Charalampos Kostoulas delivered a spectacular overhead kick in stoppage time as Brighton snatched a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth, rescuing Fabian Hurzeler’s team from what would have been a first defeat
of 2026 and denying the visitors victory after Marcus Tavernier’s earlier penalty.
The 18-year-old substitute controlled Jan Paul van Hecke’s looping header with calm precision, then launched a flying attempt into the left corner in the 91st minute, beating the Bournemouth defence at a stage when Brighton had been pushing relentlessly but struggling to turn territorial control into clear chances.
Across the match, Brighton dominated much of the ball and finished with 66.3% possession, out-shooting Bournemouth by 17 efforts to 12, yet underlying numbers slightly favoured the Cherries, who led the expected goals measure 1.33 to 1.05, helped heavily by Tavernier’s first-half penalty opportunity.
That spot-kick arrived on 32 minutes when Bart Verbruggen was judged to have caught Amine Adli late in the area, with the Bournemouth player initially cautioned for simulation before the yellow card was cancelled and the penalty given following a VAR review, a sequence that caused clear frustration on the Brighton bench.
Lewis Dunk accepted the late equaliser felt dramatic for viewers yet said the technique itself was familiar, as the captain explained that Kostoulas often produces such efforts at the training ground and was therefore not a surprise source of a decisive moment in a tight Premier League contest.
The Brighton captain told Sky Sports: "I’ve seen him score better in training, but that was unbelievable. He’s a special talent. You’ve seen glimpses, and there’ll be many more things to come from him. He’s adapting to the country, to a new league, and he’s shown what he can do. That showed exactly what he can do. "
Kostoulas, who joined from Olympiacos in a 35m (29.8m) move last June, already had experience of scoring in the Premier League after netting in a 4-2 loss at Manchester United in October, and the overhead kick became his second goal in the competition while also underlining Brighton’s impact from the bench.
Kostoulas’ strike was Brighton’s ninth league goal produced by a substitute this season, the highest total of any club in the Premier League, and extended a trend of decisive contributions from Hurzeler’s replacements during the campaign, especially in tight matches where late energy has changed the pattern.
91st minute, losing 1-0. Up steps Charalampos Kostoulas with a stunning strike pic.twitter.com/AiXSYe3vD2Premier League (@premierleague) January 19, 2026
Speaking after the match, Kostoulas expressed pride in the finish but also clear disappointment that Brighton collected only one point rather than three, emphasising personal satisfaction with the goal while stressing that the team objective remains to keep collecting wins during the run-in to the end of the season.
For you, it’s the first time you see it, but Lewis has seen it a lot of times in training, he said of his acrobatic strike. I like this way of scoring or trying to score. Today, the ball went into the net. I’m happy for this goal, but the result could be better for us. We needed three points to keep pushing until the end of the season.
Brighton Bournemouth Premier League controversy and Hurzeler bookings
Hurzeler was visibly angered by the penalty call that put Bournemouth ahead and later received a booking for protesting, taking the Brighton head coach to nine yellow cards in Premier League matches since arriving for the 2024-25 season, a tally that equals former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca for most during that period.
In his own interview with Sky Sports, Hurzeler said: "It’s difficult to speak to the referees. They always have their own opinions, and it’s difficult to have a conversation. At the end of the day, they made a decision, and we don’t agree, but we had to accept it. Sometimes these things happen, and that’s football. "
Brighton leave the match with mixed feelings after controlling large spells yet needing a spectacular late goal to avoid defeat, while Bournemouth reflect on a display built on organisation and a clinical penalty, with Kostoulas’ overhead kick and the disputed VAR decision standing out as the defining moments of the contest.
