James Milner broke the Premier League appearance record as Brighton ended a run of six league games without a victory with a 2-0 win at Brentford.

Milner, who made his league debut in 2002, played his 654th league match on Saturday, moving him clear of Gareth Barry in the all-time standings.

The 40-year-old's history-making appearance was marked with a victory, with Brighton the better side at the Gtech Community Stadium.

Brighton were on the front foot for much of the first half and produced the better chances, with Jack Hinselwood going close from distance, while Caoimhin Kelleher kept out Kaoru Mitoma's effort after the winger had jinked inside the penalty area.

Their dominance was rewarded in the 30th minute as Ferdi Kadioglu struck an effort from distance that cannoned off the crossbar, with Diego Gomez finishing well on the rebound.

Brighton's second arrived in first-half stoppage time as substitute Nathan Collins made a mess of a clearance, providing Danny Welbeck with a golden opportunity from just yards out, and the striker duly lashed home.

BACK TO WINNING WAYS IN THE #PL! pic.twitter.com/zvzmpj2zQ3

— Brighton & Hove Albion (@OfficialBHAFC) February 21, 2026

There was a slight improvement from the hosts in the second half, with their best opportunities coming from set-pieces, as Collins headed wide and Dango Ouattara hooked an effort over following a fine knockdown from Igor Thiago at the back post.

Joel Veltman almost scored an own goal in the latter stages of the match, as he nearly deflected a cross into his own net, but Bart Verbruggen secured the clean sheet for the visitors with a superb one-handed stop. 

Data Debrief: Milner into the record books

Milner was the man of the moment for Brighton, and he turned in a typically assured display, having been handed a start on his record-breaking day.

The midfielder topped Brighton for touches (70), passes (60) and accurate passes (51), while also winning both of the tackles he attempted.

Milner has faced 43 different sides in the Premier League, remaining unbeaten against seven teams, with one of those being Brentford, ending on the winning side in all four of his appearances against the Bees.

Across his 18 seasons in the Premier League, meanwhile, only in 2024-25 (10) has Welbeck scored more goals than his nine so far in 2025-26.

Welbeck has scored four goals in his last five Premier League appearances against Brentford, netting in each of his last three games against the Bees.