Brighton & Hove Albion secured their first away Premier League victory since November, easing relegation fears with a 2-0 win at Brentford.
The historic triumph coincided with James Milner making a record-breaking 654th league appearance, surpassing Gareth Barry in the all-time Premier League appearances chart.
The 40-year-old midfielder, who debuted in 2002, celebrated his milestone with a commanding performance as Brighton dominated the encounter at the Gtech Community Stadium.
Milner led by example, registering the most touches (70), passes (60), and accurate passes (51) for his side, while also winning both tackles he attempted.
Brighton started brightly, creating early chances as Jack Hinselwood fired a shot just wide and Kaoru Mitoma’s curling effort was brilliantly saved by Caoimhin Kelleher.
Their pressure paid off in the 30th minute when Ferdi Kadioglu unleashed a thunderous effort from distance that rattled the crossbar, allowing Diego Gomez to pounce on the rebound and open the scoring.
The visitors doubled their advantage just before half-time when substitute Nathan Collins’ sloppy clearance fell to Danny Welbeck, who made no mistake from close range to put the game beyond Brentford.
The hosts improved slightly after the break, mainly threatening from set-pieces. Collins headed over from a corner, while Dango Ouattara blazed over after a well-timed knockdown from Igor Thiago.
In the closing stages, Brighton’s Joel Veltman nearly turned a cross into his own net, but Bart Verbruggen made a superb one-handed save to preserve the clean sheet.
Welbeck, in particular, continues to relish Premier League clashes with Brentford. He has now scored in each of his last three games against the Bees and has four goals in his last five league appearances versus the west London side.
With this win, Brighton not only end their six-game league winless run but also celebrate Milner’s remarkable achievement in style, demonstrating the veteran midfielder’s enduring influence on the pitch.
