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RUSSELL MARTIN was left seething after Southampton was robbed of what could have been just their second victory of the season, thanks to yet another VAR controversy.
Southampton were in high spirits when Cameron Archer seemed to score the crucial winner in the 67th minute, bringing a much-needed spark of hope to the club.
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The tension escalated after Flynn Downes equalized in response to Kaoru Mitoma’s opener for the soaring Seagulls, who were hoping to ascend to second place with a win or draw.
Nevertheless, VAR once again extinguished the fire in a Southampton team that seems to be heading for relegation ahead of the festive period.
After a prolonged VAR review by referee Jarred Gillett, which involved meticulous zooming and line drawing, the Southampton goal was disallowed for offside, leaving Martin and his squad stunned.
The disallowed goal was attributed not to Archer’s positioning but to Adam Armstrong’s offside interference during the build-up.
Cameras caught Martin fuming and swearing as the Saints remained at the bottom of the league table.
It’s important to mention that Southampton would have stayed at the bottom even if the outcome had favored them last night at the Amex.
This was a crucial escape for Brighton, who are currently comfortably positioned in second place, tied on goal difference with Manchester City.
Brighton’s forward-thinking approach as a football club has always been both innovative and refreshing, yet the events of the night raise questions about their potential to emerge as genuine title contenders.
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Their successful data-driven recruitment strategy plays a crucial role, while young and ambitious coach Fabian Hurzeler has made an impressive start this season, but consistency is vital.
With 23 points from their initial 13 matches, Brighton has recorded its best start to a top-flight season.
Since early October, only league leaders Liverpool have earned more points.
As expected, the home team began strongly, with Georginio Rutter assisting Mitoma, who might have scored if not for Joe Lumley’s fantastic save.
Rutter was instrumental again, maneuvering past three defenders before curling a shot just wide of the target.
It was unsurprising when the 22-year-old French forward presented Brighton’s prime opportunity, cutting inside to rattle the far post.
Brighton finally broke the deadlock with a well-deserved goal in the 28th minute, as Tariq Lamptey outpaced Taylor Harwood-Bellis to set up Mitoma, who headed home.
The Saints’ defense was alarmingly poor, allowing the ball to bounce uncontested in their penalty area.
While reviewing the goal replay on his iPad, Martin could be seen shaking his head in dismay.
He might have been better off playing Candy Crush than reliving his team’s abysmal defending.
Meanwhile, Mitoma, yet another jewel discovered by Tony Bloom, is now just one goal shy of Shinji Okazaki’s record of 14 goals, making him the all-time leading Japanese scorer in the Premier League.
Chants of “You’re going down with the Palace” erupted from the North Stand, further aggravating Martin and his staff.
After a critical chance from Archer, who failed to convert a well-placed cross from Yukinari Sugawara, Martin yelled, “f***ing come on.”
The second half commenced with Brighton asserting their dominance once more, as Lamptey and Welbeck combined effectively before Matt O’Reily sent in a cross that Mitoma could not convert.
However, the hosts were taken aback when Downes unleashed a fierce shot from the edge of the area in the 58th minute.
The equalizer came after the ball ricocheted to the Southampton midfielder following blocked attempts by Armstrong and Ryan Manning.
In a stunning turn of events, Southampton took the lead when Ryan Fraser’s cross found Archer just six yards out, allowing him to finish calmly in the 67th minute before VAR intervened.
Brighton responded vigorously, with Rutter nearly scoring with a brilliant bicycle kick from Welbeck’s cross, yet they were unable to notch a second goal.
