Brighton and Hove Albion goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off late on as he brought down Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson in the 1-1 draw.

David Coote the referee twice had to go to the screen to make a game-changing decision. With the first to decide a first-half penalty for Brighton, which Leandro Trossard calmly put past Karl Darlow. 

Only for Issac Hayden to equalise midway through the second half, and bring it back level. With all of the commotion in the final ten minutes,  the Sanchez red card caused many will forget the lack of quality from both sides and remember VAR playing its part in the key decisions. 

Story of the match 

Brighton started strongly with the majority of possession as was expected from the Seagulls. Graham Potters men are a possession heavy team, Graeme Jones was happy to allow them to have it and sit deep with wing-backs on the counter.

Brighton had other ideas as Tariq Lamptey was again effective early. The right-back's cross beat everyone except Leandro Trossard his header could not beat Karl Darlow however. 

Newcastle did have a spell of decent possession with Miguel Almiron and Jacob Murphy linking down the right-hand side. Murphy released a snapshot that was well wide. 

Newcastle had bright sparks as a Brighton attack fails just inside the Newcastle half, and Hayden brings the ball forward. Hayden makes the wrong choice as he continues to run with the ball rather than release it to the spaceman which is Callum Wilson.

With twenty minutes gone Newcastle are getting bludgeoned by Brighton attacks. A corner finds Trossard, the Belgian beats Ciaran Clark and after an eternity looking at VAR David Coote confirms that Clark fouled Trossard and Brighton will have a penalty.

Trossard slotted it past Darlow easily with a mildly lofted penalty straight down the centre. Newcastle go behind and the history of this fixture says when they do they don't come back from it. 

Lamptey drove everything for Brighton in the opening half-hour and isn't far away from doubling the Seagulls lead he slides in at the near post to meet Joël Veltman's dangerous low cross. The youngster's touch can not find the far post, and Newcastle finally cleared the danger. 

Newcastle had chances in the rest of the first half with some successful corners but nothing from Allan Saint-Maximin nor Callum Wilson put Brighton at serious risk of conceding. The hosts did nearly add a second before halftime with Lamptey again causing all the problems for Newcastle. He knocks it into the back post where Solly March beats Emil Krafth in the air and heads it back across goal and wide.

Brighton started the second half as they ended the first,  as there are two chances in very quick succession for with Trossard denied at a tight angle by Darlow. Before Marc Cucurella is set up by the Belgian with a wonderful cross which the wingback smacks back across goal and Newcastle escape. 

Newcastle tried to find a way back into the game with ASM and Almiron but the Paragyigan tries to do too much and loses possession, straight after this move Brighton attacked with a freedom to move down the pitch. Cucurella opts not to shoot when Lamptey finds him on the edge. Instead, he lays it off for Trossard who's more than happy to fire towards the goal and bends it past the far post.

Finally, after 55 minutes, Newcastle managed a shot on target. As a half-cleared corner reaches Matt Ritchie, the defender brings it down well struck it cleanly and fired straight at Robert Sánchez. 

Brighton had two more half chances blocked but nothing concrete before Issac Hayden out of nowhere levels for Newcastle. 

It was another free-kick that made the goal.  Ritchie exchanged passes  Saint-Maximin before crossing to Clark. The centre-backs gets it down for Hayden, who smashed in the equaliser from eight yards.

The goal boosted Newcastle and added a much needed zip in the step of the players. 

Both Newcastle and Brighton cannot break through Joelinton gets a shot away but Lewis Dunk whose sliding block deflects it into Sanchez's arms. Sanchez struggled in the final ten minutes dropped Jonjo Shelvey's cross. Duffy clears before Wilson can put any egg on his face.

the game looked like it was all over then Wilson broke free the with Brighton backline breaking down. Sanchez rushed out and clipped Callum Wilson. David Coote had another look at it and sent off the Brighton keeper. Brighton had used all three substitutes so Lewis Dunk donned the gloves for the Seagulls. 

The resulting free-kick Shelvey crossed the ball rather than testing Dunk. The rest of the game was very back and forth between the two sides with neither creating anything. It ends 1-1 

Newcastle remain without a  win.  A point at Brighton is better than nothing for Newcastle. For Brighton, it is all too familiar to last season. They are dangerous but not good enough. 

key takeaways 

The demons of last season haven't vanished for Brighton as they created more than double Newcastle chances but shared the points. It looked like it was changing this season for Graham Potter's men. With the early season form and free-flowing football, Brighton were tipped to be last seasons West Ham and qualify for Europe. 

Brighton are now winless in six, and yes last weeks comeback against Liverpool was impressive, but tonight they should have won the game.

For Newcastle, it is still the same old same old. Defensively weak and stubbornly shallow going forward. It is different personnel but the same story on Tyneside and hopefully Eddie Howe can come in and adapt the way this team plays. 

 

Starting XI's 

Brighton: Sanchez, Lamptey, Dunk, Duffy, Veltman, Cucurella, Mwepu, Lallana, Bissouma, March, Trossard.

Newcastle: Darlow, Murphy, Krafth, Lascelles, Clark, Ritchie, Hayden, Shelvey, Almiron, Saint-Maximin, Wilson

 

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