With less than a quarter of the season remaining and no time to waste as both Brighton and Newcastle look to fortify their precarious spots in the Premier League, the importance of this six-pointer was clear for all to see. Only Brighton lived up to the occasion, producing a sublime performance to smother Newcastle 3-0 at the Amex and move six points clear of Fulham in the relegation zone.
Only one point separated Brighton and Newcastle in 16th and 17th place before Saturday night. Despite their similar standings, it would be difficult to find two relegation contenders in such contrasting moods.
