SEASIDE SPECIAL
Potter: Seagull screamer overdue
YVES BISSOUMA hit a stunning long-range strike to crush Covid-hit Blackpool’s hopes of producing another giantkilling – and silence his own manager.
Bissouma’s 25-yard thunderbolt helped ensure Brighton did not join West Brom on their League One visitors’ list of top-flight scalps.
Brighton boss Graham Potter revealed he was agitated with Bissouma’s more wayward finishing before the Malian’s thumping 27thminute opener.
Potter said: “We were getting a bit frustrated with Yves because he had a couple of shots before his goal which he scuffed along the floor.
“He keeps telling me he has that quality to strike from distance, so I cannot really moan anymore when he takes a shot on can I?
“We could have won by more – but it was a controlled performance.”
Bissouma is attracting interest from Arsenal and Chelsea after a series of stellar displays.
Potter insists his Seagulls have no plans to cash in on the midfielder, and said: “At his best, Yves Bissouma is more than capable of playing in the Champions League.
“But he is happy here and we are happy to have him.”
It took a scrappy strike from Steven Alzate to see Brighton into round five after Gary Madine had briefly got Blackpool level.
Brighton dominated the first half and could have taken the lead after three minutes when Lewis Dunk put a free header onto the roof of the net from a corner.
And Adam Webster also failed to keep his header down from a pinpoint Alex Mac Allister corner on 15 minutes.
The home side survived a scare when Luke Garbutt forced a flying save from Christian Walton with a 20-yard free-kick.
But Bissouma took matters into his hands by blasting a right-foot rocket into the top corner.
Swiss striker Andi Zeqiri should have doubled Brighton’s lead before halftime when he nodded Joel Veltman’s delivery wide.
The Seagulls were made to pay when master poacher Madine equalised with virtually the last kick off the half.
Jerry Yates and Garbutt combined down the left and Madine ghosted in to poke the ball home from inside the six-yard box.
After the break, Mac Allister signalled the hosts’ intent with a curler that was turned around the post by Tangerines keeper Chris Maxwell.
Brighton retook the lead in fortuitous circumstances in the 58th minute when Mac Allister’s harmless shot from the edge of the penalty area struck Alzate on the back to send the ball spinning beyond Maxwell.
Substitute Neal Maupay should have put the game to bed after being picked out unmarked in the area by Leandro Trossard but shot straight at Maxwell.
Maxwell also made a smart save to keep out Davy Propper’s close-range header late on.
Blackpool’s preparation for the game was affected by a Covid-19 outbreak that left them without a number of key players.
Head coach Neil Critchley saluted his team’s endeavour.
He said: “I could not be prouder of my players’ efforts. We were playing against Premier
League opposition and at times their quality showed.
“We were always in the game but were not quite good enough to create that extra opportunity to take us into extra time.”
I could not be prouder of my players’ efforts – Brighton are a Premier League side and at times the quality showed...