Since Roberto De Zerbi shared the news that Kaoru Mitoma is likely to miss the rest of the season through a back injury, Brighton and Hove Albion have suffered two defeats having failed to find the back of the net in either.
With top scorer Joao Pedro continuing to miss out due to a thigh problem and injuries throughout the squad stacking up, the news of the Japanese international’s forthcoming absence strikes another blow to Albion’s attack and their chances of qualifying for European football once again.
Kaoru Mitoma Injury Poses Problems for Brighton and De Zerbi
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Brighton’s Dip in Form Since The Latest Mitoma Injury
Ahead of their trip to Rome in the Europa League, a heavily rotated Brighton side were beaten 3-0 by Fulham on Saturday as they slipped to ninth place in the league after wins for Newcastle United and West Ham United.
This was off the back of a 1-0 defeat away to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the fifth round of the FA Cup that was decided in the second minute of the game by a Mario Lemina goal.
Ahead of Brighton’s visit to Molineux, De Zerbi said: “I think we lost Mitoma until the end of the season. It’s an important problem. I think two or three months, finished the season.”
The Seagulls had been without the 26-year-old for a lengthy spell since the new year through an ankle injury before he was away on international duty representing Japan in the Asia Cup.
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However, upon his return, the “electric” winger was thrust into the starting eleven and injected creativity, dynamism, and attacking prowess into the side as they narrowly lost 2-1 away to Tottenham Hotspur before thumping Sheffield United 5-0 at Bramall Lane.
Mitoma’s back injury then ruled him out of the 1-1 draw at home to strugglers Everton, in which De Zerbi’s side only found a breakthrough in the 95th minute through a Lewis Dunk header, after having 65% of the ball.
This toothlessness was to continue in Brighton’s subsequent fixtures against Wolves and Fulham as they had 72% and 71% possession in these games respectively but were unable to capitalise on this dominance.
With these two teams also closing in on the South Coast side in the league table, the winger’s injury could prove to be a crucial turning point in the race for European football next season.
Mitoma’s Importance in Brighton’s Attack
Mitoma has scored three goals and registered five assists in all competitions this season. This puts him second in the Brighton squad for assists behind Pascal Groß who has 13.
The Japanese international is crucial for Brighton in his ability to drag them up the pitch, take on defenders, and drive into dangerous areas, and without him de Zerbi’s side struggle to commit players and stretch defences.
Despite his limited playing time, the winger ranks joint 12th in the Premier League this season for successful take-ons (39), fourth for carries into the penalty area (62) and second for progressive carries (121), according to data from Opta.
The winger has proved his end product and has produced 3.76 shot-creating actions and 0.61 goal-creating actions, per 90 minutes this season. Within the Brighton squad, this is, once again, second only to Groß.
Brighton fans could take confidence from the seven games that Mitoma missed during his ankle injury and spell on international duty, in which the Seagulls only lost once.
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However, this was a 4-0 defeat to Luton Town, who sit in the relegation zone, and was the third game in a row in which the Seagulls failed to find the back of the net.
In the ten games Mitoma has missed in his recent spells out of the side, Brighton have failed to score in five of these. Conversely, in his last ten appearances, the Seagulls have scored in nine, only drawing a blank away to title challengers Arsenal.
Mitoma’s influence on the recent victory over Sheffield United would have given hope to Brighton fans that their side’s fortunes in front of goal were taking a turn.
The winger played a part in two of the goals and was formidable in 1 v 1 situations, registering 48 carries, eight progressive carries, and four shot-creating actions.
However, this was Mitoma’s last appearance before his latest injury, and with an attacking player failing to find the net in the three games since then, the matter of the Seagulls’ struggles to score has once again reared its ugly head.
How Brighton Will Cope Without Mitoma
De Zerbi’s side registered their first two clean sheets in the league this season without Mitoma, in their run of three games without a goal that culminated in the 4-0 loss at Kenilworth Road. The Italian may look to sure up his defence once again to find results in the winger’s absence.
He will hope this is the case as Brighton travel to face AS Roma in the first leg of their round of 16 Europa League clash on Thursday after a successful group stage, finishing top above Ajax and Marseille.
This early momentum in Albion’s first European campaign now feels like a long time ago and was largely due to Pedro, who was the top scorer in the competition after the group stage with six goals.
The Brighton boss certainly had one eye on this fixture, as he made seven changes for their trip to Craven Cottage on the weekend. The Seagulls’ fans will be hoping this was the reason for the lacklustre performance as opposed to their long-term injury list.
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A return to the strongest available lineup and a stronger emphasis on stopping goals at the other end could be the catalyst for a positive result this Thursday. Mitoma’s absence could see Simon Adingra switch flanks to be deployed from the left, with Facundo Buonanotte impressing on the right-hand side in recent weeks.
The injury also presents the opportunity for the likes of Barcelona loanee Ansu Fati and Adam Lallana to work their way into the starting eleven.
As for finding goals, the Seagulls may look to capitalise more on set-piece situations using Pascal Groß’s proven delivery and the physical presence of players such as Dunk, Danny Welbeck, and Evan Ferguson.
Dunk is having a somewhat prolific campaign for a central defender having found the net four times. Three of these goals came directly from a Groß delivery – a combination De Zerbi may look to utilise without his main men in attack.
