Ten-man Albion win 2-0 at Sunderland for a third league win in a row

Brighton & Hove Albion^1,2,3 beat Sunderland 2-0 at the Stadium of Light on Saturday, with ten men for the last half-hour. It was their first run of three straight Premier League wins in eight years.

Neither side scored in the first half, though both hit the woodwork. Albion’s chance came in stoppage time, when Pascal Struijk headed a Pascal Gross free kick against the far post.

Albion went in front on 52 minutes. Diego Gomez flicked the ball into space and Gross found Maxim De Cuyper overlapping on the left. De Cuyper swept his shot inside the near post without breaking stride.

A few minutes later Struijk was sent off for denying Wilson Isidore a goalscoring opportunity, after the referee, Thomas Bramall, was sent to the pitchside monitor. Fabian Hurzeler brought on Lewis Dunk, and Albion sat deep and held on.

The second goal came in stoppage time from two substitutes. Georginio Rutter fed Jaouen Hadjam, who had come off the bench for his Premier League debut. Hadjam ran into the box and drilled a right-foot shot inside the far post.

More than 2,200 Albion fans had made the 700-mile round trip, and the goal went in at their end.

“We showed that togetherness, and I think it was a deserved win,” Hurzeler said. “They really stick together, and they face adversity no matter how tough it is.”

It was Albion’s fourth win in six league games, and they stay third. Their Conference League campaign starts at the Amex on Thursday, against Kauno Zalgiris at 8pm. Crystal Palace visit on Sunday 18 October at 2pm.