Brighton & Hove Albion's Joao Pedro has revealed how pre-match social media banter fuelled their determination to beat Bournemouth.

The Seagulls secured a 2-1 win in the Premier League, with Pedro revealing that a Bournemouth post online had motivated the team.

Pedro said: "I think this game was very important for everyone because you saw things on the internet, and you didn’t like it.

"So we had more motivation to win this game.

"I think that’s why the team was very aggressive and tried to not get the goal.

"We conceded one, but in the end, we got the three points – that’s the important thing."

The comments are believed to be in response to Bournemouth's pre-match poster, which depicted defender Igor Júlio enjoying an ice cream in front of a seaside van with the tagline "Cherry Cones – The South Coast’s Finest."

The graphic, intended to rally home support, seemingly gave Brighton extra determination to silence the Cherries on their own turf.

FROM THE GAME:

Following the win, Pedro took to Instagram to post a cheeky story of himself holding an ice cream cone, accompanied by emojis, in a clear dig at Bournemouth's earlier post.

The playful rivalry between the two south-coast clubs quickly spread on social media, with fans of both sides sharing and commenting on the banter.

The Seagulls’ victory was hard-fought, with Brighton showing relentless drive throughout the match.

While Bournemouth’s poster set the tone before kick-off, it was Brighton who enjoyed the sweeter ending, taking home three points – and an extra scoop of satisfaction.