Terriers bounce back as they double their Mounie
HUDDERSFIELD striker Steve Mounie is always double trouble when he gets going. Having not scored since netting twice against Crystal Palace on the opening day, he halted his barren streak yesterday with another brace, thereby ending his side’s four-game losing snap.
As a result, David Wagner’s men were able to leapfrog Brighton, whose manager, Chris Hughton, didn’t pull any punches after a dismal display.
‘We never gave ourselves a chance,’ he complained. ‘None of us were good enough today and I include myself in that. I am incredibly disappointed. They are a good side at home. If you afford them the goals we did, it becomes very difficult to come back.’
That was a fair assessment and a particular shame for Albion centre-half Lewis Dunk, who has impressed this season but chose a visit from England manager Gareth Southgate to have a stinker, allowing Aaron Mooy to get past him and set up Huddersfield’s second goal.
But as bad as Brighton were, you had to admire Huddersfield’s tenacity and their positive attitude at trying to add to a 2-0 half-time lead. Mounie, an £11.5million summer buy from Montpellier, had some good fortune in scoring his first after 12 minutes, Christopher Schindler’s flick appearing to strike him on the hip before crossing the line.
But his second shortly before the interval was a neat flick-header from eight yards after Mooy’s cross was nodded back into the danger zone by Zanka.
‘There was energy, aggression and desire, from the stands to the pitch,’ said Terriers manager David Wagner. ‘I am absolutely delighted. We know we have to over-perform to win games in the Premier League and we did it.
‘Mounie has had a difficult period with his [heel] injury but we had the feeling he’d be able to perform like this because he has looked very good in training in the last two weeks.
‘We always looked as if we’d score a third before they would get their first.’
Indeed, goalkeeper Mathew Ryan was Brighton’s best player in the second half, saving from Elias Kachunga and twice from Tom Ince.
Mounie missed a golden chance of a hat-trick by shooting over.
Wagner chuckled when asked if Chelsea would be fearing their visit to West Yorkshire on Tuesday night.
‘I don’t think they will be focused on us,’ he laughed. ‘But we will be focused on them.’
For Brighton, having been mauled by Mounie, it’s Harry Kane up next at Wembley on Wednesday.
7 Brighton have conceded seven goals in their last two PL games, as many as in their previous nine