Struijk red card at Sunderland overturned after VAR intervention

Pascal Struijk was shown a red card by referee Thomas Bramall after 57 minutes of Brighton's victory at Sunderland's Stadium of Light on Saturday, but that dismissal has now been overturned. The sending-off followed a pitchside VAR review which brought Bramall to the monitor.

Struijk had been adjudged to have fouled Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor as Isidor tried to run on to a through-ball, with neither Bramall nor his assistant initially awarding a foul. VAR official Neil Davies intervened and called the on-field official to the screen; after watching the replay multiple times Bramall issued a straight red for denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity. The decision was met with disbelief from Brighton players.

The red card has been rescinded following a successful claim of wrongful dismissal, and the appeal outcome means Struijk will not have to serve a one-match ban. The club confirmed the decision after the appeal was processed.

Struijk joined Brighton from Leeds in a £20m move in the summer and was making his second Premier League start for his new club. Brighton went on to win the match 2-0 despite the controversial sending-off and maintain their strong start to the season. The Seagulls sit third, five points behind leaders Manchester City.

As a result of the overturned dismissal, Struijk will be available to face Crystal Palace in the Premier League this weekend and will not be suspended for that fixture.