Brighton & Hove Albion finally halted a concerning slump in form with a comfortable 2-0 home victory over relegation-threatened Burnley at the Amex Stadium. Goals in either half from Georginio Rutter and Yasin Ayari were enough to secure three vital points, snapping a six-match winless run in the Premier League.
Rutter and Ayari Strike to Seize Control
The Seagulls, who had taken just three points from a possible 18 in December, started brightly. Charalampos Kostoulas, making his first league start, saw an early finish ruled out for a marginal offside. The hosts' pressure told just before the half-hour mark. After a deflected effort from Ayari, the ball fell kindly to Georginio Rutter, who slammed home from a tight angle for his second goal of the season.
Burnley, who have now failed to win in 11 consecutive league games, almost hit back on the stroke of half-time. Lucas Pires forced a smart save from Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, a stop that proved pivotal. Within two minutes of the restart, Brighton doubled their lead. Yasin Ayari capitalised on a costly error by Burnley midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu, sidestepped a defender and drilled a low finish into the corner.
Burnley's Miserable Run Continues
The Clarets, who remain six points adrift of safety in 19th place, offered little sustained threat. Their best chance to reduce the deficit came in the 67th minute when Loum Tchaouna's header towards an open goal was miraculously cleared off the line by Ferdi Kadioglu, who headed the ball onto his own crossbar.
Brighton, who registered their first ever Premier League home win against Burnley at the seventh attempt, saw substitute Maxim De Cuyper rattle the post with a late free-kick. The return of fan favourite Pascal Gross from Borussia Dortmund, introduced as a second-half substitute, provided a further boost for Roberto De Zerbi's side, who climb to 14th in the table.
For Scott Parker's Burnley, the statistics grow ever more grim. This defeat marks their 40th consecutive Premier League match without a win after conceding the first goal, leaving them deep in a relegation battle with only two points collected from their last 30 available.
