Skip to main content

Written on .

When Jahanbakhsh went head over heels in the Premier League [VIDEO]

Jahanbakhsh

Alireza Jahanbakhsh probably bid farewell to Brighton in the summer of 2021 with a sense of what could have been eating away at him. Having earned himself an opportunity in the English top-flight with record-setting exploits in the Netherlands, more was expected of him at the Amex Stadium.

Sometimes, though, best-laid plans do not play out as hoped and tough decisions have to be made when it comes to starting afresh in new surroundings. An Iran international made that move on the back of three seasons with the Seagulls and has seen them remain short on goals in a 2021-22 campaign that sees Graham Potter’s side priced at 13/5 for a top-half finish in Premier League betting online.

Jahanbakhsh will believe that he could have offered more to the collective cause if greater opportunities to prove his worth had been presented. For long periods during his time on the South Coast, a proven frontman was asked to play a bit-part role.

Across the full campaigns that he spent at Brighton, only 21 Premier League starts were taken in – with 12 of those coming in a debut 2018-19 season. Admittedly he found the going tough at times, but the same can be said for any number of players who take a while to find their feet on the grandest of sporting stages.

Jahanbakhsh had shown in Holland with NEC Nijmegen and AZ Alkmaar, becoming the first Asian player to top the scoring charts in a major European league, that he knows his way to the back of the net. Chances to prove as much at Brighton proved hard to come by from the moment he walked through the door.

Memorable moment

There is, however, one special moment from that period of his career that will live long in the memory. While he may have only registered two Premier League goals in total across 50 appearances, one of those was good enough to land him a Goal of the Month award.

Said strike was registered a little over two years ago on January 1, 2020. It was certainly a New Year to remember for those who witnessed a quite stunning effort at the Amex in a heavyweight encounter with star-studded Chelsea.

There appeared to be little threat to the Blues when Lewis Dunk got his head to a corner from the right and nodded the ball across the box, rather than towards goal. Many Chelsea defenders even stood off Jahanbakhsh as he found himself facing the wrong direction and seemingly incapable of troubling Kepa Arrizabalaga between the posts.

He was to have other ideas, though, and in the blink of an eye delivered a perfectly executed bicycle kick that nestled into the bottom corner as a Spain international goalkeeper was left rooted to the spot.

Jahanbakhsh, along with plenty of those around him, could barely believe what had happened and he sunk to his knees in celebration as emotion poured out.

There may not have been too much for him to get excited about during a stint in England that promised plenty but ultimately delivered little, but there will always be one effort that leaves him feeling head over heels.

Alireza Jahanbakhsh