Brighton carried their pre-break momentum back into the league with a composed 2-0 win at Sunderland, their third victory in succession lifting them into third place and firmly into the Champions League positions.
In the dressing room
Maxim De Cuyper made the breakthrough eight minutes after the interval, arriving in the Sunderland penalty area to finish a move that put Brighton in control. Joauen Hadjam then made the points safe late on, adding the second goal as the visitors saw out another impressive afternoon.
The result follows Brighton’s 3-0 defeat of Arsenal and their 5-0 win at Coventry before the international pause. It is a run with real weight to it now: three straight wins, ten goals scored and none conceded across those matches.
| Club | League position | Gap |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | 1st | — |
| Arsenal | 2nd | — |
| Brighton | 3rd | Two points from the top |
A difficult afternoon for Sunderland
For Sunderland, the slide continues. They have now gone four league matches without a win, with defeat arriving in each of the last three, and sit only one point clear of the relegation places.
It is a sharp contrast with last season, when their home ground was a difficult stop for visiting sides and very few teams left with a victory. Brighton, however, found the balance between patience and punch, taking their chance after the break before closing the door late on.
The week ahead
Brighton will head into the next round of fixtures with the top two in sight and their confidence plainly intact. Sunderland need a response quickly: the drop is close enough already, and another home defeat would make the table feel less forgiving still.
