Brighton star makes Newcastle and Tottenham claim as race for Europe begins now

Brighton moved to within seven points of fourth-place Tottenham, with three games in hand, after dismantling the Hammers 4-0 at the Amex Stadium on Saturday, March 4.

The win, combined with losses for fellow Europe contenders Spurs and Newcastle, means it was a near perfect weekend for Albion, having previously dropped five points in their last two games.

Albion, currently in eighth, are also four points off Liverpool in the Europa League qualifying spot (fifth), with two games in hand on Jurgen Klopp’s side. The Reds moved above Newcastle after they trashed Manchester United 7-0 at Anfield yesterday.

Many Brighton supporters are now excited about the possibility of playing in Europe next season and Veltman admitted post-match it was hard not to look at the table.

However, the Dutchmen also re-iterated that he and his teammates need to keep their feet on the ground as they enter the end-of-season run in.

Veltman said: “Of course you are looking at the table. We saw Spurs and Newcastle lost. I’ve said it before, we need to stay humble. We have some big teams behind us as well pushing for the three points.

"It’s a bit strange when we have played fewer games about how it will end. For now we are doing great. We try to win every game and then we see where we end.”

Veltman managed to get himself on the scoresheet in Saturday’s victory; alongside Alexis Mac Allister, Karou Mitoma and Danny Webeck.

The Dutchmen scored his first of the season and Brighton’s second of the afternoon, after Mac Allister had flicked off a Pascal Gross corner to the back-post, where the 31-year-old was waiting to turn the ball home into an empty net with his chest.

The defender said he found himself in the position to score after receiving the instructions from manager Roberto De Zerbi.

Veltman said: “We train on it. I had to defend the corner but coach said to me in the first half: don’t block the goalkeeper, what are you doing? Go to the second post for a tap in.

"First corner I did after that (I scored). You have to see how it comes to you (improvisation). When Alexis hit it there was one option to hit it with my chest. “One goal for the season? “Yeah I’m done.”

“It’s really difficult to defend Webster Dunk and Levi. They get all the attention because they’re quiet tall. It’s fun to be one of the small guys as they don’t pay attention to you. The flick has to be good and somewhere needs to be there at the second post. It was perfect. We did train on if lots of times.

“We are working really hard on set pieces. Lucky for everyone we scored.”

Veltman started his 16th league game of the season on Saturday, but did so for the first time without Robert Sanchez behind him in goal.

The Spanish goalkeeper was dropped to bench for the first time in 58 Premier League matches, being replaced by Jason Steele, after De Zerbi said the 32-year-old was playing “closer to his style of play”.

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Veltman was full of praise for Steele after the game, praising the keeper for his distribution and contribution to Brighton’s seventh clean sheet of the season.

He said: “Clean sheet is holy grail for a goalkeeper so it’s amazing for him. He did well especially on the ball. He showed it already in the cup games.”