Brighton’s record signing, Georginio Rutter, is beginning to show his worth in blue and white.
Embed from Getty ImagesSeagulls’ boss Fabian Hurzeler admits he must “be a little bit more patient” as Joao Pedro remains out of action following his ankle injury sustained against Nottingham Forest.
Since Joao Pedro’s injury, there were worries as to who would be able to fill the void in-behind Danny Welbeck. Rutter has stepped up to the plate superbly and is beginning to show just why Brighton broke their club transfer record to bring him down to the Amex.
The Frenchman’s header seven minutes into 4-2 defeat at Stamford Bridge was hardly a silver lining at the time, but Albion fans soon realised the importance of that goal for Rutter’s confidence.
Embed from Getty ImagesIn his last three games for the club, Rutter has scored two goals and registered one assist, more than any other Brighton player in that time.
When compared to Pedro, using Squawka, Rutter betters the Brazilian in many attacking metrics and even out of possession, offers similar attributes.
Rutter has engaged in 69 duels this season, 21 more than Pedro, highlighting his intensity off the ball. However, his duel win rate is just 39.22%, compared to Pedro’s 47.37%.
Brighton have found the back of the net five times in their last three matches and many of their goal-scoring opportunities have come via Rutter. He has made four passes into the final third and registered eight touches in the opposition’s penalty area.
Embed from Getty ImagesAs per FotMob, Rutter is on par with Kaoru Mitoma in terms of creativity, they have both created 1.4 chances per 90 this season in the Premier League.
He is still a little erratic, perhaps showing his age, conceding 2.2 fouls per 90. He has also attempted 3.9 shots per 90 with only 0.7 per 90 hitting the target.
Hurzeler is conscious of the need not to rely too heavily on Joao Pedro. And he may not need to. The 22-year-old is also the player most capable of compensating for most of the qualities missed when the Brazilian forward is not in the team.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Isabelle Newnham
INMR FOOTBALL 
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