Carlos Baleba’s thunderous 30-yard strike set Brighton on course for a nervy 3-2 win over Premier League rivals Wolves in the Carabao Cup third round.
Cameroon midfielder Baleba rifled home his maiden Seagulls goal in the 19th minute before Simon Adingra doubled the lead at the Amex Stadium with another eye-catching effort.
Wolves vastly improved after Goncalo Guedes’ 44th-minute strike changed the momentum but were made to pay for their profligacy as Ferdi Kadioglu’s late finish gave Albion breathing space.
Tommy Doyle reignited hope of forcing a penalty shootout by firing home via the underside of the crossbar in added time before the hosts held on to maintain their unbeaten start under head coach Fabian Hurzeler.
Brighton made eight changes following Saturday’s frustrating goalless draw with Ipswich, while only Joao Gomes retained his starting spot for Wanderers after Sunday’s 2-1 loss to Newcastle.
Baleba, one of the three Seagulls players to keep their place, stylishly opened the scoring in the 14th minute.
The 20-year-old dispossessed Gomes deep in opposition territory before bending into the bottom-left corner from range and celebrating the milestone strike with a cartwheel and a backflip.
Albion had the ball in the net again nine minutes later but Yankuba Minteh was offside when he turned home after Evan Ferguson’s initial effort struck Jose Sa and squirmed towards goal.
Wolves forward Guedes forced Brighton goalkeeper Jason Steele to turn his powerful strike behind on the half-hour mark before the visitors fell further behind a minute later.
After being afforded time and space on the left wing, Adingra cut inside to rifle into the bottom right corner from the edge of the D.
Hurzeler’s hosts looked set to coast into the next round but Wolves injected fresh life into the contest a minute before the break.
Rodrigo Gomes released Matt Doherty on the left and his cutback was side-footed into the right corner by Guedes via a deflection off Adam Webster.
Having been in control for most of the opening period, Brighton were on the back foot following the restart.
Only the legs of Steele prevented Gomes equalising just seconds into the second period before Pablo Sarabia went close to turning home Guedes’ low cross in the 59th minute.
Albion continued to live dangerously and endured more anxious moments.
Jack Hinshelwood prevented team-mate Webster scoring an own goal by hacking off the line before Guedes wastefully fired wide of the left post.
Brighton remained shaky at the back but ultimately booked their place in round four five minutes from time.
Wolves keeper Sa could only parry Danny Welbeck’s initial effort and fellow substitute Kadioglu was on hand to covert his first Seagulls goal.
The simple finish looked to have killed the contest but there was still time for Doyle to increase the tension by smashing home after Brighton carelessly gave away possession inside their own 18-yard box.
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
