Brighton 2-2 Nottingham Forest: Sosa leveller keeps both teams unbeaten

Brighton and Nottingham Forest maintained their unbeaten Premier League starts as an entertaining 2-2 draw resulted in both sides missing the chance to leap into the top four.

The pair, along with Manchester City and Arsenal before their heavyweight clash on Sunday, remain as the only sides undefeated in the competition this season after a chaotic encounter at the Amex Stadium.

Chris Wood sent the visitors ahead with a 12th-minute penalty, only for Jack Hinshelwood’s fine header to restore parity before Danny Welbeck curled a sumptuous free-kick past Matz Sels on the stroke of half-time.

Welbeck should have made it 3-1 but was denied by the sprawling legs of Sels early into the second half, and that superb stop proved pivotal with 20 minutes remaining.

Ramon Sosa snatched the equaliser against the run of play, with fellow substitute Jota Silva selflessly offloading for his team-mate after breaking through Brighton’s high line.

Morgan Gibbs-White was then dismissed for two cautions, with Fabian Hurzeler and Nuno Espirito Santo both following for their touchline reactions, in an ill-tempered ending that befitted an enthralling clash.

FT: We have to settle for a point at home.

[2-2] #BHAFC // #BHANFO pic.twitter.com/Mo917svdRP

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) September 22, 2024

Data Debrief: Free-kick delight for Welbeck

Welbeck’s first-half goal turned this clash on its head, marking his 70th strike in the Premier League, but his very first from a direct free-kick with what was only his fourth set-piece attempt.

Indeed, Brighton have only scored four Premier League goals via a direct free-kick but all have come from different players, with Welbeck joining Pascal Gross, Alexis Mac Allister and Lewis Dunk.

That Seagulls set-piece success proved to matter for little, however, as Nuno’s roll of the dice from the bench paid dividends yet again.

Only one of Forest’s first 319 Premier League goals were both scored and assisted by a substitute, though now two of their last three have come from that method after Sosa and Silva linked up in deadly fashion.