Pascal Gross' scoring form has inspired Brighton to fly to new heights

Pascal Gross’ goal-scoring form saw off Leeds and has inspired Brighton to a superb start to the season… but the fourth-placed Seagulls are still far too wasteful in front of goal

• Pascal Gross scored again as Brighton beat Leeds 1-0 at the Amex on Saturday
• The German has netted three goals in four games to help Brighton to fourth spot
• Graham Potter insisted Gross is performing at the ‘highest level of his career’
•  Jesse Marsch chose to direct his frustration towards referee Michael Salisbury

Perhaps Pascal Gross should show his Brighton team-mates where the goal is.

The midfielder netted his third in four games to give the Seagulls a 1-0 win over Leeds but Graham Potter’s side could have been out of sight before half-time.

Creating chances and missing them has become a painfully familiar tale at the Amex Stadium. Against Newcastle they had 13 shots, seven of which were on target, but scored none. They had the same problem last season and it was evident again on Saturday.

Pascal Gross scored his third in four games as Brighton narrowly beat Leeds 1-0 on Saturday

But after Leandro Trossard and Solly March both wasted opportunities created for them by Gross, the 31-year-old showed them how it was done with the coolest of finishes from the edge of the box.

Gross has already bettered the two goals he got last season.

‘Pascal is performing at the highest level of his career,’ Potter said. 

‘It’s down to him having the attitude, the professionalism and the desire. The way he trains and plays. He wants to get every little bit out of his career and that’s fantastic.’

Graham Potter said Gross’ superb form was down to his ‘attitude, professionalism and desire’

Gross’ strike had briefly put Brighton top of the Premier League before Erling Haaland’s 19-minute hat-trick. Potter cannot call on the likes of the Norwegian to finish off the chances his team create but with last season’s top scorer Neal Maupay having completed a move to Everton, he will surely look to bring in another forward before the window shuts. Finding a clinical one, however, is not easy.

‘Apparently we should sign a 20-goal-a-season striker, but there’s two of those in the Premier League. So it’s not so simple.

‘I’m positive. We have 10 points from four matches and we’re playing well. But of course if you’re not two or three nil up then the question comes because our problem has been we haven’t got the points that our performances deserve.’

Brighton sold striker Neal Maupay to Everton for £15m and now seem to lack depth in attack

As for Leeds, they were surprisingly poor given their solid start to the season and the confidence they must have taken from last weekend’s 3-0 thrashing of Chelsea.

Jesse Marsch was not happy but chose to direct his anger at the referee Michael Salisbury who was officiating just his fifth top-flight fixture. 

Marsch admitted he deserved to be booked for slamming the ball down on the touchline before sarcastically applauding after a decision went against his side. But the American insisted he will always fight his case.

Leeds manager Jesse Marsch directed his frustration towards match official Michael Salisbury

‘I thought my behaviour at that point deserved the yellow card,’ Marsch said. ‘But when you don’t believe that you’re getting a performance out of the referee you have two options: sit there and take it or to escalate your behaviour to try to make a point to see if you can affect the way decisions are getting made.

‘Sometimes it works for you, sometimes it works against you. But I’ll never be a guy that just sits there and takes it.

‘We had him [Salisbury] as the fourth official against Chelsea and I like his demeanour. 

‘I just think he didn’t have the best performance. But our performance wasn’t good either.’

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