Brighton 1-1 Sheffield United. Sheffield United moved off the foot of the Premier League table by coming from behind to claim a point at 10-man Brighton.
The Seagulls led for much of the game through Simon Adringa’s wonderful early opener but were left to rue a failure to convert their dominance into further goals.
The match turned on Brighton midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud’s senseless 69th-minute red card for a raking challenge down the back of Ben Osborn’s leg.
Brighton defender Adam Webster turned Jayden Bogle’s cross into his own net to bring the Blades level only five minutes later.
And Bogle wasted a great chance to earn Paul Heckingbottom’s visitors back-to-back victories by firing wide with only Brighton keeper Jason Steele to beat.
Roberto de Zerbi’s side remain eighth as the Blades move above Burnley, and off bottom spot for the first time since their 8-0 thumping by Newcastle on 24 September, but are still four points from safety.
The Blades were staring more unwanted records in the face until Dahoud’s dismissal, having been thoroughly second best and facing the prospect of a sixth successive away defeat.
No top-flight team has stayed up after losing 10 of their opening 12 games so avoiding that statistic was a big boost for Heckingbottom’s side.
Admittedly, they enjoyed a helping hand from the hosts, not just with the dismissal but the volume of chances Brighton passed up prior to it.
Their sixth-minute goal was a beauty as Ivory Coast winger Adringa waltzed in from the left to beat two defenders, played a quick one-two on the edge of the box with Facundo Buonanotte and fired past Wes Foderingham.
But rather than open the floodgates, it did virtually the opposite as the Seagulls stepped down in gears.
Ansu Fati should have doubled the lead from Adam Lallana’s through-ball, only to be foiled by Foderingham, who also tipped over a 25-yard half-volley from Billy Gilmour.
Both sides have been decimated by injuries, with each having virtually a full XI sidelined – Brighton’s Europa League win at Ajax came at a cost as James Milner, Pervis Estupinan, Lewis Dunk and Evan Ferguson joined a lengthy treatment room list.
However, they were still able to bring on Kaoru Mitoma and Joao Pedro at half-time – and both forced Foderingham into more work early in the second half.
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But the Blades battled back to ensure they remain unbeaten against the Seagulls in five Premier League meetings, having also not lost away there since 1987.
Cameron Archer was heavily involved in their two big chances, putting Webster under pressure at the far post to force the equaliser and providing a backheel to tee up Bogle for his agonising miss.
Brighton, meanwhile, have now scored in 29 successive league games but gone 16 without a clean sheet – and their current winless league sequence was extended to six games, the longest such run under De Zerbi.
source – BBC
