Sheffield United 0-5 Brighton: Records smashed in Steel City

There was so much to unpack from Sheffield United 0-5 Brighton that it is difficult to know where to start. How about with the club records rewritten at Bramall Lane?

This was the biggest top flight away win in Albion history. The Seagulls have now scored 10 times at Bramall Lane in two games over the space of three weeks. For context, Sheffield United have managed 12 at home all season.

Danny Welbeck joined an exclusive club of players to have scored 20 Premier League goals for Brighton since Sky Sports invented football in 1992. Pascal Gross, Glenn Murray, Neal Maupay and Leandro Trossard being the others.

Gross broke his own record for most assists in a top flight campaign, moving onto nine. With three months of the season still to play, said record is likely to end up totally destroyed rather than merely broken by the end of May.

Bart Verbruggen claimed the first Premier League clean sheet of his career. The Dutch goalkeeper did not have to work particularly hard for it, the sum of his afternoon being one early save from Jayden Bogle.

The Albion though – and Verbruggen in particular – have made a habit of giving away poor goals to opponents this season. Keeping a rare clean sheet was almost as impressive as the goals racked up at the other end in Sheffield United 0-5 Brighton.

Not a piece of history, but it was fantastic to see man of the moment and recently crowned King Simon Adingra of Africa scored twice on his first Brighton appearance since returning from AFCON.

Regular readers of WAB will know above all else when it comes to football, we love entertainment and ridiculousness. And in that regard, the Blades more than played their part in Sheffield United 0-5 Brighton.

A comical own goal from Jack Robinson provided in the first category. We have said it before and we will say it again, there is nothing more beautiful about the beautiful game than an own goal.

Whether it be Adam Hinshelwood leathering an attempted back pass beyond his own goalkeeper and into the back of the net against Colchester United on Boxing Day 2008 or Robinson inadvertently stretching out a leg to divert a cross at Bramall Lane in January 2024, every own goal is precious.

As for the ridiculousness, well, that came afterwards. Blades captain Anel Ahmedhodzic gave an interview more warped than the MDMA-induced dreams I had for three nights straight after Glastonbury 2017 involving Gordon Brown, Faye from Steps and horse riding through the streets of Crewe.

In it (the interview, not the dream), Ahmedhodzic claimed the tackle/foul/GBH/attempted murder Mason Holgate carried out on Kaoru Mitoma with 13 minutes played of Sheffield United 0-5 Brighton was not worthy of the red card it received.

“From what I saw on the pitch, I don’t think it was,” said Ahmedhodzic. “Maybe the replay seems harsher than it it is.”

“But from my view on the pitch, I thought it was a fair tackle. If you ask my opinion, I don’t think it was a red card.”

In the same way, presumably, it is my opinion that I am going to marry Dua Lipa. Pure and utter delusion and quite simply an incredible viewpoint born from no realm of sanity (unless you are reading this Miss Lipa, in which case drop us an email and we can go to Wetherspoons for Thursday Night Steak Club).

Even more bizarre than the suggestion Holgate did not deserve red was Ahmedhodzic’s insistence it was a moment which changed the course of the game.

“The red card killed the game, killed our plan and killed everything we worked for,” added the Blades skipper. A revolutionary idea here would be for Holgate not to go in two footed, off the ground with a challenge above the knee inside of a quarter of an hour if you don’t want your game plan killed.

But even had it remained 11 versus 11 for longer than 13 minutes, it is improbable a Sheffield United side surely destined to return to the Championship after the most fleeting of visits to the Premier League might have otherwise lived with the Albion. Not when Brighton are playing like this.

At the end of another week when rumours swirled over Roberto De Zerbi leaving, head of recruit Sam Jewell leaving and half the squad leaving, the Seagulls showed the world it was business as normal.

Seven minutes after Holgate tried to end the career of Mitoma and Brighton took the lead. Lewis Dunk headed a Gross corner back across goal and Facundo Buonanotte was on hand to turn the ball in.

Goal two arrived four minutes later. Gross arched over one of his beautiful trademark crosses to the back post. Mitoma saw his volley kept out by Wes Foderingham, only for Welbeck to lash home the rebound.

Going into half time and the Albion had enjoyed 78 percent possession. We had been here before at Bramall Lane of course, 2-0 up after 40 minutes of that fourth round FA Cup tie 22 days previously, only for the score to end up 2-2 going into the break.

Ben Osborn thought he had pulled one back for the Blades on this occasion after the Seagulls’ marking was once again questionable from a set piece. A VAR check found Osborn to be offside when he beat Verbruggen from close range and so Brighton kept their two-goal lead intact.

They then set about building on it in the second half. Mitoma had been booed through the first half after the red card but the howls of discontent from the locals ceased after half time, presumably because they had all seen a replay of Holgate’s tackle and realised their reaction was totally moronic.

Rather wonderfully, it was Mitoma whose cross was diverted past Foderingham by the unfortunate Robinson for the own goal on 75 minutes.

Adingra added the final two goals to mark a marvellous homecoming on his return from being crowned a champion of Africa.

Gross crossed from the right for his record-breaking assist with Adingra volleying home just 120 seconds after the comical own goal.

The final nail in the Sheffield United 0-5 Brighton coffin arrived on 85 minutes and was the most satisfactory of the lot.

United had by now realised they could not stop the Albion by legal means and so began meting out ever rougher treatment.

Ansu Fati was smashed to the ground twice in 10 seconds in the build up to goal five, only for the on-loan Barcelona forward to get up both times and Brighton still score.

The second of those fouls on Fati resulted in the ball looping to Adingra, who got it under control before beating Foderingham via a deflection.

That wrapped up another record for De Zerbi’s Brighton CV. Biggest home top flight win. Biggest away top flight win. Most goals scored in a top flight season. Highest ever league finish.

Clearly, he is destined for a bigger club than the Albion in the not-too-distant future. Maybe even this summer, if the rumour mill turns out to be correct. Whether that be Liverpool, Barcelona or another, there is little point worrying about it.

Just enjoy the man and days like Sheffield United 0-5 Brighton whilst we can.