Brighton & Hove Albion halted a six-match Premier League winless streak with an assured 2-0 triumph over Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium, easing the pressure on head coach Fabian Hurzeler.
Having struggled for goals in recent weeks, the Seagulls looked sharp from the outset.
Jack Hinshelwood and Kaoru Mitoma both tested goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher early on before the breakthrough arrived in spectacular fashion.
Ferdi Kadioglu unleashed a long-range strike that crashed off the crossbar, and Diego Gomez reacted quickest to calmly convert the rebound.
Brighton doubled their advantage before the interval when Nathan Collins, on as a replacement for the injured Aaron Hickey, misjudged a clearance from Hinshelwood’s low cross, gifting Danny Welbeck a simple finish from close range.
Brentford, managed by Keith Andrews, struggled to respond.
Igor Thiago volleyed over in the first half, while Vitaly Janelt and Mikkel Damsgaard failed to seriously test Bart Verbruggen after the break.
The hosts’ best chance of halving the deficit came when Dango Ouattara’s cross was inadvertently turned goalwards by Joel Veltman, but Verbruggen produced an excellent save to preserve Brighton’s clean sheet.
The afternoon also marked a milestone for James Milner, who made his 654th Premier League appearance to surpass Gareth Barry’s long-standing record.
The victory lifts Brighton 10 points clear of the relegation zone and within touching distance of mid-table security, while Brentford miss the opportunity to strengthen their push for a top-six finish after a rare off day at home.
