Sunderland 0-2 Brighton: clean sheet survives a red card
AI-written review based on match data · How we make it
Key numbers
- xG 0.68 v 1.14: Brighton's chances were better
- 38% possession: Brighton's lowest in eight matches
- 57' red card, yet no goal conceded afterwards
Brighton keep Sunderland out and score twice
Brighton kept a clean sheet on the road even after Pascal Struijk was sent off in the 57th minute. Maxim De Cuyper had broken the deadlock in the 53rd minute, and substitute Jaouen Hadjam added a second in the third minute of stoppage time. Sunderland had the majority of the ball but could not score.
Sunderland's shots carried little threat
Possession did Sunderland little good. Their xG per shot was 0.06, less than half their average across seven matches this season, and most of their 12 shots came from outside the box. That points to plenty of the ball but few clear chances. Wilson Isidor, one of three changes to the starting XI, managed two shots.
A different Brighton from the usual
Brighton's 38% share of possession was an eight-match low this season, against an average of 65.9%. They also had their fewest shots in that run, yet their xG per shot was higher than Sunderland's. That suggests they did more with less of the ball, even if the data cannot say how they set up to do it.
A goal that turned a draw into a lead
The 53rd-minute goal, set up by Pascal Groß, was worth +1.0 FN xPts because it turned a level match into a Brighton lead. The second goal, in the third minute of stoppage time, was worth next to nothing by that measure with the result already settled. Struijk's red card cost Brighton FN xPts too, yet the lead was never given up.
FN MOM
Highest FN Score · our own pick by a published formula, not the official Player of the Match
Nordi Mukiele 7.7Strong
He won 12 of 18 duels and added three interceptions and two blocks.
Mukiele earned most of his credit for defending, winning 12 of 18 duels and adding three interceptions and two blocks. Those numbers sit well with Brighton's 13 shots producing only 1.14 xG. He was also involved in build-up, completing 48 of 58 passes, but Sunderland never found a goal once the match was broken open in the 53rd minute.
Game state
0-10-2
Sunderland ahead 0 min · level 53 min · Brighton ahead 37 min
- Brighton: Red card 57' → ~33 min a player down
FN xPts — what each moment was worth
How much each moment changed that team's expected points (win 3, draw 1). A goal's value is credited 70% to the scorer and 30% to the assist. The value next to a team code is what the same moment did to the other side's expected points; the decisive moment is the one with the largest combined change for both teams.
53'
Maxim De Cuyper
Goal · scorer +0.7 · assist Pascal Groß +0.3 · SUN −0.8
+1.0
57'
Pascal Struijk
Red card · SUN +0.2
−0.3
90+3'
Jaouen Hadjam
Goal · assist Georginio Rutter · SUN 0.0
0.0
Sunderland
Expected (last two seasons) 1.4Own moments 0.0Opponent moments −0.6Time effect −0.8→ League points won 0
Brighton
Expected (last two seasons) 1.4Own moments +0.7Opponent moments 0.0Time effect +0.9→ League points won 3
Expected points don't add up to a fixed total (a draw is 1 + 1), so an opponent's moment isn't simply the mirror of your loss. "Time effect" is the change as the clock runs down on a lead or a chase, and isn't credited to any player.
How FN Score and FN xPts work →
Match stats
SunderlandBrighton
0.68Expected goals (xG)1.14
Compared with usual
Sunderland
7 matches this season, all competitions baseline
| This match | Avg | |
|---|
| Goals | 0 | 1.1 | |
| Conceded | 2 | 1.4 | |
| xG | 0.68 | 2.1 | |
| xG against | 1.14 | 1.7 | |
| Shots | 12 | 14.1 | |
| On target | 3 | 4.7 | |
| Shots faced | 13 | 11.1 | |
| xG per shot | 0.06 | 0.14 | |
| Possession | 62% | 48.9% | |
| Passes | 495 | 400.4 | |
| Corners | 7 | 5.6 | |
| Fouls | 8 | 12.4 | |
Brighton
8 matches this season, all competitions baseline
| This match | Avg | |
|---|
| Goals | 2 | 2.9 | |
| Conceded | 0 | 0.88 | |
| xG | 1.14 | 2.3 | |
| xG against | 0.68 | 1.7 | |
| Shots | 13 | 19.9 | low |
| On target | 4 | 6 | low |
| Shots faced | 12 | 10 | |
| xG per shot | 0.09 | 0.12 | |
| Possession | 38% | 65.9% | low |
| Passes | 305 | 584.8 | low |
| Corners | 5 | 6 | |
| Fouls | 12 | 13.9 | |
Timeline
- 34'
Sub
Thomas Meunier → Malick Fofana
- 36'
Yellow
Olivier Boscagli
- 53'
Goal
Maxim De Cuyper league goal #2 assist Pascal Groß
- 56'
VAR
Pascal Struijk
- 57'
Red
Pascal Struijk
- 60'
Sub
Charalampos Kostoulas → Lewis Dunk
- 68'
Sub
Maxim De Cuyper → Malick Yalcouyé
- 68'
Sub
Olivier Boscagli → Costinha
- 73'
Sub
Reinildo → Dayann Methalie
- 73'
Sub
Nilson Angulo → Jocelin Ta Bi
- 81'
Sub
Enzo Le Fée → J. Angulo
- 88'
Sub
Diego Gómez → Jaouen Hadjam
- 88'
Sub
Yasin Ayari → Georginio Rutter
- 90+3'
Goal
Jaouen Hadjam league goal #1 assist Georginio Rutter
Category leaders
- Key passesPascal Groß3
- Duels wonDiego Gómez13/24
- DribblesDayann Methalie2/2
- Defensive actionsDiego Gómez8
- ShotsDiego Gómez4 (on target 2)
#Sunderland#Brighton#Premier League#Maxim De Cuyper#Pascal Groß#Nordi Mukiele
This review was written by AI from match data (API-Football). FN Score and FN xPts are calculated by Fulltime Note using a published formula.