Carlos Baleba disputes Joao Pedro MOTM award after Brighton stun Fulham
Brighton striker Joao Pedro may not be deserving of his man-of-the-match award despite scoring a late-winner against Fulham according to teammate Carlos Baleba.
Baleba is a target for Liverpool, having impressed for the Seagulls this season, and the midfielder played 86 minutes in the win against Fulham.
Raul Jimenez opened the scoring for the Whites, before Jan Paul van Hecke scored a wonderful header, following a fantastic cross from a free-kick, delivered by Borussia Dortmund target Yasin Ayari.
However, Fulham will feel frustrated as the foul against Andreas Pereira was debatable at best, before the Seagull’s opener.
The game looked to be heading for a stalemate, before Pedro earned a penalty in the 96th minute, and the Brazilian finished past Bernd Leno to win his side all three points.
Brighton photographer ‘different level’ after Joao Pedro winner
Following the match, Baleba posted a number of photo’s to his Instagram, in which he praised both Pedro, and the photographer who captured the Brighton celebrations, saying: “Joao Pedro bagged the winner, but the photographer? Different level.
“That’s the real MOTM debate.”
The Brazilian striker then responded, saying: “Mon frere”, French for “My brother”.
| 2024/25 Premier League stats | Pedro |
| Appearances | 22 |
| Starts | 19 |
| Goals | 8 |
| Assists | 6 |
| Minutes | 1,613 |
The former Watford striker is in his second season at the club, and much like his Cameroonian teammate, Pedro has been linked with a move to Champions-elect, Liverpool.
Brighton’s next match will see them take on Man City at the Etihad on Saturday (15 March), as they look to overtake the Citizens in the Premier League.
Joao Pedro is the Roberto Firmino replacement Liverpool have been searching for
Football Insider Verdict
Since Roberto Firmino moved to Al-Ahli in Saudi Arabia, the Reds have been in search of a replacement for the Brazilian.
A big money move for Darwin Nunez has failed to work out, whilst Diogo Jota has injury issues, and Luis Diaz looks much more comfortable at left-wing.
Whilst Liverpool have adapted their style of play under Arne Slot, a lot of the fundamental aspects remain from Jurgen Klopp’s time in charge.
Most notably, the number nine is not actually tasked with being the main goal-getter for the team.
Firmino, on paper, was a good striker, but when you watched him in action you could see why he was such a key piece of Liverpool’s team.
The striker dropped deep, pressed high, assisted his wingers, and worked tirelessly for his side.
Pedro is not a carbon-copy of Firmino, but his balanced number of goals and assists show his ability to cohesively connect an attack to a midfield, whilst scoring at a good rate.
It is easy to see why the striker is such a highly prized asset at the Amex Stadium, and why Liverpool are interested in acquiring his services.