Five Things We Learnt From Brighton v Middlesbrough

Brighton    0        Middlesbrough    3 

                                                  Kike 4  Adomah 44 

                                                 Stuani 62

Middlesbrough will be top of the table at Christmas after beating promotion rivals Brighton at the Amex Stadium.

The Seagulls were the only unbeaten team in England’s top four divisions before the match, but were blown away by a ruthless and disciplined Boro side in the last game before the festive period.

First half goals from Kike and Albert Adomah put Aitor Karanka’s side in an assured position, before Christian Stuani secured the points in a 3-0 victory.

Boro haven’t conceded a goal for 547 minutes of football and rarely looked like conceding as they tamed a Brighton attack which had scored nine goals in their last four games.

The result moved Brighton down to third in the table, three points behind Boro and one behind second placed Derby who beat Ipswich away from home.

1.                   Kike can provide the answer

Kike celebrates the opening goal of the game
(Picture from BBC Sport) 

There were concerns among Boro fans following David Nugent’s red card against Birmingham, which earned the striker an unwanted three game suspension. However the Merseyside-born striker could struggle to get back into the side following Kike’s interventions in the last two games.

After a hard-working performance against Burnley on Tuesday night, Kike scored the opener against Brighton at the weekend in a game where the first goal was always going to be crucial. In the past two season’s Kike has shown that he is a player who relies on his confidence. He holds the ball up well and is good in the air, but hasn’t always convinced Boro fans after arriving on Teesside in 2014. A prolonged run in the side could change that.

2.                   Brighton are beatable

The Seagulls were the only unbeaten side in England’s top four divisions before this game, yet Boro made them look average at best. The Teessiders laid down a marker for the rest of the Championship, and now there could be a real fear factor when teams face Aitor Karanka’s side. Brighton may have been a surprise package this season but with a bit of confidence they could have pulled away at the front. It was therefore important that Boro stopped them and claimed the top spot themselves.    

3.                   Boro have strength in depth

Boro made three changes from the side which beat Burnley on Tuesday night, as Albert Adomah, Grant Leadbitter and Cristhian Stuani returned to the team in place of Tomas Kalas, Adam Forshaw and Diego Fabbrini. Karanka defended his rotation policy before the game and it could be vital in the packed and hectic Christmas fixture list.

4.                   Boro Christmas will be number one

Boro will be top of the table at Christmas for the first time since their relegation from the Premier League six years ago. In the last ten years, nine of the teams who have been top of the tree on December 25 have gone on to be promoted. Boro fans can only hope that the trend continues and a return to the top flight is close on the horizon.

5.                   No more lunch time kick-off hoodoos   

Last season Boro missed out on automatic promotion after losing to promotion rivals Bournemouth and Watford in lunch time games. However at Brighton it was a different story. Karanka’s side started quickly and took the lead after four minutes. Then, cheered on by 2,000 traveling fans, Boro powered their way to a resounding 3-0 triumph against their closest promotion rivals.

Boro’s Best (Man Of The Match)

Daniel Ayala

Boro's Daniel Ayala
(Picture from i3.gazettelive.co.uk)

There were many great performances as Boro overcame one of their biggest challenges of the season. Kike, Albert Adomah and Christian Stuani looked the part going forward while Adam Clayton and Grant Leadbitter formed the spine of a robust team performance. Even so this was another reminder of the importance of colossal centre half Daniel Ayala. The Spanish defender played a big part in Boro’s second goal and kept close tabs on Manchester United loanee James Wilson all afternoon.

Thorn In The Side

Tomer Hemed

Brighton's Tomer Hemed
(Picture from www.seagulls.co.uk)

It was an all-round disappointing day for Brighton as their unbeaten record went out of the window. For most of the afternoon their attack was nullified by Boro’s solidity and organisation, and as a consequence the Seagulls' attacking players suffered. They did create a couple of chances through Israeli striker Hemed. He set up James Wilson in the first half and Jamie Murphy after the break but neither converted their opportunities.