Head coach Fabian Hurzeler has praised the “special talent” of Kaoru Mitoma after the Brighton & Hove Albion winger’s goal against Chelsea drew comparisons from pundit Jamie Carragher with Lionel Messi.
Mitoma controlled a long pass from goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen on the volley with the outside of his right foot before cutting inside Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah to fire Brighton into a 27th minute lead in Friday night’s 3-0 win at the Amex Stadium.
Carragher, summarising on the game for Sky Sports, said: “The touch is as good as anything we will see in the Premier League this season. It’s Messi-like.”
“A touch from the heavens” 💫
Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma puts the hosts in front with an OUTRAGEOUS goal 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/Q35NdQcj5R
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) February 14, 2025
Mitoma now has four goals and an assist in his last seven appearances in all competitions. The last two of those for the Japan international, having also scored in the 2-1 FA Cup win at home to Chelsea six days earlier, followed bids of up to £61million from Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr for the 27-year-old which Brighton rejected in the January transfer window.
Hurzeler said: “You don’t see regularly special things like this, but he works really hard. He’s fully committed to the club. He tries to improve himself every day. He is very professional and then on top of that he is able to do special things like this.
“If I look back on my career, I don’t know if I ever saw something like this as a coach from my own player, because it was very special.
“When the ball is coming over your head, then it starts with the co-ordination. To co-ordinate everything, the speed of the ball, the height of the ball and your legs is a special thing, because we shouldn’t underestimate that he was in a full sprint. I wouldn’t try it at home, but he has a special talent.”
Mitoma’s fellow winger Yankuba Minteh added two goals to lift Brighton to eighth in the table, within six points of fourth-placed Chelsea.
GO DEEPER
Verbruggen, redemption, and Brighton’s goalkeeping situation
(Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
