Brighton thrashed 10-man Sheffield United, who stayed bottom of the Premier League and conceded five goals at home for the third consecutive game.
The game swung in the 12th minute when United’s Mason Holgate caught Kaoru Mitoma in midfield with a horrific challenge just below the knee.
The Everton loanee was shown a yellow card, but it was upgraded to a red after intervention from the video assistant referee (VAR).
Against 10 men, Brighton attacked at will, taking the lead through Facundo Buonanotte, who bundled in a corner.
Danny Welbeck doubled the advantage, firing in a rebound after keeper Wes Foderingham denied Mitoma.
United’s Ben Osborn had a hooked volley ruled out for offside just before the interval.
Brighton got a deserved third when United defender Jack Robinson diverted Mitoma’s cross into his own net.
Simon Adingra added two late goals, burying Pascal Gross’ cutback and benefiting from a looping deflection.
Sunday’s victory was only Brighton’s second in the league in 2024, although they have won twice in the FA Cup, including a 5-2 triumph over United at Bramall Lane in the fourth round.
Even before Holgate’s sending-off Roberto de Zerbi’s side were routinely carving forward.
Adingra, back from winning the Africa Cup of Nations with Ivory Coast, had a cross deflected off Anel Ahmedhodzic and narrowly kept out by a diving Foderingham.
At 2-0, Yasser Larouci twice cleared off the line for United, denying Mitoma and Gross from close range. Foderingham also smartly kept out Welbeck and Mitoma either side of half-time.
Brighton’s win is their biggest away from home in the top flight, and they have scored four or more goals seven times in all competitions this season.
Seventh-placed Brighton face teams from the bottom half of the table in their next five games.
They host Everton on Saturday, a game De Zerbi will expect to win.
“It feels like we get one back and then we lose one,” Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder told Sky Sports.
He was actually talking about Cameron Archer failing a fitness test before kick-off, but the point does also aptly sum up his side.
After winning 3-1 at Luton last week, the visitors needed only a point to move off the foot of the table.
But as soon as they went a player down, any positive result looked unlikely.
They did almost level shortly after conceding, but James McAtee’s shot after a mazy run was kept out by Brighton keeper Bart Verbruggen, starting ahead of Jason Steele.
And there was confusion surrounding Osborn’s disallowed goal, which was first ruled out for a foul but then was ultimately chalked off for an offside after referee Stuart Attwell consulted the pitchside monitor.
United travel to Wolves for their next league match on 25 February.
