The Netherlands primary denied Newcastle time and time once more, both facet of a Thirty fifth-minute aim from Danny Welbeck – who was sadly stretchered off within the second interval.
It was the Magpies’ first defeat on Tyneside since champions Manchester Metropolis edged them out in a 3-2 thriller originally of the yr, however Eddie Howe’s males largely dominated proceedings with out with the ability to discover a well beyond Verbruggen.
After a VAR examine for a Newcastle penalty for a possible handball was shortly dismissed, the Magpies got here shut within the twelfth minute when Alexander Isak’s shot from an Anthony Gordon cutback was inadvertently blocked by Jacob Murphy.
4 minutes later, Isak – returning to the facet after a toe harm saved him out of the earlier three video games – simply didn’t get a decisive contact within the field following a Bruno Guimarães flick-on.
With Newcastle persevering with to play on the entrance foot as they attacked the Gallowgate Finish having misplaced the toss, Guimarães gained a free-kick halfway by means of the primary half however Fabian Schär’s 22-yard effort went broad.
And within the thirty first minute, Gordon’s deep left-wing nook was met by Joelinton however the Brazilian could not direct the ball on course.
Two minutes later Isak raced onto Guimarães’ slide-rule move however Verbruggen stood tall to dam the Sweden star’s shot.
And United had been punished because the guests went forward with their first actual assault of the match. A quickly-taken Lewis Dunk set-piece appeared to catch United’s defence out and Welbeck was in a position to bundle his method into the field and end coolly.
Newcastle seemed to reply within the forty first minute as Gordon reduce in from the left and let fly, with Verbruggen doing properly to parry the England winger’s highly effective shot.
At the start of the second half, Dunk volleyed over from a Yasin Ayari nook then Welbeck noticed a tame low shot simply fielded by Nick Pope.
Within the 53rd minute, Gordon headed over from a dinked Isak cross, then ten minutes later Isak made room for a strike on the sting of the field but it surely lacked the ability to actually bother Verbruggen.
Subsequent, the Dutch goalkeeper pushed away a deflected Isak shot earlier than Joelinton’s follow-up was blocked – then moments later, Joelinton was foiled once more as he seemed sure to comb residence from a Gordon move just for Igor Julio to take the ball off his toe.
Verbruggen was referred to as into motion as soon as extra within the 68th minute when Isak introduced down a raking move from Lewis Corridor and fired goalwards, however the Seagulls shot-stopper managed to maintain the ball out.
United wanted a last-ditch from Dan Burn to forestall Ferdi Kadioglu from doubling Brighton’s benefit after a slip type Corridor, however within the 74th minute Verbruggen made one more cease – albeit this time a comparatively snug one – to disclaim Gordon.
Pope made an honest save of his personal within the 84th minute, preserving out a rising strike from substitute Karou Mitoma, earlier than one other essential intervention to dam from Matts Wieffer in stoppage time.
However it was his reverse quantity Verbruggen who did essentially the most to consign United to a second defeat of the 2024-25 marketing campaign, beating a Harvey Barnes drive away at his close to submit after former Brighton man Dan Burn had a aim dominated out for offside in 9 minutes of added time.
And it was becoming that Verbruggen claimed the ultimate contact of the day, commandingly accumulating with Pope having come up for a late, late Newcastle nook.