Brighton’s Pascal Gross has spoken about how the Seagulls stripped their game plan ‘back to basics’ to secure a valuable three points in a 2-0 win away at Brentford over the weekend.
Albion headed into the contest with one win in their last 14 Premier League games, but a dominant start saw the Seagulls take the lead after 30 minutes when Diego Gomez reacted well to slot home after Ferdi Kadioglu’s initial long-range effort rebounded off the crossbar.
Brighton then doubled their lead on the stroke of half-time when Nathan Collins failed to clear Jack Hinshelwood’s cross, which presented Danny Welbeck with a tap-in inside the six-yard box.
The victory leaves the south coast side nine points clear of the bottom three and, as it stands, four points off eighth, which is likely to be a European spot come May.
Speaking after his side’s win, Gross was asked by BBC Sussex if the team put in their maximum effort at the Gtech Community Stadium, to which he replied: “Yes, but that’s what we need. It shouldn’t be a one-off. It’s the bare minimum you have to give when you put that shirt on.
“I think when we do that, when everybody does it, with the quality we have, we can be a good team, but in the league, it’s very difficult. Like today, we earned it because of the fight, because of the momentum of scoring goals, but it’s really important to keep going.”
The win also ended Albion’s run of three games without scoring. Asked about the importance of those goals, the 34-year-old said: “Goals change momentum, change games.
“In the last three games, we didn’t score, we had moments where maybe we could equalise a game or take the lead, and that changes games, like today. Then we defended really well, we fought well, and I think, in the end, we deserved also the bit of luck not to concede.”
With Brighton slipping increasingly closer to the relegation zone during their recent poor run of form, manager Fabian Hurzeler named a more experienced starting XI to spark a reaction and secure a vital three points.
His lineup included Lewis Dunk, James Milner, Danny Welbeck, and Gross, with the ex-St. Pauli boss opting to side with a solid, reliable structure following recent sloppiness across the backline and midfield.
Gross was also asked if they approached the game differently tactically, he said: “In that sort of moment, when it doesn’t go well, you don’t win the games by playing tiki-taka, it’s very difficult. Sometimes you have to go back to basics and then work your way back to your identity.
“We don’t want to be the team where we’re in the game, but we don’t really take points, we want to be tough to play against with those moments of quality and good football, and I think that combination makes you a team that is hard to beat.”