Brighton Manager Criticizes “Ridiculous Foul” as New Signing Matt O’Riley Injured in Carabao Cup Win

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler has condemned a "ridiculous foul" that marred his team’s Carabao Cup victory over Crawley Town, which saw new signing Matt O’Riley leave the field with an injury. O’Riley, who had joined the Seagulls from Celtic for £25 million just a day before, was forced off in the sixth minute after a crunching tackle from Crawley captain Jay Williams.

The challenge, which occurred early in the match, resulted in O’Riley suffering a left ankle injury that Hurzeler described as "not looking good." The Danish midfielder required significant treatment and was helped off the pitch by two physios.

"You can’t tackle like this," said Hurzeler, visibly upset. "It is a tackle where you take a risk of an injury of another player." Despite the severity of the tackle, Williams was not shown a yellow card and continued to face heavy boos from the crowd until his substitution in the second half.

The game also saw Crawley’s Jack Roles receive a red card in the 91st minute for a foul on Brighton’s Yasin Ayari, adding to the tension. Both managers, Hurzeler and Crawley’s Scott Lindsey, were booked by the referee late in the match.

In his post-match comments, Lindsey expressed regret over the tackle and the aggressive nature of the game. "Maybe we were a bit aggressive, maybe the referee missed it, and I would like to apologise," he said. "I wouldn't want anyone to be hurt. We are both passionate about the game and we wish Brighton all the best in the next round."

Brighton, despite the injury setback, progressed to the third round of the Carabao Cup with a commanding 4-0 win. Goals from Simon Adingra, Jeremy Sarmiento, Adam Webster, and Mark O'Mahony secured the victory and maintained Hurzeler's perfect start as manager of the Seagulls.

The match, while highlighting Brighton’s solid performance and progression, was overshadowed by concerns over O’Riley's injury and the nature of the tackles that marred the game.