Brighton beat Sunderland 2-0 despite Struijk red card

Brighton beat Sunderland 2-0 at the Stadium of Light on October 10, despite playing with 10 men for more than half an hour after Pascal Struijk was sent off. The victory extended Brighton’s Premier League winning run to three matches and left the club third in the table, according to a match report published after the game. Maxim De Cuyper put Brighton ahead in the 53rd minute, finishing after a pass from Pascal Gross. Four minutes later, Struijk was shown a red card following a VAR review. He had fouled Wilson Isidor as the Sunderland forward moved toward the penalty area, according to the match account. Brighton held their lead while a player down, defending Sunderland’s attacks before substitute Jaouen Hadjam scored in second-half stoppage time to secure the result. The match report said Sunderland had 12 attempts and recorded 0.64 expected goals. Brighton manager Fabian Hürzeler praised his players’ defensive work and their ability to cope with Sunderland’s intensity. He said the team had handled the personal duels and second balls, then used its opportunities when more space became available.