Brighton 2- 0 Wolves
Brightontook a crucial step in their pursuit of European football with a composed 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux. Goals from veteran striker Danny Welbeck and emerging talent Brajan Gruda secured all three points, leaving the Seagulls ninth in the Premier League table and level on points with eighth-placed Brentford as the season nears its end.
Welbeck opened the scoring from the penalty spot just before half-time, while Gruda added a late second—his first for the club—to seal the win. Wolves, despite dominating spells of possession and chances, could not find a way past Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who was outstanding between the posts.
Wolves began the match with greater urgency and created several early opportunities. Matheus Cunha tested Verbruggen with a sharp, hooked effort that forced the Brighton shot-stopper into a fine reflex save. Gonçalo Guedes missed a golden chance when he flicked the ball over the bar from inside the six-yard box, and Marshall Munetsi squandered two good headers, both lacking the power to trouble Verbruggen.
Despite Brighton’s sluggish start, they slowly settled into the game after the midway point of the first half. Fabian Hürzeler’s side, who had only won once in their previous seven matches, began finding rhythm in possession. Danny Welbeck thought he had scored his 10th league goal of the season when he slotted the ball past José Sá, but the goal was chalked off after Yankuba Minteh was judged to have interfered with play from an offside position.
However, Brighton were not denied for long. Just minutes later, Matheus Cunha fouled Mats Wieffer in the box, and Welbeck stepped up to take the resulting penalty. The 34-year-old made no mistake, calmly sending Sá the wrong way to officially notch his 10th goal of the campaign—a milestone he hadn’t reached since his debut season for Manchester United back in 2008.
Wolves came out after the interval with renewed intensity. Manager Vitor Pereira made a bold triple substitution just before the hour mark, bringing on Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Pablo Sarabia, and Jørgen Strand Larsen. The changes sparked the home side into life, and they began to dominate the midfield battle. Brighton were forced onto the back foot, and Verbruggen again had to be alert, reacting quickly to stop a deflected shot off his own defender Jan Paul van Hecke.
Brighton Strengthen European Push with Solid Win at Wolves
Despite Wolves’ pressure, they were unable to capitalize. Brighton’s defense held firm, and with five minutes left on the clock, they punished their hosts on the counter. Gruda, a 20-year-old signed from Mainz last summer, found himself in the right place at the right time after a pass deflected off Wolves defender Toti Gomes. With composure beyond his years, Gruda chipped the ball over the onrushing Sá to score his first goal for Brighton in what was his 19th appearance for the club.
The goal was met with delight from his teammates, particularly Welbeck, who was the first to congratulate the young winger. The victory keeps Brighton’s European hopes alive, with two games left in the campaign. If they can pull off a win against champions Liverpool in their next fixture at the Amex Stadium on May 19, even Hürzeler—who has downplayed talk of continental qualification—might have to revise his stance.
Wolves, meanwhile, were left ruing missed chances in what has become a frustrating trend. After a promising run in April that saw them win five straight matches, they have now lost two in a row without scoring. Their season risks fizzling out unless they can recover form in their final matches against Crystal Palace and Brentford.
Although Vitor Pereira’s second-half changes improved Wolves’ performance, the lack of a clinical edge in the final third continues to haunt them. They showed flashes of quality but ultimately lacked the consistency and sharpness needed to take advantage of Brighton’s vulnerable moments.
For Brighton, however, this was a professional display built on resilience, timely goals, and smart management. With the youngest head coach in Premier League history at the helm and players like Gruda rising to the occasion, the Seagulls may yet secure a second straight season of European competition—a remarkable feat for a club continuing to punch above its weight.
