Brighton and Hove Albion and Stoke City shared the points after an entertaining 2-2 draw on Monday night.
Goals from Pascal Gross and Jose Izquierdo cancelled out Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting and Kurt Zouma’s efforts for Mark Hughes’ men.
Below are four talking points from the Amex Stadium.
1. Brighton overcome different challenge
In each of their four Premier League victories this season, Brighton have scored the first goal. They did the same in the 1-1 draw with Everton in front of their own supporters, with October’s 1-1 draw with Southampton the only time they have taken anything from a game after conceding the opener.
In those aforementioned triumphs, Albion have followed a successful formula of taking the lead, backing off a little, forming a compact defensive shape and playing on the counter-attack. The nature of this match – they twice fell behind to Stoke – meant that was not possible, with Brighton instead compelled to take the initiative and dominate possession.
Chris Hughton will be delighted with his side’s performance going forward, particularly as they had to show a different side to their game.
2. Stoke let leads slip as defensive shakiness rears head once more
Finding the right balance when you are in a winning position can be difficult for away teams; while there is an obvious desire to protect what you have, most sides will also be tempted to try and kill the game off by grabbing another goal.
Stoke did not seem completely sure of themselves in that regard. They willingly ceded possession and sat off in the second period after retaking the lead in first-half stoppage time; while that was understandable and even sensible, they perhaps should have looked to cause more problems on the counter-attack.
Either way, the Potters were not sufficiently solid at the other end to hold onto their advantage. Stoke have now conceded 24 goals in 2017/18 – more than anyone but West Ham United – while their Expected Goals tally does not make for happy reading either, placing them in the bottom four. Hughes’ side need to tighten up if they want to finish in the top half this term.
3. Izquierdo threatens and eventually finds end product
Izquierdo was Brighton’s biggest threat in the first half, the Colombian taking advantage of the space behind right wing-back Mame Biram Diouf by continually making penetrative runs both with and without the ball. He was lively throughout the opening 45 minutes, but his end product let him down: at times Izquierdo made the wrong decision, while on other occasions his execution – in the form of either a shot or a cross – let him down.
When a big chance came his way after the interval, though, the winger made no mistake. Collecting a wonderfully disguised pass by Glenn Murray, Izquierdo saw his first shot blocked before showing great composure to convert the rebound. Despite being quieter in general play after the break, it was the second half which brought the 25-year-old his reward.
4. Choupo-Moting stakes claim at centre-forward
This was the third consecutive game in which Choupo-Moting has led the line for the Potters, who have also deployed Saido Berahino, Jese Rodriguez and Peter Crouch through the middle this season. It was Crouch’s goal that ensured Stoke collected a point against Leicester City last time out, but the veteran frontman again had to settle for a place on the substitutes’ bench on the south coast.
Still more assists than Paul Scholes...
#BHASTK
Choupo-Moting justified his selection by finding the back of the net in the first half, taking down a terrific Xherdan Shaqiri pass and calmly slotting the ball home. His experience of playing out wide was evident whenever he drifted out to the flanks – the ex-Schalke man is comfortable in possession and adept at taking on defenders – while he also ran the channels and tried to offer an out-ball when Stoke came under pressure.
Choupo-Moting moved to the right when Crouch entered the fray in the final 20 minutes, but he is Stoke’s best option at centre-forward for the time being.
