Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma is a master in art of dribbling
Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma is a master in the art of dribbling who is reaping the rewards of a brave decision to delay his football career to finish his PE degree… he will inevitably be chased by the big boys
- Kaoru Mitoma struck late again for Brighton to earn the hosts three points
- The Japanese winger headed in Jeremy Sarmiento’s cross in the final minutes
- He now has five goals in seven games and is doing it all with an infectious smile
Very few players could torment a full back and then write a detailed essay on how he did it. But Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma could, because the Japan international is a former student of the University of Tsukuba where he wrote his thesis on the art of dribbling.
Mitoma continued his surge as one of English football’s newest stars on Saturday, with Brighton’s £2.5million signing — yes, £2.5m, they have done it again — scoring for the third successive outing.
Brighton signed Mitoma from Kawasaki Frontale. The story goes he initially put off joining the Japanese side feeling he was not ready to be a footballer. Instead, he opted to study physical education in Tsukuba.
With a GoPro camera fixed to his head while running with the ball, he researched how his opponent reacted. How a shimmy could earn him space. How a change of speed could deceive. How to beat his man, essentially.
Perhaps it should come as no surprise that a player with a degree in dribbling is now ripping through the Premier League, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold being one of his recent victims.
Kaoru Mitoma continued his surge as one of English football’s newest stars on Saturday
Mitoma scored with a looping header in the dying minutes to earn victory for the hosts
Yet after taking that brave decision to defer his entry into professional football, 25-year-old Mitoma is now putting all that he learned into practice, as shown at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.
There was one moment during this match that Mitoma was up against Adam Smith. Bournemouth’s right back did not know which way to go and so simply sunk to his knees inside the box, as if surrendering. Mitoma skipped around him and came close to creating the opening goal.
When Brighton’s winner finally arrived in the 87th minute, it was not the result of a mazy run that defeated Bournemouth but rather a looping header. Not his forte, heading, but Mitoma took a chance, made the run, met the cross, and reaped the rewards.
He now has five goals in seven games and is doing it all with an infectious smile that suggests he is embracing every minute.
As is always the case, he will inevitably be chased by football’s big boys, as Ben White, Leandro Trossard and Moises Caicedo were before him. Yet until then, Brighton hope Mitoma can lead their charge towards Europe after Saturday’s winner left them sixth in the Premier League.
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi said: ‘He can become a great, great player and for the moment, for us, he is already a very important player. It’s an honour for me to be a coach of these players. Mitoma is like Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Adam Lallana or Lewis Dunk — he is very easy to work with.’
Asked if Brighton will be able to keep hold of their star men this summer, De Zerbi said: ‘I don’t know. I can’t think about the next season. We will see.’
When Brighton signed Mitoma from Kawasaki, they immediately loaned him to Union Saint-Gilloise in Belgium — the side also owned by Brighton chief Tony Bloom — and he was able to get to grips with European football.
The result stretched Brighton’s unbeaten run in all competitions to five matches
Moises Caicedo came on as a second half substitute on his return to the Brighton squad
Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi called for supporters to back Caicedo after the transfer saga
Speaking of Europe, what would that mean to Brighton? ‘You have to ask this question to Tony Bloom,’ said De Zerbi. ‘For sure we would like to try to arrive in the Europa League. The politics of the club, I can’t decide. I can decide the way in terms of quality of play, of style of play.
‘If you ask me if I am happy — yes, I am happy with the results, the performances, the relationships with my players, my club, my fans, but we have to finish the season and then we can talk about the result.’
There was a wholesome moment on Saturday when Caicedo came off the bench for his first appearance since the January transfer saga. Brighton’s fans showed all is forgiven as they sang his name. Yet that will not be the end of the matter. Clubs will come back this summer. For Caicedo. For Mac Allister. And, at this rate, for Mitoma, too.
MATCH FACTS
Brighton (4-2-3-1): Sanchez 6.5; Lamptey 7 (Enciso 75min, 6), Dunk 7, Veltman 6, Estupinan 7; Gilmour 6 (Caicedo 57, 6), Gross 6; March 6.5 (Webster 89), Undav 6 (Buonanotte 75, 6), Mitoma 7.5; Welbeck 6 (Sarmiento 57, 6.5). Scorer: Mitoma 87. Booked: Veltman, Dunk, Caicedo. Manager: Roberto De Zerbi 7.
Bournemouth (4-4-1-1): Neto 5; Smith 6, Mepham 6, Senesi 6, Zemura 6; Ouattara 6, Lerma 6, Billing 6 (Rothwell 66, 6), Anthony 6.5 (Vina 81); Traore 6.5 (Christie 61, 6); Semenyo 6. Booked: Smith. Manager: Gary O’Neil.
Referee: Craig Pawson 5.
Attendance: 31,600.
Bournemouth remain 19th in the Premier League after the late defeat at the Amex Stadium
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