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Kaoru Mitoma scored 10 goals in all competitions for Brighton last seasonA stunning solo goal from Kaoru Mitoma and a second-half double from Solly March helped Brighton cruise to victory at Wolves and make it two wins from two at the start of the Premier League season.
Mitoma collected Pervis Estupinan's pass near the halfway line, slalomed his way through a number of half-hearted challenges and beat the onrushing Jose Sa with a calm finish into the far corner.
Wolves had opportunities to restore parity but Fabio Silva was denied by Seagulls goalkeeper Jason Steele before Rayan Ait-Nouri fired over the crossbar from an excellent position inside the penalty area.
The hosts were made to pay for their profligacy in a devastating nine-minute spell at the beginning of the second half, Estupinan doubling the visitors' lead with a low finish just 41 seconds after the restart.
March made it 3-0 with a first-time strike into the roof of the net - a finish that will no doubt have caught the eye of watching England manager Gareth Southgate.
The winger grabbed his second of the game four minutes later, side-footing Danny Welbeck's low cross into the net via the inside of the left-hand post.
Second-half substitute Hwang Hee-chan pulled one back for Wolves with a well-placed header, but it was scant consolation on a sobering afternoon for Gary O'Neil's side, who had Matheus Nunes sent off for a second bookable offence in added time.
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Mitoma and March star in magnificent win
Before the game, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi said he felt his side were reaching "a higher level" despite the high-profile departures of Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo this summer.
It is hard to find fault with the Italian's assessment after the Seagulls scored four goals for the second consecutive game - including three in a rampant start to the second period.
The lively Mitoma was a threat throughout, enjoying more touches inside the opposition box than any other player on the pitch and showing magnificent composure to tee up Estupinan for the Seagulls' second of the game.
March also delivered an outstanding display, lifting his season tally to three goals and recovering possession more often than any of his team-mates.
The 29-year-old could have had a hat-trick after cutting inside and hitting a low effort at goal from the edge of the box, but it was straight at Sa.
There may be room for improvement defensively but on this evidence, Brighton look more than capable of matching - or even surpassing - last season's sixth-place finish.
More to follow.
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Wolverhampton Wanderers
Squad number1Player nameJosé Sá
Squad number22Player nameNélson Semedo
Squad number15Player nameDawson
Squad number23Player nameKilman
Squad number3Player nameAït-Nouri
Squad number7Player namePedro Neto
Squad number8Player nameJoão Gomes
Squad number5Player nameLemina
Squad number27Player nameMatheus Nunes
Squad number12Player nameMatheus Cunha
Squad number29Player nameFábio Silva
Squad number11Player nameHwang Hee-chan
Squad number17Player nameBueno
Squad number21Player nameSarabia
Squad number24Player nameToti
Brighton & Hove Albion
Squad number23Player nameSteele
Squad number6Player nameMilner
Squad number4Player nameWebster
Squad number5Player nameDunk
Squad number30Player nameEstupiñán
Squad number13Player nameGroß
Squad number11Player nameGilmour
Squad number7Player nameMarch
Squad number10Player nameEnciso
Squad number22Player nameMitoma
Squad number18Player nameWelbeck
Squad number8Player nameDahoud
Squad number9Player nameJoão Pedro
Squad number14Player nameLallana
Squad number28Player nameFerguson
Squad number34Player nameVeltman
Line-ups
Wolves
Formation 4-4-1-1
- 1Sá
- 22Nélson Semedo
- 15DawsonBooked at 17minsSubstituted forGomesat 71'minutes
- 23KilmanBooked at 88mins
- 3Aït-NouriSubstituted forBuenoat 86'minutes
- 7Neto
- 8João GomesSubstituted forSarabiaat 55'minutes
- 5Lemina
- 27NunesBooked at 90mins
- 12Matheus Cunha
- 29Fábio SilvaSubstituted forHwang Hee-chanat 55'minutesBooked at 63mins
Substitutes
- 2Doherty
- 6Traoré
- 11Hwang Hee-chan
- 17Bueno
- 18Kalajdzic
- 21Sarabia
- 24Gomes
- 25Bentley
- 32Hodge
Brighton
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 23Steele
- 6MilnerBooked at 18minsSubstituted forVeltmanat 57'minutes
- 4Webster
- 5Dunk
- 30EstupiñánBooked at 60mins
- 13GroßBooked at 8minsSubstituted forDahoudat 81'minutes
- 11Gilmour
- 7March
- 10EncisoBooked at 19minsSubstituted forFergusonat 67'minutes
- 22MitomaSubstituted forLallanaat 81'minutes
- 18WelbeckSubstituted forJoão Pedroat 57'minutesBooked at 64mins
Substitutes
- 1Verbruggen
- 3dos Santos de Paulo
- 8Dahoud
- 9João Pedro
- 14Lallana
- 24Adingra
- 28Ferguson
- 29van Hecke
- 34Veltman
Live Text
Match ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Brighton and Hove Albion 4.
Second Half ends, Wolverhampton Wanderers 1, Brighton and Hove Albion 4.
Hand ball by Evan Ferguson (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. Billy Gilmour tries a through ball, but João Pedro is caught offside.
Foul by Solly March (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Hugo Bueno (Wolverhampton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Second yellow card to Matheus Nunes (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Delay in match (Brighton and Hove Albion).
Attempt blocked. Hugo Bueno (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked.
Attempt blocked. Hugo Bueno (Wolverhampton Wanderers) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Matheus Cunha.
Offside, Brighton and Hove Albion. Pervis Estupiñán tries a through ball, but Evan Ferguson is caught offside.
Delay over. They are ready to continue.
Delay in match because of an injury Mario Lemina (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Attempt missed. Nélson Semedo (Wolverhampton Wanderers) right footed shot from outside the box misses to the right following a corner.
Corner, Wolverhampton Wanderers. Conceded by Adam Webster.
Joël Veltman (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Pablo Sarabia (Wolverhampton Wanderers).
Maximilian Kilman (Wolverhampton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
João Pedro (Brighton and Hove Albion) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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