Diego Gómez stunner helps Brighton beat 10-man Brentford at the Amex

Diego Gómez scored a long-range strike as Brighton defeated 10-man Brentford in a Premier League match at the Amex on 8 November 2026, the visitors reduced to ten men after an early sending-off.

Brighton returned to the Amex after five consecutive away trips covering more than 5,000 miles, which included victories at Manchester City and Getafe in their two most recent outings. Brentford, who have never won at the Amex in the Premier League, made an early aerial intent from kick-off but were largely second best. Paul Scholes, having watched Brighton train at Salford this week, declared himself an admirer of a "level of coaching" he suggested is unsurpassed in English football.

Brentford opened with an up-and-under from the restart that Bart Verbruggen collected on the full, but Brighton carved out the clearer chances as the first half progressed. Maxim de Cuyper mishit a header when Pascal Gross's cushioned volley presented an opportunity, and Gómez produced his strike by caressing the ball with his left and then his right before thundering a shot past Caoimhin Kelleher; the report noted it was not as spectacular as his halfway-line goal against Crystal Palace but nonetheless a fine score.

The match pivoted when Igor Thiago attempted a lob over Verbruggen and then clashed with Chema Andrés in midfield; referee Michael Oliver initially produced a yellow card before the video assistant referee, Stuart Attwell, intervened. Stockley Park advised an upgrade and the decision was given as "Violent conduct" and "with force," resulting in Thiago's dismissal and a suspension that will rule him out of Brentford's remaining fixtures in November.

Brighton increased their advantage from the penalty spot after Luka Vuskovic won a foul in the box when Keane Lewis-Potter pulled his shirt; Pascal Gross struck the penalty past Kelleher for Brighton's second. Keith Andrews made two halftime substitutions, bringing on Yehor Yarmoliuk and Nathan Collins, and Brighton's possession share climbed beyond 75% as they controlled the second period.

Brentford's only meaningful routes back into the game were from set-pieces, including Mathias Jensen's looping diagonal that Verbruggen gathered, and rare corners that drew ironic cheers from the travelling support. There was a flashpoint when Kevin Schade shoved Vuskovic near the touchline; Oliver and Attwell judged a yellow card sufficient rather than a second red for the visitors.

Yasin Ayari created two chances before being replaced by Jack Hinshelwood, who drilled one effort wide, and Brighton maintained control for much of the closing stages. Both managers strayed beyond the confines of their technical areas during the contest, with Andrews' movement described as likely to add him to Mikel Arteta's "massive storage of images" of such breaches.

The victory moved Brighton into second place in the Premier League.