Brighton vs Newcastle: Danny Welbeck is getting better with age

Of course, Newcastle didn’t need the reminding.

Welbeck scored the winning goal against them in the first leg of the league match last October, and he also scored the goal that knocked Eddie Howe’s team out of the FA Cup at St James’ Park last March.

Even Hao couldn’t help but raise his hands.

“You have to give him a lot of credit for the two goals he scored today, especially the first goal,” he said.

“Because it is not easy to escape our defensive line and have the composure to finish the game past Nick, who was in great form and made a number of good saves in the first half.

“For him to continue playing this way is a credit to him,” he added.

So how does Houellebecq do it?

This is a player who previously had well-documented injury issues in recent years, but has shown that he can excel in the demands of Horzler’s system.

For context, no other team has had a higher turnover rate in the Premier League this season than Brighton.

As much as strikers have to provide goals in front of goal, under Horzler, they also have to work tirelessly without the ball.

And Horzler was keen to highlight how Welbeck has led from the front in this regard with his ‘recovery marches’ against Newcastle.

“He’s a great professional,” he said. “Before and after training, he always tries to be prepared. He is recovering well.

“In every training session, he is 100% ready. He never tries to rest. That is the main thing, and on top of that, if you have a good character and you lead with attitude and performance, that is the main thing that Danny Welbeck describes.

“He is always there. He is not a selfish character, he is always there for his teammates.”