You’d have to say it’s quite lazy fare from the Premier League scriptwriters to hand Brighton an injury-time penalty to beat Manchester United 11 days after the heartbreak of the FA Cup semi-final shoot-out defeat against the same opponents.
But at least the hackiest conclusion of all – Solly March taking and scoring it – was avoided and sometimes there’s nothing wrong with a feelgood Hollywood ending.
Also hard to argue Brighton didn’t deserve it on the balance of play across 90 (well, 99) enthralling minutes that pretty much followed on from where the equally excellent FA Cup semi-final left off. Two good sides playing good football against each other is good. There, we’ve said it.
Mind you, until Alexis Mac Allister’s absolutely ice-cold 99th-minute winner the finishing had not matched the rest of the evening’s entertainment. Brighton spent most of the night producing a note-perfect pastiche of the xG banter glory days while United also had their moments.
Happily, there was just about as little controversy as is humanly possible when you’re talking about an injury-time penalty awarded by VAR against Manchester United. That the on-field officials missed Luke Shaw’s flailing hand smacking the ball clear in the frantic pinball of an injury-time penalty box was entirely understandable, but from the first replay it was inevitable that the decision would quite rightly be overturned upon review. It was the very definition of What VAR Was Introduced For and all pundits duly performed their legal obligation to note that It’s Nice To See It Work Well In This Instance.
It was some penalty from Mac Allister, too, drilled unsavably high and hard to De Gea’s right as the United keeper – who had been a key reason the game remained goalless as long as it did – tumbled to his left.
It also lifts Brighton above Spurs and Villa – a draw would not have done so just yet – with games in hand. Their run-in is both exhausting and teak tough; this marks the first of seven games in 24 days to conclude the season, seven games that include all the current top four plus the violently in-form Villa and relegation-battlers Everton and Southampton. No games against teams on the beach with the cigars out here for Brighton. They’re going to have to earn it.
But on this evidence, they should have no trouble finishing at least above a Spurs side currently in relegation form – it is now, by the way, eminently possible that Spurs finish ninth and…
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