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Kaoru Mitoma did it. Again. And Brighton have done it. Again.
Mitoma scored for the third successive game, the 25-year-old Japan winger's looping header here securing a deserved Premier League win. And Brighton have found another gem, the latest in a long line of them.
Just £2.5million. That’s all Mitoma cost Brighton when he joined from Japanese side Kawasaki Frontale. Ridiculous, really, the knack this South Coast club has for sourcing such talent.
The Amex Stadium erupted when Mitoma scored in the 87th minute. It was a moment that had been building, ever since Deniz Undav unleashed a trilogy of misses that someone, somewhere, will be adding Benny Hill theme music over the top for social media giggles.
Undav had three shots – the first blocked by the defender, the second saved by the goalkeeper, the third denied by the post, all within four seconds of each other. Quite the alternative 'hat-trick' by Undav and Brighton feared it was going to be one of those days.
Kaoru Mitoma scored with a looping header in the dying minutes to earn victory for the hosts
The in-form winger has scored late winning goals in Brighton's last two matches
The result stretched Brighton's unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches
So when it finally became 1-0, you could feel the relief inside the Amex. Brighton may well be tested for Mitoma this summer, especially if he continues at this rate. That’s the way it goes for this club. Like it did with Leandro Trossard and Moises Caicedo in January.
Trossard left but Caicedo didn’t. Arsenal wanted him and he wanted Arsenal. Brighton said no and so he stayed, the 21-year-old Ecuador midfielder making his first appearance since that saga here.
Introduced as a substitute in the 57th minute, Brighton’s supporters showed they hold no grudge. They sang his name and Seagulls chief executive Paul Barber tackled the speculation in his programme notes.
‘It is only a seller’s market if the seller is willing,’ Barber wrote. ‘In the case with Moises, we were not. He has a huge future ahead of him, but for now he is really important to us, so I know our fans will get behind him for the second half of the season.’
They did, and with Caicedo's help and Mitoma's winner, Brighton now sit sixth in the Premier League and remain firmly in the hunt for European football under Roberto De Zerbi.
‘I can never substitute Mitoma because I felt, during the game, he could score,’ De Zerbi said afterwards. ‘He didn’t play the best game in his life but Mitoma always can score.’
On Caicedo, De Zerbi added: ‘I’m very happy. Together we are stronger.’
Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil added: ‘We should have got something out of the game. We have to score at least one goal from the situations we create. Today was one of them days.’
Moises Caicedo came on as a second half substitute on his return to the Brighton squad
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi called for supporters to back Caicedo after the transfer
