Brighton defeat at Wolves is missed opportunity in FA Cup

It might even be part of this potential Jurgen Klopp farewell quadruple we’ve been hearing about since Sunday.

Albion at their best would fancy breaking up that party.

But, no disrespect to Coventry City, they missed a glorious chance to target another Wembley appearance as they failed to break down Wolves.

Another chance to get that first win at the national stadium.

It slipped away from their grasp like that cross which slipped away from Jason Steele.

Eighty-odd minutes of searching for an equaliser like you might search for a lost ball in a thick hedge - it’s there somewhere, not sure where - proved unsuccessful.

Their football was often good to watch.

There were individual performances to be, if not thrilled and excited about, then at least appreciative of.

But this has to go down as a chance missed, an opportunity lost.

An occasion which got you thinking of absent friends - including Solly March, who scored twice at Wolves in August.

The breakthrough that day was produced by a moment of genius from Kaoru Mitoma.

There is no one else quite like the Japan star in Albion’s squad, possibly the whole league.

You can score goals and win games without him but you can’t directly replace him.

Julio Enciso is perhaps the closest to Mitoma when he is told to attack down the outside.

Enciso looked fit, eager and hungry when he came on as sub and that is a good sign.

Valentin Barco was given an unexpected run out at a venue where compatriot Alexis Mac Allister also made his debut as a late sub.

The fresh-faced, recently-arrived teenager is the future but also looks like a throwback from the bits we have seen.

Direct. Uncomplicated. Get the ball out of your feet and put it in the box with pace, whip, dip, curl, accuracy, urgency.

Danny Welbeck gave him a thumbs up after getting his head to a delivery which was similar to that from which Argentina under-23s clinched their Olympic place recently.

Facundo Buonanotte is becoming a leader in the attacking third.

Ansu Fati was mobile and lively and got a generally positive reaction.

But it still feels like that is setting the bar rather low for what was expected when he arrived, even taking his injury into account.

He has found the Europa League a more comfortable environment than English domestic competition.

Pervis Estupinan's dip in form feels inexplicable and even he looks mystified by it.

While Steele took the flak for the only goal, both Estupinan - the other scorer at Molineux in August - and Jan Paul van Hecke could have done more to prevent it.

Albion played some good stuff in response.

The highlights will show Jakub Moder shooting wide and Buonanotte heading past the same upright from good chances (although there may well have been a VAR-detectable offside on one of the moves).

But the story wasn’t the chances. It certainly wasn’t saves made by Jose Sa.

It was the chances they didn’t create given positions they got into.

All the time it felt like a goal would come, that something would happen.

The stakes were raised by knowing the sixth-round draw, no disrespect to Coventry City.

It is unusual to know which opponent lies in wait although it happens sometimes.

Anyone else recall going to Hartlepool on a Tuesday night for a first-round replay knowing the prize was a trip to Fleetwood?

Maybe the frustration would have been less intense had we known a game at Anfield or the Etihad awaited.

And suddenly it was 80 minutes, 85, 90 with only five to add.

One wonders what it is like to be a home fan who turns up and pays to watch his or her team invite the visitors to play the football.

We saw it at West Ham, Everton, Crystal Palace and now Wolves.

Wolves created more against Albion in a 4-1 defeat than they did in a 1-0 win.

But they knew what they were doing and the result justifies the means.

It’s when you don’t get the result that people complain.

The Molineux faithful cheered their side as time ran out.

Albion did not create enough. and, when a big chance came, it fell to the goalkeeper as Steele prodded wide.

Gary O’Neil showed Coventry City absolutely no disrespect as he spoke after the game and looked towards the sixth round.

Roberto De Zerbi would have done likewise.

But the Albion boss is back to solving puzzles, covering for injuries and moving his pieces.

Looking to cover for at least two players - Mitoma and Joao Pedro - who have unique qualities in the final third of the pitch.

He may well be looking for a midfield solution which is less straightforward than Player X simply doing exactly the job usually carried out by Billy Gilmour.

That would probably involve some typical tactical flexibility from Pascal Gross.

The absentees are hurting Albion.

It is tempting to say we are being given a reminder of the relentless and cumulative demands of competition at this level, up with the big boys.

But you can’t be reminded of something you have never been through before and this is an unprecedented campaign for the Seagulls.

It will have its highs but, on Thursday morning, defeat at Molineux felt no less disappointing than it had in the immediate aftermath.

Chances not created meant a big Wembley chance missed. No disrespect to Coventry City.