Charalampos Kostoulas seizes Brighton chance after Coventry rout | OneFootball

Charalampos Kostoulas has thrust himself into Brighton’s starting conversation, leading the line in the 5-0 win at Coventry City.

The 19-year-old struck a solo opener, then won a 70th-minute penalty that Pascal Gross buried for 3-0. “It was something that was missing for me, so I’m happy,” he said, speaking to The Athletic.

Last October he scored 13 minutes after coming on in a 4-2 defeat against Manchester United, then in January his 12-yard overhead rescued a 1-1 draw with Bournemouth.

Between those moments he managed only 156 league minutes across eight cameos and a 71-minute first start in January’s 2-0 win over Burnley. The picture up front has shifted, with Danny Welbeck moving to Chelsea, Rutter sidelined for four games, and Stefanos Tzimas and Evan Ferguson still out.

Summer signing Promise David, a 6ft 5in Canada international from Union Saint-Gilloise, offers a target-man option and was unused at Coventry. Kostoulas now has two goals and an assist across four consecutive starts, and head coach Fabian Hurzeler says he can improve, stressing hard work and basics before showing his finishing seen in training.

Brighton paid £30million last summer for the Olympiacos prospect who, at 17, led their under-19s to the 2024 UEFA Youth League title after a second-tier debut that January. He arrived after one senior season in Greece, scoring six in 21 as a No 9 or No 10.

Source: NY Times

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”