MY ACCOUNT
Brighton winger Kaoru Mitoma is finding form at the perfect time ahead of Japan’s World Cup campaign.
The 25-year-old scored his first Seagulls goal in a 3-2 win over Wolves last weekend, before netting again four days later as his side dumped Arsenal out of the Carabao Cup.
Ahead of the South Coast outfit’s home clash with Aston Villa, we put the attacking midfielder under the spotlight.
Slow start
Mitoma has had to wait patiently to get his chance to shine at Brighton.
The talented wide-man was snapped up by the Seagulls in August 2021 after notching an impressive 30 goals and 20 assists in 62 appearances for J1 League side Kawasaki Frontale.
He was immediately shipped out on loan to Belgian outfit Union Saint-Gilloise for the 2021-22 campaign — a club owned by Brighton chairman Tony Bloom.
Eight goals and four assists in Brussels was enough to convince former manager Graham Potter to keep him in his squad for this season.
While starts still came in short supply under the now Chelsea boss, Mitoma’s pace, skill and ability to beat a man has seen him often catch the eye when introduced off the bench.
Making an impact
When Roberto De Zerbi replaced Potter in September, it was clear the Italian coach was a big fan of Mitoma.
After the Japanese midfielder’s impressive displays against Liverpool and Tottenham, De Zerbi said: “Mitoma is a very good player.
“Maybe Mitoma and [Adam] Lallana changed the game in Liverpool and today the same.
“I want to find the way to put on the pitch all players who have more quality.
“But it is possible to play only 11. Great guy, great player.”
Scintillating form
Since being named in a Premier League XI for the first time against Chelsea last month, Mitoma has not looked back.
An electric display by the Seagulls saw them inflict a 4-1 defeat on Potter’s Blues on the Englishman’s return to the South Coast and Mitoma was heavily involved to set them on their way.
Capitalising on a loose pass early on, the left-sided attacker burst past two defenders before expertly laying the ball off for Leandro Trossard to open the scoring.
In the next game at Wolves, he impressively leapt to head in Adam Lallana’s cross for his first top-flight goal, before his excellent touch on the run led to Nelson Semedo’s sending off at Molineux.
In the cup at Arsenal a few days later, Mitoma was the star of the show again, curling in a delightful strike to put his side ahead in their 3-1 victory.
Impressive numbers
While recent performances have seen him grab plenty of the limelight, the statistics show Mitoma has been quietly shining all season.
Despite just 308 minutes in the Premier League, he has certainly made his mark. He ranks healthily among the league’s best forward players for a number of metrics.
Only Kevin De Bruyne (3.8) has created more chances per 90 minutes than the Japan international (2.9), while only Allan Saint-Maximin (4.06) has completed more take-ons than his 2.61.
Now he is adding goals and assists to this game, there is even more to come from Brighton’s No22 according to his boss.
After his influential display at the Emirates, De Zerbi said: “Mitoma is a big player and I think he has very big potential, and he didn’t show all his potential.
“He can improve a lot and he can become a very big player.”
The stage awaits
As soon as Sunday’s clash with Villa is done and dusted, Mitoma’s attention will switch straight to the World Cup.
His brace against Australia in March sealed Japan’s place at the Qatar showpiece and Mitoma is set to play a key role after being named in their 26-man squad.
He has a similarly efficient record for his country, managing six goals and two assists in his 10 caps since making his senior international debut 12 months ago.
Featuring for his country at a World Cup will be the latest step on a remarkable journey for Mitoma, who was still fighting for a place in his university team during the 2018 tournament in Russia.
He said: “The World Cup was a distant stage [in 2018]. I wasn’t even thinking I’d be able to become a national team member at that time.
“Winning or losing the first game makes a huge difference at the World Cup, so I’ll start off by giving my all in the first game against Germany. Coming through the tough battles on the winning side means everything.”
The Samurai Blue kick off their campaign against Germany on November 23 before further clashes with Costa Rica and Spain in a tough-looking Group E.
While their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages may be slim, Mitoma looks to have all the tools to capture the world’s imagination at Qatar.
