Returning to the Amex Stadium for the first time in nearly a month, the Seagulls were happy to have home comforts once again, especially after losing just one of their last 11 league games on their own turf.
Eddie Howe’s side, meanwhile, have struggled on their travels of late, but the Magpies could have taken the lead with only six minutes on the clock, when Bruno Guimarães’ shot from inside the area went just wide of the right post.
The hosts were the stronger team in the first half, and they went close to taking the lead with 20 minutes played, when Georginio Rutter’s effort from the edge of the area was heading for the bottom right-hand corner before Nick Pope intervened.
However, having kept up the pressure, Brighton hit the front four minutes before the interval when Rutter’s through ball played Danny Welbeck in, and the striker dinked it over Pope from just inside the area.
Although Brighton were performing well, they would have been wary of the fact that they had kept just one clean sheet in their last 19 home PL games.
That said, the visitors weren’t doing much to put them under pressure, and Brighton could have doubled their advantage shortly after the break, when Yankuba Minteh’s pass picked out Yasin Ayari inside the area, but the Swede’s effort went just wide of the right post.
Newcastle's league win rate against Brighton of just 13% prior to kick-off only compounded the feeling that this wasn’t their day.
But there was to be a moment of joy, as Nick Woltemade’s stylish inside-of-the-foot finish from inside the area drew them level during the final 15 minutes.
Having seized the momentum, the Magpies might have sensed the opportunity to go on and win the game, but it was the home side who claimed the spoils six minutes from time.
Welbeck collected a loose ball on the edge of the area and swept it into the bottom left-hand corner to earn Brighton a victory that lifts them three places to ninth, while Newcastle drop a place to 12th as their stuttering start to the season continues.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Danny Welbeck (Brighton)
