Struijk has red card shown after VAR intervention overturned

What the report says

Brighton defender Pascal Struijk has had the red card he received against Sunderland overturned after a successful wrongful dismissal claim, BBC Sport Football reports. The decision relates to Saturday’s Premier League match at the Stadium of Light, where Struijk was sent off in the 57th minute after a VAR review for an alleged foul on Sunderland forward Wilson Isidor.

Referee Thomas Bramall initially allowed play to continue, but was sent to the monitor by VAR official Neil Davies and then changed his decision to a straight red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity. The ruling drew a strong reaction from Brighton players at the time, and the club has now secured the reversal.

As a result, Struijk will not have to serve a one-match suspension and will be available for Brighton’s league meeting with Crystal Palace this weekend. The defender, who joined Brighton from Leeds in a reported £20m summer move, was making only his second Premier League start for the club.

Brighton still won the match 2-0 and remain third in the Premier League, five points behind leaders Manchester City. The case adds to continuing scrutiny over how VAR is being used in close-offside and denial-of-goalscoring-opportunity decisions in English football.