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Super Eagles striker Taiwo Awoniyi was sent off as Brighton & Hove Albion thrashed Coventry City 5-0 on Sunday, leaving Frank Lampard’s side without a point or goal after their opening four Premier League matches.
Awoniyi was dismissed in the 53rd minute for violent conduct after catching Brighton defender Maxim De Cuyper in the face with his elbow during an aerial challenge. The straight red card was upheld after a VAR review, leaving Coventry with 10 men with the hosts already 2-0 down.
Brighton had taken the lead in the 35th minute through Charalampos Kostoulas, who produced a fine finish after connecting with Pascal Gross’ pass.
Malick Yalcouyé doubled Brighton’s advantage six minutes after the restart, accelerating away from the Coventry defence before finishing clinically to put the visitors firmly in control.
Awoniyi’s dismissal compounded Coventry’s problems, and Brighton took full advantage of their numerical superiority. Gross converted a 70th-minute penalty after Bobby Thomas fouled Kostoulas.
Lewis Dunk then produced the outstanding goal of the match, curling a spectacular long-range effort into the top corner from 25 yards in the 83rd minute.
Brighton completed the rout in stoppage time when Yasin Ayari found the net with a composed low finish, sealing a five-goal victory that moved Fabian Hurzeler’s side into fourth place.
The defeat leaves Coventry as the only Premier League side without a point this season. The newly promoted side have also failed to score in their first four matches, extending their difficult return to the top flight after a 25-year absence.
Lampard admitted the red card and Brighton’s second goal made the contest increasingly difficult for his side, although he said Coventry had created opportunities before the game slipped away.
“It’s a difficult scoreline, and it’s not easy at home,” Lampard said. “The first half was pretty good; we created some chances and we had them under a lot of pressure. Then a mistake to make it 2-0 and the red card makes it very difficult.”
Brighton, meanwhile, secured their second victory of the campaign and their first since their 4-0 opening-day win over Aston Villa, with five different players finding the net in the emphatic victory.
