Yankuba Minteh and the strange goal that sums up his season | OneFootball

Yankuba Minteh settled Brighton & Hove Albion’s 1-0 win at Sunderland with a freak finish that summed up his erratic season. It arrived on his first start of the year.

According to NY Times, the freakish winner captured the winger’s mercurial season. He squared up to Granit Xhaka on the right of the box, then stumbled into a miscued delivery that sneaked in at Melker Ellborg’s near post, with Jan Paul van Hecke stepping aside.

It was only his second of the campaign, ending a 20-match league drought after September’s 2-2 draw with Tottenham Hotspur. Since joining from Newcastle United for £30 million last season, the 21-year-old has 16 goal involvements, eight goals and eight assists.

In the season’s first half he had 124 touches in the opposition box, the most in the Premier League, one more than Erling Haaland. The volume has not always translated into end product.

He might already have an assist had Jack Hinshelwood finished an early cross, Ellborg blocked with a leg. A thigh injury at West Ham cost him two games and disrupted his run in the side.

At Sunderland he sliced a clearance before Bart Verbuggen denied Omar Alderete, then collected a booking for shoving Luke O’Nien after being nutmegged. Another foul on Chris Rigg prompted his withdrawal for Maxim De Cuyper after 76 minutes.

Head coach Fabian Hurzeler said Minteh must stay unpredictable in attack and become more reliable defensively, and that the goal should lift him. Brighton’s third win in four moved them above Sunderland on goal difference, with Liverpool next at the Amex on Saturday.

Source: NY Times