Pascal Gross gives Brighton vital win as struggling Watford lose fourth in a row

The nerves were jangling, but Brighton held on for a vital win over Watford. A fourth league goal of the season from Pascal Gross was enough to see the home side over the line in a match they dominated. Clear of the relegation scrap at Christmas, Chris Hughton’s side are moving in the right direction.

While the narrow margin of victory was familiar, in truth Brighton should have wrapped this match up within the first 15 minutes. Tomer Hemed was not the only culprit, but when he dragged his shot away from goal with only the goalkeeper to beat in just the fifth minute, he somewhat set the tone. Four minutes later and Davy Pröpper made a proper hash of a decent opportunity, looping the ball over the bar after Pascal Gross had found him on the penalty spot. Finally, in the 13th minute, a stretching Hemed failed to get the necessary touch to turn Markus Suttner’s excellent cross beyond Heurelho Gomes.

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