March returns as Brighton and Brentford play out goalless draw

Brighton and Brentford played out a goalless draw at the Amex Stadium on Friday night.

The hosts started the game brightly and on the front foot, with Julio Enciso striking the post with a fine strike after just five minutes.

Brentford burst forward on a rare attack with 15 minutes on the clock and had the ball in the back of the net through Yoane Wissa but the goal was chalked off for offside following a brief VAR check.

Brighton continued to push forward in search of a goal in the first half, registering 15 shots in the opening 45 minutes, forcing Mark Flekken into making six saves before he was substituted off with an injury.

The visitors started the second half in a much better fashion than the first, getting on the ball more and applying pressure on the Brighton defence but without really testing Bart Verbruggen.

Both sides pushed forward in a match that became increasingly open and frantic but without creating many clear-cut opportunities. Both teams had plenty of counter-attacks but were often guilty of overplaying or making the wrong decision at the final moment.

Solly March returned to Premier League action after 433 days on the sideline after suffering a knee injury in October 2023, entering the fray for the final minutes to rapturous applause from the Brighton faithful.

The game ended goalless, with just one place in the Premier League table and two points separating Brighton in 10th on 26 points and Brentford in 11th on 24.

It wasn’t for the lack of effort from Fabian Hurzeler’s side, but Brighton’s winless run extended to six matches tonight, with Albion picking up their fourth draw during this run and their eighth draw overall this season – the joint-most of any team in the competition.

Their lack of cutting edge in the final third has cost them during this run and tonight it was more of the same. They managed 24 shots (seven on target) and could have registered even more but for overplaying on several instances. This winless run has now seen Brighton drop points to the likes of Southampton (1-1), Leicester City (2-2), West Ham (1-1) and now Brentford (0-0), all sides who currently reside in the bottom half of the table.

It doesn’t get any easier for Hurzeler’s side either, with a trip to Aston Villa up next before they welcome Arsenal to the Amex.

It has to be a special performance to win Player of the Match despite playing just 36 minutes but that’s exactly what it was from Brentford’s Mark Flekken!

The Bees keeper made six saves in the first half, with four of those saves coming from shots taken inside the box. His quick reflexes allowed him to pull off a brilliant save after the ball quickly changed direction following an awkward deflection.

He will be disappointed to have left the field injured but he more than played his part in Brentford keeping a clean sheet.

Brighton: Verbruggen 7, Veltman 7, Van Hecke 7, Dunk 7, Estupinan 7, O’Riley 7, Baleba 7, Gruda 8, Enciso 7, Mitoma 7, Pedro 7

Subs: Adingra 6, Ayari 6, Minteh 6, Rutter 6, March 6

Brentford: Flekken 8, Lewis-Potter 6, Mee 6, Collins 7, Roerslev 7, Norgaard 6, Janelt 7, Schade 6, Damsgaard 7, Mbeumo 6, Wissa 6

Subs: Valdimarsson 7, Yarmoliuk 7, Ji-Soo 6

9′ ENCISO OFF THE POST – Julio Enciso has struck the post with a fine effort. The goalkeeper had no chance there.

14′ GOAL! BRIGHTON 0-1 BRENTFORD (WISSA) Brentford have broke quickly and made it 1-0 through Wissa, but will it count?! The flag hasn’t gone up but this is very, very tight. Wissa took a fantastic first touch before lashing home past Verbruggen.

14’ NO GOAL! OFFSIDE! – As suspected, Yoane Wissa was offside when receiving the ball and this goal will not count. It remains 0-0 at the Amex.

24’ SO CLOSE TO 1-0! – Matt O’Riley does brilliantly to burst forward in the box before firing an effort on goal which Flekken gets down quickly to save.

• Brentford’s Mark Flekken made six saves before having to be substituted in the 36th minute with an injury. Of goalkeepers to play 45 minutes or fewer, this is the most saves made on record (since 2003-04) in a Premier League match.