Since Lewis Dunk received his tenth yellow card of the season and a subsequent two-game suspension, the Brighton captain has been somewhat of an outcast figure.
Albion’s 2-1 home victory against Liverpool back in March was the last time Dunk started for Fabian Hurzeler’s side.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Brighton-born defender missed subsequent games against Burnley and Tottenham due to the ban, but failed to feature against Chelsea the following week.
Dunk again warmed the bench when the Seagulls travelled to St James’s Park to play Newcastle, before he was brought on with two minutes to play in the 3-1 defeat.
Dunk’s Surprise Return
However, he made a surprise return to the starting line-up for yesterday’s comprehensive beating of Wolves, in place of Frenchman Olivier Boscagli.
Albion fans in the North Stand displayed a banner pre-game in support of their captain, which was greeted by his trademark applause to the crowd.
And just five minutes later, Dunk rewarded the fans for their support, as he headed in from close range to give Brighton an early two-goal lead.
This was the centre-back’s first goal in Brighton colours, since he scored in the 4-1 victory over Crystal Palace back in February 2024.
Dunk’s goal meant that he became the 19th different player to score in the Premier League this season, higher than any other team in the competition.
Embed from Getty ImagesHowever, Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler believes that the goal was long overdue.
Speaking at his press conference, Hurzeler said: “I think the goal came a little bit late from Lewis, I expected him to do it earlier on in the season.
“He’s really known for the quality of his headers… but better late than never.”
Brighton had a shortage of availability due to Dunk’s suspension, particularly as Adam Webster has been sidelined with a knee injury.
Summer signing Boscagli dropped to bench despite impressive form
So, as previously mentioned, replacing Dunk in the most recent games has been Boscagli, who was signed from PSV on a free transfer last summer.
The Frenchman completed 90 minutes in each of the Seagulls’ last four matches, more than the total of the rest of the season combined.
In this time, Boscagli was part of a back four that kept two clean sheets in this time, including in that 3-0 triumph over Chelsea.
Due to this, it was a surprise to see him omitted from the starting line-up, however Dunk made sure Hurzeler wasn’t going to regret that decision.
Embed from Getty ImagesDunk defying doubters as defender looks to end season on a high
As it seems a season tradition now, there are always spells of doubt concerning the form of the Brighton captain.
The 34-year-old, who passed the 500 appearance mark for Albion this season, has shown his quality and consistency to show supporters he’s still able to compete at the highest level.
In fact, the only outfield player to play more minutes this season has been fellow defenders Ferdi Kadioglu and Jan Paul van Hecke.
And after returning to the starting line-up at the weekend, it appears that he will now continue to play a vital role on the pitch as Brighton go in search for just their second European campaign.
Embed from Getty ImagesWritten by Noah Mitchell
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