Brighton had the game under control almost immediately against Wolves. Jack Hinshelwood scored after 35 seconds, Brighton’s fastest Premier League goal, Lewis Dunk added a second four minutes later, and Yankuba Minteh finished it off in the 86th minute.
How Brighton blew the game open early
The opening goal set the tone in the bluntest possible way. Hinshelwood’s header came after 35 seconds and gave Brighton the kind of start that leaves little room for a visiting side to settle, let alone build any control of their own.
Dunk then made it 2-0 with his first goal of the season in the fifth minute. That was the real damage, because Brighton had already turned a Premier League match into a two-goal lead before Wolves had found any rhythm.
The late third from Minteh was only a finishing touch, but it mattered for the scoreline and the mood. It made the result look as one-sided as the first half had felt.
Michael Dawson called Wolves’ first-half display "pathetic", and that is not hard to understand from the way the match began. Wolves are bottom with 18 points after 35 league matches, and they have not won a league away game this season.
Hurzeler’s new deal and Brighton’s European push
Fabian Hurzeler extended his deal to June 2029 on Thursday, and Brighton backed that up with a composed home performance. The timing matters because it came straight after last weekend’s 3-1 loss at Newcastle, a game Hurzeler had urged his team to clean up after.
Brighton moved up to eighth after the win, and they are two points behind sixth with two games left. That is where the focus sits now, not on any broader storyline about style or momentum. They still need results, but this was the sort of response that keeps the chase alive.
The more useful read is simple enough. Brighton did not just win, they started at full tilt, took the match away from Wolves inside five minutes, and left no doubt by the end.
Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 2 outlets. How we work →
