Brighton's Kaoru Mitoma wins Premier League Goal of the Month award (1 Viewer)

Brighton & Hove Albion's Japanese winger, Kaoru Mitoma has secured the Premier League Goal of the Month award for August, making history as the first Japanese player to achieve this individual accolade. His remarkable achievement came after he executed a breathtaking solo goal during Brighton's 4-1 triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 19.

Mitoma's distinction extends to being the first Brighton player to claim this honor since former attacker Alireza Jahanbakhsh achieved the same feat in January 2020.

In that memorable moment, the Seagulls' star received the ball on the touchline, just within Wolves' half, and proceeded to navigate his way past three opposing players. With a right-footed strike, he expertly placed the ball into the far corner of the net, eluding the reach of Jose Sa, thus marking his first goal of the new season.

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Mitoma's prowess in the art of dribbling is well-documented. He authored a thesis on the subject while at university in Japan before joining Brighton. Since then, he has established himself as one of the Premier League's premier dribblers.

When asked to comment on his remarkable goal and the honor of receiving the monthly award, Mitoma shared with the Premier League's official website,

"It's not often I get this sort of award, so I feel honoured, and I'm grateful to my teammates.
"This goal was the culmination of all the things I've been practising. After I got past the first defender, there was this massive open space. Heading towards the goal, I was picking up a bit more speed. it made it easier to get past the defenders. I think this goal is probably the best one I've scored.

"When I retire I think this goal will always come to mind. It's not something that happens often. So I want to keep producing these kinds of moments in the future."

Mitoma faced stiff competition, besting contenders such as Bukayo Saka from Arsenal, Jarrod Bowen representing West Ham United, Alexander Isak of Newcastle United, Gustavo Hamer from Sheffield United, Luis Diaz representing Liverpool, Raheem Sterling from Chelsea, and Kevin Schade of Brentford to claim the Goal of the Month award.