Graham Potter’s young guns take Brighton past ‘physical’ Cardiff
If the next generation is anything to go by, the excitement surrounding Brighton is well placed. A side including several teenagers helped them extend their flawless start to the season and cruise into the third round of the Carabao Cup courtesy of expertly taken goals by Jakub Moder and Andi Zeqiri. Victory represented a thoroughly satisfying night’s work given this team was virtually unrecognisable to the one that has made a blistering start in the Premier League. The only concern was a possible injury to Enock Mwepu, arguably the game’s outstanding player, with the summer signing limping off late on supported by two medical staff.
Graham Potter had promised a youthful team and while he made wholesale changes from the side that triumphed against Watford, they played with the same composure that has served them so well so far. The average age of the outfield players was just 20.
Jason Steele, Brighton’s goalkeeper, gained first-hand experience of just how awkward these assignments can be in January, when he made four penalty shootout saves to help avoid an
FA Cup third-round defeat along the M4 at Newport of League Two. But here Brighton reigned supreme from the first whistle and after nine minutes the Poland midfielder Moder coolly slotted in past Alex Smithies after latching on to a wonderful pass by the eagle-eyed Mwepu, an £18m summer signing from Red Bull Salzburg.
Brighton zipped the ball around with confidence, defenders happily striding forward to kick-start attacks and Zeqiri should have doubled their advantage 10 minutes later but pulled his shot wide after being set free by the centre-back Haydon Roberts. Mwepu proved difficult to contain and the wing-back superbly controlled a lofted pass before finding Taylor Richards on the edge of the box but the 20-yearold sent his first-time shot over the bar. Cardiff, who themselves made eight changes, started with a burst but lacked rhythm and to make matters worse, the captain Sean Morrison, one of three players retained from Saturday’s victory over Millwall, was forced off through injury.
Brighton hogged possession in a one-sided first half but Cardiff did pose a threat from set pieces. All eight of their league goals this season have been headers but their top scorer Aden Flint could not connect at the back post when Will Vaulks sent in a teasing cross, before James Collins later sent a header wide from another Vaulks delivery.
Cardiff seemingly roused during the break and, within six minutes of the restart, the midfielder Ryan Wintle diverted a cross narrowly wide. Tavio D’Almeida, one of two Cardiff players making their competitive debut, sent an arcing ball towards the back post, which was sent into the box by Perry Ng and then Wintle prodded an effort towards goal. But any feeling of progress was short-lived and by the time Collins sent a downward header against the crossbar from a bullet of a Josh Murphy cross, the visitors had increased their lead through Zeqiri. Richards nudged the ball to Moises Caicedo, who kept his balance to pick out the striker, and nestled the ball into the corner with a fine first-time finish.
Cardiff introduced the Wales pair Rubin Colwill and Kieffer Moore, much
to the delight of the home support in the Canton Stand but with 15 minutes to play it was Flint who almost found a route back into the game, only for Steele to paw his header to safety. Moments earlier Brighton could have sealed victory but Smithies made a fine save to deny the teenage striker path. Marc Leonard after Vaulks inadvertently nudged Mwepu’s pass into his