Sheffield United 0-5 Brighton: Mason Holgate sent off in heavy home defeat

Manager Chris Wilder says Mason Holgate “has to take responsibility” after the defender’s red card in the early stages of Sheffield United’s thrashing by Brighton.

Brighton cruised to a 5-0 win against 10 men, taking the lead within 10 minutes through Facundo Buonanotte when the playmaker bundled in a corner.

Danny Welbeck doubled the advantage, firing in a rebound after keeper Wes Foderingham denied Mitoma.

United’s Ben Osborn had a hooked volley ruled out for offside just before the interval.

Brighton got their third when United defender Jack Robinson diverted Mitoma’s cross into his own net before Simon Adingra added two late goals, burying Pascal Gross’ cutback and benefiting from a looping deflection.

“It was a mistimed tackle and the correct decision was made,” Wilder told BBC Match of the Day when asked about Holgate’s challenge .

“Mason has to take the responsibility that his decision has hurt us and the gameplan goes out of the window after that.”

Wilder later revealed Holgate had said sorry to his team-mates for the challenge.

“He has apologised to the boys, he understands it and he is an experienced pro,” said the Blades boss.

“He has got it wrong, I want us to be competitive, I want us to win tackles, we can’t have a passive game.

“It is a competitive game, it is not a non-contact game but we have to get that right, Mason has to get that right. It is huge setback for us in the approach to the overall game.

“I am torn, I am a competitor and I understand that it was a very, very strong challenge and the game has moved on.”

‘The decision was right’ – what they said

“The red card killed the game, killed our plan and killed everything we worked for,” Sheffield United captain Anel Ahmedhodzic told BBC Match of the Day.

Ahmedhodzic said he did not think the red card was fair, although he did say he had not seen a replay of the incident.

Holgate won the ball with his standing foot, but that was after he had caught Mitoma with his studs.

“He’s obviously won the ball, but he’s followed through,” Brighton striker Welbeck told Sky Sports.

“It was one of those challenges where I did think it was a red card straight away.”

On BBC Radio 5 Live former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson described it as “a really bad tackle” and added: “I’m sure when Sheffield United fans get home and watch Match of the Day Two, they’ll realise the decision was right.”

Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi said he did not want to talk about the challenge.

Holgate is the only player to have received a red card in each of the past three Premier League seasons.

The defender joined United in February after being recalled from his loan at Southampton earlier this season.

Brighton enjoy record away win

Sunday’s victory was only Brighton’s second in the league in 2024, although they have won twice in the FA Cup, including a 5-2 triumph against United at Bramall Lane in the fourth round.

Even before Holgate’s dismissal De Zerbi’s side were routinely carving forward.

Adingra, back from winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast, had a cross deflected off Ahmedhodzic and was narrowly kept out by a diving Foderingham.

At 2-0, Yasser Larouci twice cleared off the line for United – denying Mitoma and Gross from close range – while Foderingham also smartly kept out Welbeck and Mitoma.

It is Brighton’s biggest win away from home in the top flight, and they have now scored four or more goals seven times in all competitions this season.

De Zerbi’s seventh-placed team now face sides who are in the bottom half of the table in their next five games, starting with Everton next weekend.

Blades miss chance to move off bottom

“It feels like we get one back and then we lose one,” Wilder told Sky Sports.

The Blades boss was talking about Cameron Archer failing a fitness test before kick-off, but the point does also aptly sum up his side.

After winning 3-1 at Luton last week, the visitors needed only a point to move off the foot of the table.

But as soon as they went a player down, a positive result looked unlikely.

They did almost level shortly after conceding, but James McAtee’s shot after a mazy run was kept out by Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen, who was starting ahead of Jason Steele.

And there was confusion surrounding Osborn’s disallowed goal, which was first ruled out for a foul but then was ultimately chalked off for an offside after referee Stuart Attwell consulted the pitchside monitor.

United travel to Wolves for their next league match on 25 February.