Everything in the end came down to the moment 20 minutes into the second half when Evan Ferguson received Billy Gilmour’s pass 30 yards from goal, turned and, with a sense of unflustered inevitability, caressed his shot into the bottom corner. It was a goal of stunning quality, his brilliant finish the centrepiece of the first of what will surely be many Premier League hat-tricks. But there was another element to the goal, which was how much space he was in.
There was an element of fortune in the buildup, Newcastle drawn forward as it appeared Gilmour had miscontrolled. But that space at the back of their midfield was an issue throughout. Although Newcastle were effective in disrupting Brighton’s preferred route out from defence, from centre-back to Gilmour, once the home side were able to advance, João Pedro often had space.
