5th September 2026. EPL.
31,661.
I felt this would be another tough game from the moment I saw the fixture list. Since then, as most commentators reckoned Brighton were in good form so far this season, I had that feeling even more. However, having now reflected on the game, I thought it was the least effective Seagulls performance I’ve seen against Leeds at the Amex in years, possibly since they moved there. It took them an hour to get into their stride, but Leeds let them off the hook in that first period.
We had the lead after 15 minutes when Ao Tanaka’s quick thinking set up Jayden Bogle to tap home; well, I’m assuming it was quick thinking and not just a mishit shot! Anyway, it was perfect for Jayden to stab home at the back post. It all came from a half-decent header from Dominic Calvert-Lewin that Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen failed to hold and merely parried towards Ao.
Leeds were in control at this point, but we squandered numerous chances to put the game to bed.
Calvert-Lewin will kick himself for not striking his shot more firmly after doing all the hard work and rounding the keeper, only to allow Lewis Dunk to clear it away from the goal line. Was Dom offside anyway? I’m not sure as I’ve not seen it back yet. Tanaka then mishit a volley into the ground, and his effort bounced up and skimmed over the crossbar; he should have done better. And early in the second half, Anton Stach should have finally doubled our tally as he found the keeper's foot, not the net, from close range.
The missed chances probably gave the Seagulls the confidence to finally start playing their usual game, and to find their stride for the final half hour, Luka Vuskovic scoring the equaliser from a back post header from a corner – a problem we saw from Leeds in preseason more than once. With the height and power we have at the back, being undone in this fashion is disappointing, to say the least.
It could have been worse, as the home side then squandered several chances of their own, so a draw was probably a fair result come the end of the day and let’s credit James Trafford for another solid display in goal – what a revelation he has been. Other than the odd loose kick, he’s been superb for us so far.
The game was not helped by another dire performance from referee Stuart Attewell, who once again seemed to be making his decisions at random! I honestly don’t believe he was biased against Leeds, but his performance certainly made it look that way! To be fair, I thought some of the decisions he gave to us were as bad as some he gave against us, and there was absolutely no consistency in his handing out of yellow cards. The man is simply not good enough for this level, and the Leeds crowd made sure he knew how we felt about it.
Overall, this was another solid performance from Leeds, particularly the defence towards the end of the game, when we stood firm in the face of an onslaught. There is no doubt that Leeds faded in the final half hour while the home side got stronger and the home fans finally found their voices, but make no mistake: this is a great point, and many teams will get beaten at the Amex this season.
For once, I didn’t think the substitutions helped us much and possibly contributed to our sitting back too deep at that stage, but even so, this is another result that is better than the result in the corresponding fixture last season, and if we continue to do that, we’ll be having a great season. Next up is that tricky Carabao Cup fixture at Stamford Bridge; it’s hard to know how we ought to approach that one when we all know the Newcastle home game a week on Monday is more important! We will see on Wednesday how both teams have decided to arrange their priorities!
Premier League
Brighton & Hove Albion 1 (Vuskovic 71’)
Leeds United 1 (Bogle 15’)
Brighton: Verbruggen (GK), Dunk (C), Groß, Kostoulas, Boscagli (Struijk 90’), Kadioglu (Costinha 78’), Gómez, Ayari, De Cuyper (David 77’), Yalcouyé, Vuskovic. Subs not used: Steele (GK), Hadjam, Andrés, Osman, O’Riley, Oriola.
Leeds: Trafford (GK), Bogle (Bijol 61’), Gudmundsson, Ampadu (C), Muharemovic, Calvert-Lewin (Nmecha 73’), Stach, Okafor (Aaronson 62’), Tanaka (Wilson 73’), Justin, Elvedi. Subs not used: Zetterer (GK), James, Longstaff, Bahoya, Bard.
Venue: Amex Stadium | Attendance: 31,661 | Referee: Stuart Attwell | Booked: Groß, De Cuyper, David (Brighton) Bogle, Calvert-Lewin, Wilson (Leeds)
