Brighton win at Sunderland despite controversial red card

Brighton secured a victory over Sunderland in a match marked by controversy, despite being reduced to 10 men for 30 minutes. Goals from Maxim de Cuyper and Jaouen Hadjam propelled the Seagulls to stay third in the table, two points behind joint-leaders Manchester City and Arsenal. Pascal Gross provided the assist for the opening goal, a precise slide-rule pass to de Cuyper, who slotted past Sunderland's Robin Roefs.

The momentum seemed to shift just four minutes later when Wilson Isidor was fouled by Brighton's Pascal Struijk, seemingly the last man. While initial referee Thomas Bramall and assistant did not deem it a foul, video assistant referee (VAR) Neil Davies reviewed the incident and prompted a red card for Struijk. Brighton weathered the 11-man period and secured a second goal in stoppage time through Hadjam, who found the net with a low strike across Roefs, marking his first goal for the club.

Struijk had earlier come close to scoring with the final touch of the first half from a free-kick. Despite the controversial red card, Brighton maintained their third-place position in the league, two points behind the top two. Sunderland, on the other hand, endured their fourth loss in six league games and third in a row, currently sitting at 16th in the table but facing the threat of relegation.