Brighton players celebrate a goal. Photo: Shaun Brooks
Brighton & Hove Albion ensured they will play in Europe next season for the first time in their history after beating Southampton 3-1 at the Amex Stadium in the Premier League on Sunday, with teenage striker Evan Ferguson scoring twice.
Brighton are sixth in the standings on 61 points and can no longer be caught by eighth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, meaning they are guaranteed a spot in Europe next season - either in the Europa League or the Europa Conference League.
"It's incredible, one of the best days in my career," Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi told the BBC.
"I am really proud to be coach of these players and the club. We won together, and I am really proud.
"They believed from the first moment that they deserved to qualify, we had a tough period, we lost a lot of players to injury but when you have something inside, you push to the end to your target."
After Kaoru Mitoma and Carlos Alcaraz both squandered chances in a lively start, Brighton went ahead in the 29th minute through Ferguson's powerful effort, which squirmed under Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy.
A moment of individual brilliance from Mitoma doubled Brighton's advantage 10 minutes later, as the Japan international outmuscled Romeo Lavia on the left wing before setting up Ferguson with a pinpoint cross with the outside of his boot.
Mohamed Elyounoussi got on the end of a James Ward-Prowse corner in the 58th minute to pull one back for Southampton and the goal appeared to momentarily stun Brighton.
Southampton launched several attacks in the next few minutes and Theo Walcott had a goal disallowed for offside after a VAR check, but any hopes of a comeback were snuffed out when Pascal Gross cut inside and fired a low shot past two defenders inside the near post.
Brighton's fans, who were watching their team in the third-tier League One just 12 years ago, were in full party mode and the hosts nearly gave them a fourth goal to cheer, but McCarthy made an excellent save to deny Gross's low shot.
Bottom club Southampton, who have already been relegated, remained on 24 points.
Southampton manager Ruben Selles rued his side's inability to seize their chances, but praised his players for creating opportunities.
"We had the first big chance with Alcaraz one-on-one and then we conceded two goals very quickly," Selles said.
"Then we scored the goal (Walcott) and it's a situation that happens more than not when we score a goal this season and then it's disallowed.
"It was a disappointing moment but it was not the only moment. We show we are here ready to play and compete against one of the best teams in the league."
Bowen inspires West Ham to victory over struggling Leeds
West Ham United forward Jarrod Bowen set up one goal and scored another to inspire his side to a 3-1 Premier League victory at the London Stadium and deepen the relegation crisis at Leeds United.
Declan Rice and Manuel Lanzini were also on the scoresheet for the hosts as they rallied from a goal down after Rodrigo had given the visitors a first-half lead.
Leeds remain in the relegation zone with 31 points from 37 games, two points behind 17th-placed Everton with the home visit of Tottenham Hotspur on the final day of the season next weekend.
Everton welcome Bournemouth to Goodison Park.
It completes an excellent week for West Ham, who climb to 14th in the table having booked their place in the Europa Conference League final with a win over AZ Alkmaar.
"If you look back on Thursday night, the first 15-20 took its toll on us and we were probably not 100% but as the game went on we completely dominated and in the end could have had six or seven, just wasteful with chances," Rice told Sky Sports.
"I had a funny feeling I would score. I think it is my best goalscoring season. I made a lot of runs into the box today and I just need to keep adding that to my game."
Leeds were ahead in the 17th minute when Weston McKennie's long throw was volleyed into the net from 12-yards by Rodrigo, a sublime finish against a static West Ham defence.
The home side responded when Rice, in what could be his final home game for West Ham before a summer move, produced a neat finish at the back post from Bowen's cross.
Leeds lost striker Patrick Bamford to injury 10 minutes before the end of the first half, a potential blow for next week's match against Tottenham, and they failed to apply much pressure on the West Ham goal after that.
The home side dominated possession and hit the front with 18 minutes remaining as Danny Ings slipped Bowen in on goal with an excellent pass and the forward found the far corner with the outside of his left boot.
The points were sealed during injury-time when some brilliant footwork from Lucas Paqueta on the right wing saw him beat several defenders before laying on a tap-in for substitute Lanzini.
They might have added another very late on when Paqueta had a clear run on goal and instead of shooting, tried to play in Rice for his second, but the ball was behind the midfielder.
"Obviously very disappointing," Leeds manager Sam Allardyce said. "We had opportunities to get three points in the first half but unfortunately failings in the final third let us down.
"The second half was a bit of a battle, a bit of a struggle and then whatever we tried in terms of changes didn't improve the situation for us."
-Reuters
