Kostoulas stunner saves Brighton against Bournemouth
2026-01-21
BRIGHTON: Greek teenager Charalampos Kostoulas scored with a superb overhead kick in stoppage time to salvage a point for Brighton & Hove Albion in a 1-1 home draw with Bournemouth in the Premier League on Monday.
It looked as though a controversial first-half penalty by Marcus Tavernier at the Amex StadiumhadsealedBournemouth back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since August.
But substitute Kostoulas, signed for a reported 32 million pounds ($42.96 million) from Olympiakos last summer, had other ideas as he launched himself into a bicycle kick from Jan PaulvanHecke`sknockdown and directed the ball past DjordjePetrovic.
The moment of magic was the 18-year-old`s second goal of the season and first since October.
`I`ve seen him score better in training, but that was unbelievable. He`s a special talent, Brighton skipper Lewis Dunk told Sky Sports. `You`ve seen glimpses, and there`ll be many more things to come from him.
Tavernier had put Bournemouth in front from the spot in the 32nd minute after referee Paul Tierney was told to view a VAR replay of an incident in which he initially booked Bournemouth`s winger Amine Adli for diving.
But after looking at the pitchside monitor he deemed that goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen had indeed caught Adli with his liftedleg as he tried to intercept a ball into the area.
`It`s difficult to speak to the referees. They always have their own opinion,` Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler said of the penalty. `A touch and a contact is not enough, and that is what the referees said to us before the start of the season. And in certain moments they don`t do it, that`s just the truth, and we`ve got to accept.
Brighton had started strongly but faded and Bournemouth could have built on their lead with Evanilson hitting the post and heading another chance just wide before halftime.
A tiring Bournemouth dropped deep in the second half but could not see out only their second Premier League away win thisseason. Brighton stayed in 12th place in the standings with 30 points from 22 games while Bournemouth are 15th with 27.
Bournemouth have now conceded 12 goals in the last 15 minutes of the second half no team has allowed more in the Premier League this season.
`At the end, we are in that moment in the season when everything is against us,` said Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, whose side have struggled this season after a flying start.
`We don`t have this little bit of luck you need. They scored an incredible goal, an overhead kick, top corner, and you finish with a point. It`s a big shame because the players did an incredible effort. They were dead at the end.`-Agencies