Brighton secured their spot in the third round of the Carabao Cup with a commanding 4-0 victory over League One side Crawley, marking the first competitive clash between the two clubs since 1992. Despite Crawley’s determined performance, Brighton’s quality ultimately shone through in a match that saw the Seagulls deploy a completely different lineup from their recent Premier League outing.
The game began with Crawley showing plenty of spirit, matching Brighton in the early stages and creating several chances. Ronan Darcy even had the ball in the net for Crawley, but his effort was ruled out for offside. Brighton, however, took the lead in the 31st minute against the run of play. Simon Adingra opened the scoring after a pass from Carlos Baleba, with Crawley goalkeeper Jojo Wollacott unable to fully stop the shot, allowing the ball to spin into the net.
Brighton doubled their advantage shortly after halftime when Jeremy Sarmiento found the back of the net with a well-placed left-footed shot, following excellent work from Julio Enciso. Despite Brighton’s growing dominance, Crawley continued to press and create opportunities, with Ade Adeyemo and Panutche Camara both going close to pulling a goal back.
As the game progressed, Brighton’s class became more evident. Adam Webster headed in Brighton’s third goal, and Mark O’Mahony added a fourth just minutes later with a composed finish from 12 yards out. Crawley’s frustrations were compounded in the final minute when substitute Jack Roles received a straight red card for a late challenge on Yasin Ayari, adding a sour note to the end of the match.
Brighton’s comfortable win came on the back of a victory over Manchester United in the Premier League, though manager Fabian Hurzeler treated the cup tie with the same seriousness. Notably, new signing Matt O’Riley made his debut but was forced off after just 10 minutes due to an injury following a tough tackle from Crawley’s Jay Williams.
Despite the loss, Crawley showed resilience and created several promising chances, but Brighton’s superior quality and finishing ensured they advanced to the next round with ease. The Seagulls’ victory, highlighted by their clinical finishing and solid defense, demonstrated their depth and capability to compete on multiple fronts this season.