Brighton beat Sunderland 2-0 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday despite playing more than half an hour with ten men. Maxim De Cuyper scored in the 53rd minute, Pascal Struijk was sent off four minutes later following a VAR review, and Jaouen Hadjam sealed the win with a counter-attack goal in the third minute of stoppage time. It was Brighton’s fourth straight win in all competitions and Sunderland’s third straight Premier League defeat.
Playing with ten men for the final half-hour, Brighton didn’t just survive at the Stadium of Light. They won.
A Goalless, Frantic First Half
Brighton started brightly. Goalkeeper Robin Roefs was called into early action to deny Diego Gómez, who had capitalized on a mistake by Kevin Danso, and Luka Vušković then headed over the bar from close range.
Sunderland’s first notable chance came midway through the half, when Wilson Isidor’s drilled shot from inside the box was deflected onto the post. Around the half-hour mark, Thomas Meunier threatened for the hosts, only for Ferdi Kadıoğlu to make an outstanding block. Meunier’s game ended shortly afterwards with an injury.
Brighton almost went in front with the final touch of the half. Struijk’s header from a few yards out somehow struck the woodwork, and the teams went in level.
De Cuyper Breaks the Deadlock
The goal came eight minutes after the restart. In the 53rd minute, Pascal Groß played an exquisite pass through the Sunderland defense, and Maxim De Cuyper finished calmly, beating Roefs at his near post and sending the ball into the bottom corner.
Red Card Changes the Match
Four minutes later, Brighton were down to ten. Following a VAR review, Struijk was shown a red card for denying Isidor a clear goalscoring opportunity.
With a man advantage and over half an hour to play, Sunderland pushed for an equalizer, but Régis Le Bris’s side struggled to create clear chances. Brighton stayed organized and disciplined, and the hosts found it difficult to break down their defense.
Hadjam Seals It
Deep into stoppage time, Brighton hit Sunderland on the break. Georginio Rutter played in Jaouen Hadjam in the third minute of added time, and Hadjam finished confidently into the bottom corner to make it 2-0.
The Numbers
Brighton have now kept a clean sheet in each of their last three Premier League games. Their last longer run without conceding in the competition was four games, from January 16 to February 3, 2021.
For Sunderland, it was a third straight league defeat. Their last joint-longest losing run in the Premier League ran from February 7 to February 22, 2026, and the result leaves them near the bottom of the table.
Fabian Hürzeler’s side remain third in the table, two points behind Manchester City and Arsenal.
What’s Next
Both sides now turn to Europe. Sunderland travel to S.C.U. Torreense in the Europa League league phase on Thursday evening, while Brighton host FK Kauno Žalgiris in the Conference League league phase the same night.
