Brighton climbed to seventh in the Premier League to boost their hopes of European qualification with a comfortable victory over bottom club Wolves.

The Seagulls are now on 53 points and, with two matches remaining, trail sixth-placed Bournemouth by two points and Aston Villa, in fifth, by five.

It took them just 35 seconds to breach the Wolves defence at Amex Stadium as Jack Hinshelwood made history as he headed home a cross from left-back Maxim de Cuyper.

The midfielder's third goal in as many matches - adding to his strikes against Chelsea and Newcastle - was the earliest Brighton have ever scored in the Premier League.

Captain Lewis Dunk, making his first start since 21 March, doubled the lead four minutes later with another header from a De Cuyper corner, leaving already-relegated Wolves stunned.

Striker Danny Welbeck, chasing a record-breaking 14th league goal for the club, soon forced visiting keeper Dan Bentley into a save, but the Seagulls were unable to add a third before the interval.

Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera clipped the crossbar with a header before Mateus Mane's effort was kept out by Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen during a rare bright spell for Rob Edwards' men early in the second half.

Winger Kaoru Mitoma pulling up while holding his hamstring will be a concern for Brighton, as well as Japan, before this summer's World Cup.

But his side were able to seal victory with four minutes left as Yankuba Minteh finished well after Georginio Rutter's good run was halted.

It took Brighton just 35 seconds to find the response they were looking for on Saturday.

The Seagulls were undone by two early Newcastle goals in a disappointing 3-1 defeat at St James' Park last weekend.

This time, though, it was Brighton who delivered quickfire blows inside the first five minutes to seize control against Wolves.

Belgian full-back De Cuyper replaced the injured Mats Wieffer and provided the assists for both goals - first floating in a cross for Hinshelwood to score his fourth of the season.

It was further proof of the 21-year-old relishing the number 10 role offered to him by manager Fabian Hurzeler in February.

Brighton had one league win in 13 games when Hinshelwood was moved behind Welbeck in the 2-0 win at Brentford. Since then, they have won seven of their 10 games.

But with two still to play and sixth place likely to secure Champions League football, the stakes remain very high for Brighton, with Bournemouth, Brentford, Chelsea and Everton still in contention.

Hearing the Champions League anthem at the Amex next season might not have been high on most supporters' wishlists, but it is now a possibility - and would be a fitting reward for Hurzeler after he committed his future to the club with a new deal until 2029.

Wolves continue their slow drift towards the Championship, collecting more unwanted records on the way.

With less than five minutes on the clock, this game was effectively over.

Edwards' side are now winless in 20 away Premier League matches (D5, L15) - their worst run since a 23-game stretch between April 2003 and August 2004.

A 24th defeat of the league campaign also meant they have now been beaten by all 19 opponents they have faced - only Sheffield United in 2023-24 have previously lost to every other side in a single season.

They were overwhelmed by Brighton's intensity in the first half, but showed a flicker of spirit in the second as Mosquera brushed the crossbar and Hwang Hee-chan also hit the post, only to be flagged offside.

But they fell well short once again - as they have done so often in this campaign.

With only two games remaining, at least they know the end of a miserable season is finally within sight.

Brighton will travel to Leeds United on Sunday, 17 May (15:00 BST) in their penultimate league fixture, while Wolves host Fulham at the same time.