Brighton's Struijk wins appeal against red card at Sunderland
Pascal Struijk's red card in Brighton's win at Sunderland is overturned on appeal, freeing him to face Crystal Palace.
Brighton defender Pascal Struijk has had the red card he received against Sunderland overturned following a successful claim of wrongful dismissal. The decision means Struijk will not serve a one-match ban and is available for the Premier League match against Crystal Palace this weekend.
Struijk was sent off in the 57th minute at the Stadium of Light after being judged to have fouled Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor as he attempted to run on to a through-ball. Referee Thomas Bramall and his assistant initially did not award a foul, but VAR Neil Davies intervened and advised Bramall to review the incident on the pitchside monitor. After watching multiple replays, Bramall showed a straight red card for denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity, a call that drew disbelief from the Brighton players.
The reversal comes after Brighton appealed the wrongful dismissal. Struijk, who joined from Leeds in a £20m summer move, was making only his second Premier League start for the club.
Despite playing with ten men, Brighton went on to win the match 2-0. The Seagulls sit third in the table, five points behind leaders Manchester City.
Supporters took to social media to express frustration with the original decision, with many arguing that the foul did not meet the threshold for a clear goalscoring opportunity. The successful appeal spares Struijk a suspension and allows him to feature in the upcoming fixture.
Image: Getty Images / BBC Sport
