Brentford 0-2 Brighton as Milner sets appearance record and leads ratings | OneFootball

James Milner marked his record-breaking Premier League outing with a composed display as Brighton won 2-0 at Brentford, then topped the player ratings.

According to WeAreBrighton.com, Fabian Hurzeler started Milner ahead of Carlos Baleba and adopted a more direct plan, which produced earlier shots and saw nine starters graded in the sevens.

The opener arrived when Ferdi Kadioglu curled from 30 yards against the bar and Diego Gomez smashed in the rebound. Jack Hinshelwood later supplied a cross that caused Nathan Collins to slip, gifting Danny Welbeck the second. The midfielder also threaded Kaoru Mitoma through for a chance blocked by the goalkeeper.

Bart Verbruggen nearly handed Brentford an opener with a poor pass, but he recovered to make a fine late stop that spared Joel Veltman an own goal. Mats Wieffer returned at right back after a toe injury, managed an early booking and handled the threat of Kevin Schade. Lewis Dunk endured one lapse when Igor Thiago ran clear, but the striker lifted over.

Milner kept it tidy, read the game well and was in the right places, which earned him top billing in the fan ratings. The ratings were compiled from supporter scores on social media. Welbeck’s first goal of 2026 might spark another burst, which could help Brighton look up the table in the weeks ahead.

Source: WeAreBrighton.com