’s performance, as for much of the game, they gave as good as they got.
Ahmedhodžić was a constant physical presence and was decent with the ball too, with 91 per cent of his passes finding a teammate.
Should the Blades lose out in their relegation battle, expect the 24-year-old to be in demand.
Auston Trusty – 5
The American has looked shaky on several occasions this season and did not inspire too much confidence at Bramall Lane in this tie either.
He was less involved than Ahmedhodžić in almost every capacity, and as such, takes more flak for the final scoreline.
Making just his second start of the season, Norrington-Davies continued his return from a 13-month hamstring injury with another respectable performance.
Energetic, committed and composed, the Welshman suits a wing-back role better than full-back but did more than enough to encourage fans that he will play a role in United’s battle against relegation in the 56 minutes he played.
Oliver Norwood – 5
Former Brighton midfielder Norwood was a key figure in the Blades’ 1-1 draw at the Amex in November, but his scrapping style got somewhat lost in this fixture.
He was by far the busiest of United’s players in possession, taking 66 touches, but was fairly sloppy with just 73 per cent of his passes being accurate.
With the Blades’ formation changed to accommodate two strikers, his midfield struggle was an unfortunate side-effect.
Ben Osborn – 5
Utility man Osborn got a rare start as Chris Wilder experimented with his squad, but failed to leave much of an impact on the contest.
He was taken off after 64 minutes for the more industrious Andre Brooks, having struggled to get anything going on United’s left side.
Gustavo Hamer – 6
Hamer has been a revelation since he entered English football, and is going from strength to strength in Sheffield too.
His game against Brighton was one of contrasts, as he finished cannily after Bart Verbruggen spilt the ball but he faded afterwards, struggling out of possession and being withdrawn in the second half.
Ben Brereton Díaz– 5
For a player who can make something of nothing, Brereton Díaz was ultimately too quiet in this tie.
He made dangerous runs which will not go down in the statistics and was often the spare man in attack, but for someone who played 63 minutes, to make just 10 passes was risible.
He conserved energy for bigger contests, at least.
William Osula – 8
In the past two months, Osula has made a significant impact on the mood at Bramall Lane.
The 20-year-old Dane, who joined the Blades at the age of just 15, scored twice against Gillingham in the previous round and has been an energetic physical threat in their last few games, which he continued against the Seagulls.
A goal and an assist in this one were just rewards for his remarkable recent improvement.
Cameron Archer – 6
A quieter game by Archer’s standards, but with Osula the focal point of each attack, the Englishman’s role shifted to that of a link man and creator.
There will be development for him in this capacity, but this match did not confirm his place going forward.
Substitutes:
Yasser Larouci – 5
Full of beans but was unable to turn the match in any positive direction for United.
James McAtee – 6
The on-loan Manchester City man has been superb of late, and at least injected urgency in the final 30 minutes with a couple of shots, including a sweet strike that hit the crossbar.
Oli McBurnie – 5
Disappointing as far as cameo appearances go, as he failed to have a shot or frustrate Brighton’s back three.
Andre Brooks – 6
Took risks in midfield, and was entitled to do so given the match situation. They did not always come off, but Brooks offers plenty of promise for Blades fans.
Vinícius Souza – 5
Sent on to protect the backline late on, and was limited in his contributions.
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Brighton
Bart Verbruggen – 6
A glaring error for Sheffield United’s first goal, as he spilt Osula’s cross straight into Hamer’s path, will be the lasting memory of most fans for Verbuggen in this game.
He was not too busy beyond the two goals and could have been beaten by McAtee’s late blast only to be saved by the crossbar.
Adam Webster – 7
Back in a three-man backline where he feels most comfortable, Webster thrived.
He saw plenty of the ball, had chances to burst forward with the hosts dropping off and played some lovely passes, whilst standing up to the differing challenges of Osula, Archer and Brereton Díaz in defence.
Jan Paul van Hecke – 8
Outstanding once again, with a whopping 141 touches and 121 successful passes in a dominant display.
He is the senior man in defence when Lewis Dunk is unavailable, and is surging with confidence.
A useful assist for João Pedro’s third goal was an added bonus.
Igor Julio – 8
Excellent on his return to fitness, with all his physical attributes coming to the fore in the perfect role for him, on the left of a back three.
Both goals did come from his side, but they were as much a fault of Brighton’s team defence as they were his responsibility, so there was not too much of an issue there.
Jack Hinshelwood – 7
Permitted to step further into midfield on this occasion – though dropping in when needed – Hinshelwood was surrounded with supreme talent and overshadowed this time out.
It is comforting that the teenager does not need to be the hero too often though, and with a solid display in possession and out, he solidified the faith De Zerbi has in him.
Pascal Gross – 8
Like van Hecke, Gross took an incredible 141 touches and was at the heart of everything Brighton did well.
The Seagulls pinged the ball around beautifully at times, and with Gross as the metronome behind it, there is no wonder he is a real De Zerbi favourite.
Billy Gilmour – 8
The more energetic of Brighton’s midfield pair, Gilmour combined beautifully with his partner and seemed to be a move or two ahead of United all afternoon.
With just some goals to add to his game, Gilmour is almost the full package, and Brighton fans are understandably besotted.
Pervis Estupiñán – 7
Perversely, Estupiñán’s influence on Brighton’s game decreased somewhat as a wing-back.
Known for his lung-busting runs and beautiful crossing, the Ecuadorian was more involved in the cut-and-thrust of the midfield battle and had less time to consider his moves, but was a useful presence in restricting United’s effective right side.
Facundo Buonanotte – 8
A huge performance for the young Argentine, whose goal was the highlight of the match and whose influence elsewhere was undeniable.
He dropped into pockets, made intelligent runs and helped move the ball quickly to frustrate the hosts, which was just what Brighton needed.
His place in the side could now remain as Simon Adingra, Kaoru Mitoma and Ansu Fati return.
Evan Ferguson – 8
Whether it was traditional hold-up or more advanced passing into perfect positions, Ferguson underlined why he is considered one of the most exciting striking prospects in world football at Bramall Lane.
There was no goal for the Irishman, but he should be supremely satisfied with his outing.
João Pedro – 9
Many thought Pedro would be a good addition at Brighton, but nobody thought he would be quite this good.
18 goals in all competitions place the Brazilian behind only Erling Haaland as the most prolific player in the English top-flight so far this season, and whether it’s from the spot or open play, opposition sides are rapidly becoming terrified of his very presence.
Substitutes:
Lewis Dunk – 7
Dunk had a welcome rest in the opening hour, but when he entered the game, he was right into the thick of it.
The Seagulls skipper was well placed to prevent Jayden Bogle from equalising at 3-2 and picked up where Igor left off to defend excellently.
Danny Welbeck – 8
Scoring a beautiful solo goal to round things off at 5-2, Welbeck was a welcome feature in this game as he continued to develop his relationship with Pedro, just as Ferguson did before him.
The Englishman controlled things brilliantly and was a big factor in the eventual comfort of the win.
Adam Lallana – 7
Everyone knows what Lallana’s role is when he is introduced, but teams seem powerless to stop him.
He drops into pockets, moves the ball about generally makes a nuisance of himself, and he seems to love it too.
Tariq Lamptey – 5
The 23-year-old’s recovery continued as De Zerbi aims to ensure the cycle of injuries is curtailed soon.
He did not have much to do defensively in truth, so it was a useful outing for him.
Carlos Baleba – 5
Introduced with only the latter stages remaining, Baleba did all that was asked of him in a role that will again bolster his experience.
