14 minutes. That is all it took for Jack Hinshelwood to get back amongst the goals for Brighton after 10 weeks out with an ankle ligament injury.
The 20-year-old limped off inside three minutes at the Vitality Stadium in September, after getting caught in a tussle with Bournemouth forward Evanilson. Brighton lost 2-1 on the day, but the real focus was on how long their local lad would be out of action.
Embed from Getty ImagesAgainst Brentford on Saturday, it was like he never left. Bart Verbruggen stole the headlines after he made his first penalty save for Brighton to salvage all three points for his side, but it was Hinshelwood who scored the winning goal in the 84th minute.
Chants of ‘he’s one of our own’ rang out around the Amex in the final minutes, followed up by the celebrations after Verbruggen’s 94th minute penalty save. Meanwhile, Carlos Baleba, who was axed at half-time, watched on from the bench after yet another performance to forget.
Baleba has been off the mark so far this season, after a summer of uncertainty around his future. He hasn’t helped himself though, posting cryptic messages on social media during the international break.
Against Brentford, the Brighton midfielder conceded a penalty as he brought down Dango Ouattara in the 18-yard box. He avoided a yellow card but was replaced at half-time for the fourth time this season. He is also just one game away from suspension due to his four cautions this campaign.
Although Baleba was substituted for Maxim De Cuyper rather than Hinshelwood, the Englishman’s introduction in the 70th minute showed Albion fans exactly what they’d been missing in midfield.
Now, manager Fabian Hurzeler has a decision to make. Hinshelwood was missing since the fourth game of the season, at which point Baleba’s form was excused as it was so early into the campaign.
Eight matches later though, Baleba is still struggling and now under pressure to retain his starting spot in the coming weeks. Unless a drastic change happens quickly, Hinshelwood’s return surely spells the end of Baleba’s place in the starting line-up.
Hurzeler has shown last season that he’s not afraid to shake things up when he dropped Joao Pedro for many of the final matches of the 2024/25 season. Now that he has more options available in midfield, he can show that same kind of boldness with Baleba.
Brighton fan, Brett Mendoza, said via X: “He [Baleba] can’t keep being selected and playing that badly, on the theory he will eventually turn good.”
Baleba completed just 14 passes, had 30 touches, lost five out of six duels, and lost possession eight times in the first half. In just 20 minutes, Hinshelwood had 20 touches, completed just as many passes and scored with his only shot.
If it’s not Hinshelwood replacing Baleba, perhaps Mats Wieffer could get a chance instead. The Dutchman has earned his keep in Hurzeler’s side by filling in at right back, but he is naturally a midfielder and looked great there against the Bees.
Embed from Getty ImagesHurzeler admitted that Baleba is “still not where we want to have him”.
He added: “We need to help him… He’s still a very young player, so we have to keep pushing… and it’s his responsibility to take ownership for this and to keep pushing.”
That call for responsibility comes at a time when the Amex is finally beginning to resemble the “castle” Hurzeler vowed to build when he first took charge.
When Brighton boss, Fabian Hurzeler, became manager of the Seagulls, he made it very clear his goal was to improve the atmosphere at home.
Speaking in a pre-match press conference in February, he said: “We need the fans at the Amex, we need them to support us – we need them as our 12th man. … If they are there, we have more energy, so it’s also about knowing that together we can … achieve more.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Albion are now 10 games unbeaten at home, with their last defeat on home soil coming against Aston Villa in April. Since then, the Amex fortress has held firm. And on Saturday, the return of Hinshelwood certainly made an impact.
Hurzeler was full of praise for the Englishman. He said: “It’s good to have Jack back. He gives us more options and more availability…that’s crucial because then you have more competition and you can compete against each other in every training session, fighting for your position.”
That competition is exactly what Hinshelwood steps back into. Brighton have seven games remaining in 2025, and the 20-year-old revealed he is relishing the opportunity to make his comeback during the festive rush.
He said: “I need to build up my fitness now over the next few weeks but I’ve come back at a good time. I’m looking forward to the Christmas period and helping the boys.”
Embed from Getty ImagesAnd he wasted no time doing exactly that. In the end, it was rather fitting for Hinshelwood to score the winner to help his side beat Brentford 2-1, just as he did two years ago when he netted his first senior goal.
This one carried extra weight, too. It marked Hürzeler’s 50th game in charge, a milestone he celebrated with a victory that continues to cement him as Brighton’s best-performing manager at this stage of his tenure.
Hinshelwood’s return is well-timed for Brighton, but less so for Baleba, who is currently stood at a crossroads. Brighton’s midfield suddenly looks sharper, hungrier, more in line with Hürzeler’s demands. Whether Baleba rises with it now rests entirely in his hands.
Over the next few weeks, Brighton take on Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Sunderland, before tough tests against Liverpool and Arsenal. It’s not an easy run, but one that could tell us if a push for Europe is realistic this season. Whether Baleba will be a part of that push remains to be seen. He’s certainly got the quality, but can he regain form before it’s too late?
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Isabelle Newnham
INMR FOOTBALL 
Leave a comment