Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 Burnley: Highlights, man of the match, stats as Scott Parker suffers damaging Premier League defeat

Brighton & Hove Albion's 2-0 triumph against Burnley at the Amex on Saturday damaged the Clarets' hopes of Premier League survival.

The hosts dominated much of the first half, and after an early goal was disallowed, they eventually found the breakthrough when Georginio Rutter fortuitously struck from a narrow angle after a block saw the ball fall into his path on the half-hour mark.

Brighton doubled their lead shortly after the interval, when Yasin Ayari struck from just inside the box into the left side of goal, with the hosts comfortable throughout the rest of the game.

The Seagulls' 2-0 win left them in eighth place with 28 points, whereas Burnley stay in 19th place with 12 points, six fewer than 17th-placed Nottingham Forest.

SPORTS MOLE'S VERDICT

Brighton's win was deserved, and the Seagulls have claimed their first victory in seven matches, and the fact they are out of the bottom half will be pleasing to fans.

Boss Fabian Hurzeler will also have been delighted by the nature of his team's performance given they dominated the game, preventing Burnley from creating any big chances.

The Clarets can have no complaints with their defeat, and their failure to take advantage of Nottingham Forest's loss earlier on Saturday will be concerning.

Scott Parker's side have now lost nine of their past 11 games, and their hopes of survival are looking increasingly slim.

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION VS. BURNLEY HIGHLIGHTS

10th min: Charalampos Kostoulas (Brighton & Hove Albion) disallowed goal

Charalampos Kostoulas controls Ayari's pass over the top of Burnley's defence and finishes well, but the linesman flags him for an offside offence.

That was close!

29th min: Brighton & Hove Albion 1-0 Burnley (Georginio Rutter)

Brighton's Ayari shoots from the edge of the box but sees his strike deflect into the path of Rutter, who squeezes his own effort into the side netting from a tight angle on the right.

What a finish!

47th min: Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 Burnley (Yasin Ayari)

Ayari takes the ball from a central zone outside the penalty area to the left side of the box, and he strikes low and across goal into the bottom-left corner.

A strong start to the second half!

MAN OF THE MATCH - YASIN AYARI

Ayari was could have claimed an early assist had Kostoulas stayed onside, but he still played a key role in his side's first goal, while he also scored one himself.

The midfielder also won six of his 10 ground duels, and his influence at both ends of the pitch helped guide the Seagulls to victory.

BRIGHTON & HOVE ALBION VS. BURNLEY MATCH STATS

Possession: Brighton & Hove Albion 60%-40% Burnley

Shots: Brighton & Hove Albion 15-5 Burnley

Shots on target: Brighton & Hove Albion 4-3 Burnley

Corners: Brighton & Hove Albion 4-4 Burnley

Fouls: Brighton & Hove Albion 7-16 Burnley

BEST STATS

HT: Brighton 1-0 Burnley

Georginio's strike has the Seagulls ahead at the break. ?#BHABUR pic.twitter.com/yGd6ZamNmQ
— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) January 3, 2026

WHAT NEXT?

Brighton face two difficult away trips in their next games, with the Seagulls playing Manchester City in the Premier League on Wednesday and Manchester United on January 11 in the FA Cup.

Burnley are in FA Cup action on January 10 against Millwall, but they first must face Manchester United in the Premier League on Wednesday.