Brighton got their Women’s Super League sesaon off to a blistering start, beating Everton in devastating fashion 4-0 at home. It was the Japanese 28-year-old Kiko Seike who stole all the headlines as she became the first player in history to score a hat-trick during their Women’s Super League debut.
Brighton and Hove Albion manager Dario Vidosic couldn’t have hoped from a better start to his career in England’s top league, as they swept past Everton. Seike was far from a household name to the Women’s Super League audience, but that soon changed after nothing short of a perfect display from the Japanese international.
The classy forward signed for Brighton in the summer transfer window from Urawa Reds for an undisclosed fee. She bagged 20 goals last sesaon in the Japanese women’s football league as her team clinched the title, a fitting send off for the Japanese international.
Fran Kirby thinks her “Excellent” teammate will “score goals”
Lionesses icon and legend of women’s football Fran Kirby also scored on her debut for Brighton against Everton, after joining from Chelsea over the summer months. Kirby was more than happy to have the post-match attention directed towards Seike however.
“She’s a fantastic player. You could see that when she first came in that she is very direct. She wants to score goals and get in the box and you need those players if you’re going score goals in this league. We are really happy to have her and delighted she got off the mark with a hat-trick.” Kirby told the media after the victory.
It was an impressive victory for Brighton who have often been heralded as a dark horse in the Women’s Super League but they have never quite pulled off a coup. Things may be looking up this season after such an impressive start, but Kirby is aware how much work that will take. “Even though we won the game 4-0 you could see where we still need to improve but that’s the most exciting thing about this group – we know we can go to another level.”
Kiko Seike will fast become a fan favourite in the WSL
Breaking records is no mean feat in a league as established as the Women’s Super League. Never before Seike, has a player joined the league and scored a hat-trick in their first game. It’s efforts like her recent performance against Everton, that will seal her fate as a cult hero amongst the Brighton (and dare I say rival) fans.
Not only did Seike help Brighton and Hove Albion take all three points in their opening fixture, but she did so with three beautiful goals. The forward started her scoring account for Brighton with a powerful strike from distance thirty minutes into the first half. Her impressive strike was followed by a diving header into the back of the net to mark her second goal of the day. The new signing then rounded off the performance with a cheeky chip over the Everton ‘keeper. Seike already has the makings of a quite impressive highlight reel for a newcomer.
Brighton added no less than 11 players to their squad in the Summer alongside the already impressive duo of Seike – Kirby, there were several big-name acquisitions. Nikita Parris was signed from Manchester United after finishing the 2023/24 season as their top scorer.
Bruna Vilamala was also signed on loan from European giants Barcelona after she helped the Spanish outfit win the Champions League and La Liga last season. It’s set to be an exciting and potentially history making Women’s Super League season for Brighton and Hove Albion.
