Danny Welbeck's goal lifts Brighton to fifth place with victory over Newcastle

Danny Welbeck's first-half goal sealed a hard-fought 1-0 victory for Brighton & Hove Albion against Newcastle United, propelling Fabian Hurzeler's team up to fifth place in the Premier League.

The home team dominated proceedings from start to finish, enjoying 60 per cent possession and having 21 efforts on goal, only to fall to a sucker punch 10 minutes before half-time as Brighton caught their hosts out with a quickly taken free kick.

In the blink of an eye, Lewis Dunk's raking long ball had found Welbeck in space and after a neat exchange of passes with Georginio Rutter, the forward burst into the box and beat Nick Pope for his fifth goal in just eight appearances this season.

However, the afternoon ended on a sour note for Welbeck and the visitors after the forward was stretchered off in agony and needing oxygen with nine minutes to go after an innocuous-looking challenge in the back by Fabian Schar.

Eddie Howe, meanwhile, will be wondering just how his team failed to score as the Magpies went a fourth Premier League game without a win, although in truth as much as they huffed and puffed, the hosts largely failed to test Bart Verbruggen in the Brighton goal with the returning Alexander Isak off the pace after a month on the sidelines.

Story of the match in stats...

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