Brighton secured a resounding victory against a 10-man Sheffield United, who remain rooted to the bottom of the Premier League, having now conceded five goals at home for the third successive match.
The momentum of the game shifted dramatically in the 12th minute when United’s Mason Holgate made a reckless challenge on Kaoru Mitoma just below the knee in midfield.
Initially shown a yellow card, Holgate’s punishment was upgraded to a red following intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR).
With United down to 10 men, Brighton seized control, opening the scoring as Facundo Buonanotte bundled in a corner.
Danny Welbeck extended Brighton’s lead, slotting home a rebound after Wes Foderingham had denied Mitoma.
United thought they had pulled one back just before halftime through Ben Osborn’s hooked volley, but it was ruled out for offside.
Brighton further solidified their lead with a third goal, as United’s Jack Robinson inadvertently turned Mitoma’s cross into his own net.
Late in the game, Simon Adingra notched two goals, converting Pascal Gross’ pass and capitalizing on a fortuitous deflection.
Brighton enjoy record away win
Sunday’s triumph marked only the second league victory for Brighton in 2024, though they have clinched two wins in the FA Cup, notably a 5-2 win over United at Bramall Lane in the fourth round.
Even prior to Holgate’s dismissal, Roberto de Zerbi’s team displayed a consistent attacking threat.
Returning from his success in the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast, Adingra saw his cross deflected off Anel Ahmedhodzic and narrowly saved by a diving Foderingham.
With the score at 2-0, Yasser Larouci made two crucial goal-line clearances for United, denying Mitoma and Gross from close range. Foderingham also made sharp saves to deny Welbeck and Mitoma on either side of halftime.
Brighton’s victory represents their most significant away win in the top flight, and they have scored four or more goals on seven occasions across all competitions this season.
Occupying the seventh position, Brighton will encounter teams from the bottom half of the table in their upcoming five matches.
Their next fixture sees them hosting Everton on Saturday, a game De Zerbi will approach with expectations of securing a win.
Blades miss chance to move off bottom
“It feels like we get one back and then we lose one,” Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder told Sky Sports.
He was actually referring to Cameron Archer’s failure to pass a fitness test before kick-off, but the statement also effectively characterizes his team.
Following their 3-1 victory at Luton the previous week, the away side required only a draw to climb from the bottom of the table.
However, once they were reduced to ten men, any hope of a positive outcome quickly faded.
They came close to equalizing shortly after conceding, but James McAtee’s attempt following a skillful dribble was denied by Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who started ahead of Jason Steele.
There was confusion surrounding Osborn’s disallowed goal, initially ruled out for a foul but ultimately disallowed for offside after referee Stuart Attwell reviewed the pitchside monitor.
United’s next league fixture will see them travel to Wolves on 25 February.