That’s all for tonight – bye! It was the Evan Ferguson Show, but Billy Gilmour ran it. Here’s his verdict. I’m really happy personally. But last week we weren’t good enough and we had to make it right. It’s a very competitive changing room – we all want to play and we’ve got a lot of competitions to come. When you’re in, you have to give it your all. [Roberto De Zerbi] is really tough; everything has to be perfect, which is good for us. We want to learn and he’s a great manager. We work so much on things like trying to turn forward and look at the full pitch. For me it’s been amazing to work with him. I’m enjoying my football. To play every game this season is great – I’m gaining confidence and minutes in my legs. To get on the ball as much as I did today was really enjoyable. Evan Ferguson chats to Sky Sports [In the tunnel, Lewis Dunk said the third goal might be an own-goal] He’d be the only man to take it off me! [It looks on target, doesn’t it?] Not on that replay (laughs) but we need to change the angle. [How does it feel?] Yeah it’s good. Bad result last week, we knew we needed to bounce back. We came out flying and got the good luck in the end. [On the first goal] I thought I might be offside, because the defender was behind me, but you just have to try to finish it. I did that and luckily I wasn’t offside. In training it can be hard to work on game-realistic positioning, so sometimes you have to sniff it out. You have to be ready at all times. [The second goal] In the first half I could’ve turned and drove at them a bit more, and we talked about it at half-time. I decided the first chance I got I’d turn and have a shot. [On scoring a Premier League hat-trick aged 18] I dunno! It’s really fresh so it’s hard to take in. It’s an unbelievable feeling; as a kid, as a strker, you want to grow up and scores goals in the Premier League. When you get a hat-trick, it’s a good day. My family were here as well. [Your dad played didn’t he?] He tried, I think. Big centre-back. [What was he like when you were playing at youth level? Was he demanding?] Nah. He’d stand on the sideline with his hood up, saying nothing. That helped me because if I did need anything I could ask him and he’d know what he was talking about. Jonathan Wilson was lucky enough to be at the Amex Stadium tonight. Here’s his report. This, as ever, is a great spot from Tim. They’re at least a season ahead of schedule, which can create problems with things like rotation and man-management. That said, ultimately their defeats have all been to very good teams. After the international break they have a good run of fixtures in the Premier League, albeit with midweek games against Milan, Man City, PSG and Dortmund. If the relevant people hold their nerve, they should be fine. That was a really bad day for Newcastle, easily their worst performance of the season so far. They were strangely meek, the first five minutes aside, and the international break is probably coming at a decent time for them. This wasn’t all about Evan Ferguson. The first five minutes aside, Brighton were just brilliant, an extended shot of dopamine for neutrals never mind their own fans. Billy Gilmour – who is receiving an animated post-match appraisal from Roberto De Zerbi as I type - and Pascal Gross ran the game even though they were ostensibly outnumbered in midfield, Newcastle couldn’t get near Joao Pedro, and I could go on but I’m just repeating myself now. In so many ways, modern football is soul-destroying nonsense. Then there’s Brighton & Hove Albion. Full time: Evan Ferguson 3-1 Newcastle Peep peep! That’s yet another charming bit of Big Seven-bashing from Brighton. They totally outclassed Newcastle, with the 18-year-old striker Evan Ferguson scoring a hat-trick. He walks onto the field at the final whistle with a slightly shy smile and no big celebration; his temperament will be as important as his talent, because he’s going places. 90+8 min Lallana is booked for something or other; then Sean Longstaff gives him a rare old mouthful. That was a bit strange. 90+7 min Trippier saves a fourth goal with a fine piece of defending. Lamptey broke into the area from the right and crossed low towards the far post. Mitoma was about to turn the ball into an open goal when Trippier got a sight touch to divert it away from him. 90+6 min “What was I saying?” wrote Jeremy Boyce, a split-second at most before Wilson’s goal. “A 3-0 humiliation, it’ll be a long flight oop’t’north tonight, and a good clubbing from Eddie on Monday morning.” 90+5 min Schar is down, which is a worry for Newcastle, though it might just be cramp. They’ve used all their subs. Even so, after Sven Botman’s injury they really can’t afford to lose him as well. 90+5 min Dahoud asks for a yellow card after a foul by Lascelles, and gets one himself. GOAL! Brighton 3-1 Newcastle (Wilson 90+2) Callum Wilson gets a consolation goal. Longstaff played a speculative first-time ball round the corner, Jordan Henderson-style, which reached Wilson on the right side of the area. He ran through Van Hecke, benefitting from a double ricochet, and finished coolly past Verbruggen. 90+1 min Seven minutes of added time. 90 min Adingra almost makes it 4-0 after lovely play from Estupinan and Mitoma on the left. Eventually Mitoma’s low pass into the area was stabbed up in the air by Adingra, whose volley was bravely blocked by Schar (I think). 89 min With football now clinically insane, there will be talk tonight about Eddie Howe being under pressure. He still has so much credit in the bank that it would be absurd to even consider sacking him. The fact it will be spoken about is still pretty irritating. 88 min: Brighton substitution The quietly excellent Pascal Gross is replaced by Simon Adingra. 87 min Trippier’s free-kick is headed towards goal by Burn beyond the far post. Verbruggen makes a comfortable save. 86 min Milner is booked for a gratuitous foul on Gordon, one last gesture to the Liverpool fans. 85 min Apart from a lack of blistering pace, it’s hard to see a flaw in Evan Ferguson’s game. He’s tactically aware and can already play as a 9 or a 10; he moves off the ball and rolls defenders like an old don; he’s tall, strong and scores all types of goals; his passing is fine and will get better; his temperament is apparently rock solid. In football terms, he’s like a bouncer who can also outwit you. He’s 18. 83 min Lamptey is fouled by the lunging Schar, who’s on a yellow card, but he stays on his feet and charges into the area. The attack peters out and it’s Lamptey who is booked for an overzealous challenge. 81 min: Double substitution for Brighton James Milner and Adam Lallana replace Solly March and Evan Ferguson, who gets a standing ovation from an adoring home crowd. This time last year he was playing for Brighton Under-21s at Colchester in the Football League Trophy; now he’s scoring hat-tricks against Champions League teams. 78 min A flurry of challenges on the halfway line ends with Trippier, Fergusn and Estupinan on the floor. It’s like Reservoir Bloody Dogs out there. They all seem fine – Ferguson is limping a bit but I think it’s an impact injury rather than anything more serious. 77 min: Double substitution Tariq Lamptey and Mahmoud Dahoud replace Billy Gilmour and Joao Pedro. They were both outstanding; in fact that might be Gilmour’s best performance for Brighotn. 76 min Dan Burn, who has been schooled by Ferguson, makes a bad night even worse by getting booked for pulling back Solly March. 74 min: Double substitution for Newcastle Harvey Barnes and Jamaal Lascelles come on for Alexander Isak and Matt Targett. 74 min The third goal has been awarded to Evan Ferguson, which means he has officially scored his first Premier League hat-trick. It’s delightful moment for a brilliant and thoroughly likeable kid. 73 min The world is a complete mess, and then there’s Brighton & Hove Albion. The shot took a huge deflection off Schar and wrongfooted Pope. Was it on target and therefore Ferguson’s goal? I reckon it was, though I’d like to see a few more replays before putting the farm on it. Ferguson received possession on the edge of the area, took a touch and swept a left-footed shot that hit Schar and flew into the net. Roberto De Zerbi, who has managed Ferguson so brilliantly in the past 12 months, punches the air with delight. GOAL! Brighton 3-0 Newcastle (Ferguson 70) And now, Dubious Goals Committee or whatever they’re called these days notwithstanding, he has his first career hat-trick! 70 min Trust me, there’s no catch with Evan Ferguson. He has it all. 68 min Targett is booked for something or other. 67 min Newcastle have an immediate chance to get one back, but Gordon drives Anderson’s cutback wide from 15 yards. He’s had a bad night. It’s another lovely goal to add to Ferguson’s impressively varied portfolio. He dropped deep to receive a straight pass from Gilmour, 35 yards from goal. Burn, sick of being turned with ease by a teenager, decided to stay at home this time. That allowed Ferguson to turn into space, open his body and curl a precise shot that beat the diving Pope and bounced into the side netting. He didn’t hammer it, by any means, but it could barely have been more accurate. GOAL! Brighton 2-0 Newcastle (Ferguson 65) Evan Ferguson is 18 years old. 63 min “Sounds like it was a fun first half,” says Rob Knap. “De Zerbi was compared to Zdenek Zeman when managing in Italy. They both managed Foggia, but it was more about the approach. And most notably, their teams simply scored a lot and conceded a lot. Losing 5-1 at home to Everton in 2023 is not quite losing 8-2 to Milan in the context of 1990s Serie A, but it’s Zeman-like in its madness. I doubt De Zerbi is going to try and close this game down now they have a lead... More generally, it’s going to be fascinating watching De Zerbi from here.” I was fascinated by that Foggia side, especially Igor Shalimov and the front three. For those not familiar, look at their record (goals for and against) in the first season after they were promoted to Serie A. This was the last year before the backpass law, so goals were still a rare event. 61 min Trippier’s inswinging corner is punched away effectively, if not entirely convincingly, by Verbruggen. That might be a way in for Newcastle, who have some abundant units on the field. 60 min Mitoma forces another error from Trippier, though Estupinan can’t take advantage. Brighton are playing so well tonight. 58 min: Triple substitution for Newcastle Sean Longstaff, Elliot Anderson and Callum Wilson come on for Joelinton, Sandro Tonali and Miguel Almiron. All had games to forget, though Tonali was okay in patches. 57 min Ferguson beats Burn with a delightful bodyswerve. Targett comes across to make an important interception and is taken out by Ferguson. I know I’m mildly obsessed, but Evan Ferguson is phenomenally accomplished for an 18-year-old. 56 min March’s corner is just too high for Ferguson at the back post. It brushes his head and goes behind for a goalkick. 55 min March wins another corner. Newcastle aren’t at the races. 54 min Trippier tries to pass the ball out of his own area… with hilarious consequences. He gives it straight to Joao Pedro, but makes partial amends by tracking him across the area. Joao Pedro tries a backheel to Ferguson but doesn"t connect properly. 54 min “Brighton need to up their game and get one of theirs sent off,” says Ian Copestake. “Beating Newcastle with 11 players is so the week before last. ‘One of theirs.’ Ray Winstone over here.