Albion’s Alireza Jahanbakhsh backed to get goals

The Argus – BRIGHTON, ALIREZA JAHANBAKHSH has been backed to boost Albion’s goals tally.

The £17 million record signing was top scorer in the Dutch top fight with AZ Alkmaar last season.

He almost broke his duck for the Seagulls when striking the bar against Huddersfield during what manager Chris Hughton regarded as the Iranian winger’s best performance for the club so far.

“Yes and I am hoping we are going to see more,” Hughton told The Argus. “He is a goalscorer and that is why we brought him in.

“Particularly in a 4-3-3, you know you can get goals from your number nine but we are missing Jose’s goals from last year from the left.

“Jurgen is a different player, Anthony hasn’t been a big goalscorer for us, so you like to think that with Alireza in the team we can get more goals.”

Jahanbakhsh and the recalled Bernardo behind him at left-back face a test from Crystal Palace’s potent combination of Wilfried Zaha and Aaron Wan-Bissaka at Selhurst Park on Saturday after Hughton played them together against Huddersfield for the first time in the Premier League.

Hughton said: “Bernardo was in good form before he got injured, and I don’t think Gaetan has done badly at all, but on balance Bernardo got the nod.

“Alireza is now back from the Asian Cup, he has been with us a while and he is a player we value and brought here for big money.”