Bart Verbruggen’s stoppage-time penalty save from Igor Thiago sealed a dramatic 2-1 victory for Brighton over Brentford, after Danny Welbeck and Jack Hinshelwood completed a thrilling second-half comeback at Amex Stadium.
Bart Verbruggen emerged as the hero for Brighton, denying Igor Thiago a late equaliser and securing a dramatic 2-1 home victory over Brentford in Fabian Hurzeler’s 50th match in charge, which he watched from the stands.
The visitors initially took the lead in the 29th minute when Thiago converted an “ice-cool first-half spot-kick” after Dango Ouattara was fouled by Carlos Baleba.
Thiago, who used a “no-look penalty similar to Brentford’s former number nine Ivan Toney,” made no mistake on his first attempt.
The Seagulls levelled in the 71st minute courtesy of Danny Welbeck’s “equally exquisite first-time finish into the bottom corner”—his seventh goal of the season—following a “sumptuous cross” from Yankuba Minteh.
The turnaround was completed in the 84th minute when substitute Jack Hinshelwood found the net after a “mazy Minteh run” led to a blocked shot falling to his feet.
The match reached a fever pitch in stoppage time after Maxim De Cuyper was penalised for holding Kevin Schade.
Brentford were awarded a second spot-kick, but Thiago’s “casual penalty technique came back to bite the Brazil forward” as Verbruggen “declined to dive until the last moment and saved the spot-kick to spark wild celebrations” at Amex Stadium.