Sheffield United 0-5 Brighton: Seagulls move up to seventhin emphatic style to heap misery on 10-m

They booed and they screeched and they unleashed their fury at Stuart Attwell, the beleaguered referee who found himself in the firing line.

Sheffield United’s fans wanted a scapegoat and Attwell was the perfect target. It was he – if you followed and believed the noise – who had changed the course of this game and made their fight against relegation look even more foreboding.

Perhaps in days to come the locals we realise their mistake. When you are battling to stay float, the last thing needed is one of your own flying through the air to torpedo your plans. Attwell’s fault? Don’t be daft. Mason Holgate’s indiscipline is where this latest sorry Sheffield tale must begin.

Yes, we will focus in good time on the patterns of passing and ruthless finishing of a Brighton team that are relentlessly determined to qualify for Europe once again and give head coach Roberto De Zerbi something to consider this summer when he will undoubtedly be festooned with offers.

They were brilliant, particularly in the second half when their ball retention and patience chipped away and eroded Sheffield’s belief, to the point that the dam burst and a face-saving 2-0 scoreline became a 5-0 skewering. It is the third consecutive home game they have conceded that many.

Sheffield United fansbooed, screeched and they unleashed their fury at Stuart Attwell

It came after the blades went down to 10-men after just 13 minutes of the match 

Mason Holgate’s indiscipline was where the latest sorry Sheffield tale began 

But the preamble to the beauty was a beastly lunge, something so wild that Jamie Redknapp, on Sky Sports, described it as “one of the worst I’ve seen in years”. He wasn’t alone in that view. Holgate’s good fortune is that he didn’t do lasting damage to Karou Mitoma.

MATCH FACTS 

SHEFFIELD UNITED (3-5-1-1): Foderingham, Holgate, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson, Bogle, Hamer, Souza, Osborn, Larouci, McAtee, Osula

Subs: Trusty, Brewster, Brooks, McBurnie, Grbic, Norwood, Arblaster, Blacker

BRIGHTON (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen, Webster, Van Hecke, Dunk, Lamptey, Gilmour, Grob, Adingra, Buonanotte, Mitoma, Welbeck 

Scorers: Buonanotte 20′, Welbeck 24′, Robinson (OG) 75′, Adingra 78′  

A visit from Brighton was always going to require Chris Wilder’s team to answer searching questions but they had started brightly, with captain Anel Ahemdhodzic forcing Bart Verbruggen into action. Brighton play beautifully but, occasionally, they malfunction and lose when it is least expected.

Might this be one of those days? No. Holgate, for reasons known only to him, launched into a 12th minute challenge that was preposterous, clattering into Mitoma at knee height. Attwell initially showed a yellow but a consultation with VAR Michael Oliver led to a red being brandished.

Holgate tried to protest his innocence but his actions were tone deaf. To build on last week’s spirited win at Luton, Wilder needed all hands to the pump but as soon as one part faltered there was always potential for them to submerge. So it proved – 12 minutes later the contest was over.

Presenting Brighton with the opportunity to pass the ball around boasting a numerical advantage was going to the equivalent of sitting in a chair while hypnotist gently rocks a clock in front of your eyes – left, right, left, right they went under.

Perhaps things would have been different had Holgate – who was once sent-off for Everton, in November 2021, for a similar challenge on Tottenham’s Pierre Emile Hojberg – remained on the pitch but there is dollop of generosity in that thinking.

Sheffield United aren’t going to avoid relegation and the gulf in class between them and Brighton was colossal, a team of journeymen being taken apart by a team of well-coached, highly motivated footballers: at one point is like watching a school’s sixth form team take on the intake of first years.

There was an element of fortune to the goal that set Brighton on their way in the 20th minute, with Lewis Dunk and Adam Webster playing head tennis in Sheffield’s six yard area before Facundo Buonanotte popped up in between markers to divert the ball over the line.

With their tails up, one quickly became two and this was Brighton at their best. A flurry of passes, a cross to the back post from Pascal Gross where Mitoma – who was routinely and boorishly booed – saw a volley saved by Wes Foderingham but Danny Welbeck was on hand to finish.

De Zerbi knew what that meant and wheeled away in joy, squawking his delight and punching the air. Wilder, a few yards away, stood with his hands clamped on his head, knowing that it was now going to be a long, sorry march to the finish line.

Wilder’s mood wasn’t helped when Ben Osborn had a goal disallowed for offside before half-time but afterwards it was one way traffic. It took until the 71st minute for third to arrive – when Jack Robinson put through his own net – but then Brighton cut loose.

Simon Adingra, who last week helped Ivory Coast with the Africa Cup of Nations, scored twice and left the visiting fans exultant. The home fans? Many of them had long gone – just like their team;;s chances in this game.

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